How To Cite A Play In Mla Format

When writing about plays in academic papers, properly citing your sources is essential to maintain credibility and avoid plagiarism. The Modern Language Association (MLA) format provides clear guidelines for citing plays, whether you're quoting dialogue, referencing acts and scenes, or listing works in your bibliography. Understanding how to cite a play in MLA format ensures that your writing meets academic standards and gives proper credit to playwrights and their works.

Basic Structure of MLA Play Citations

The MLA format for citing plays depends on whether you are quoting directly from the text, referring to a specific act, scene, or line, or simply mentioning the play in your paper. Plays are often published as part of an anthology or as standalone books, and the citation format adjusts accordingly.

For a play published as a book, the basic citation includes the playwright's name, the title of the play in italics, the editor or translator (if applicable), the publication information, and the medium of publication. For example:

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Play. Editor or Translator (if applicable). Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.

If the play is part of an anthology, you would cite the anthology's editor and include the page numbers where the play appears.

Quoting Dialogue from a Play

When quoting dialogue, MLA style requires you to set the quotation apart from your main text and format it correctly. For a single character's speech, use quotation marks as you would with any other quote. For dialogue involving two or more characters, use a block quote and start each character's speech on a new line, indented one inch from the left margin. The character's name should be in all capital letters, followed by a period, and then the dialogue. For example:

HAMLET. To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles...

When citing a specific line or set of lines, include the act, scene, and line numbers in parentheses after the quote. For example: (Hamlet 3.1.56-58).

Citing Acts, Scenes, and Lines

In MLA format, you can cite a play by act, scene, and line numbers rather than page numbers. This is especially useful for plays that are widely available in multiple editions. The format for in-text citations is as follows:

(Playwright's Last Name Act.Scene.Line)

For example, if you are citing lines 56 through 58 of Act 3, Scene 1 of Hamlet, you would write: (Hamlet 3.1.56-58). If the author's name is mentioned in the text, only the act, scene, and line numbers are needed in the parentheses.

Citing Plays in the Works Cited List

In the Works Cited section, the format for a play depends on its publication context. For a standalone play:

Playwright's Last Name, First Name. Title of Play. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Print.

For a play in an anthology:

Playwright's Last Name, First Name. Title of Play. Title of Anthology. Ed. Editor's Name. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Page numbers. Print.

If the play is accessed online, replace "Print" with the appropriate medium, such as "Web," and include the date of access if required by your instructor.

Special Cases: Shakespeare and Classical Plays

Citing Shakespeare and other classical playwrights often involves additional conventions. For Shakespeare, abbreviate the play's title in subsequent citations if it is mentioned earlier in your paper. For example, after citing Hamlet in full, you can simply use "Ham." in later citations.

For classical plays, such as those by Sophocles or Euripides, include the translator's name in the citation if you are using a translated version. For example:

Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1984. Print.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

One common mistake is failing to use block quotes for multi-character dialogue, which can make your paper difficult to read and may result in lost points. Another is neglecting to include act, scene, and line numbers when citing plays, which are essential for precise referencing. Additionally, always ensure that your Works Cited entries are formatted with a hanging indent and that titles of plays are italicized.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I cite a play I watched as a performance? A: Cite the performance by listing the title of the play, the theater, the city, the date of the performance, and the medium (e.g., Live Performance).

Q: What if the play I'm citing doesn't have line numbers? A: If the play lacks line numbers, use the page number instead, or cite by act and scene if page numbers are unavailable.

Q: How do I cite a play found in an online database? A: Cite the play as you would a print version, but include the database name and the date you accessed it.

Conclusion

Mastering how to cite a play in MLA format is a valuable skill for any student or scholar in the humanities. By following MLA guidelines for quoting dialogue, citing acts and scenes, and formatting your Works Cited page, you ensure that your writing is both professional and academically sound. Whether you are analyzing Shakespeare or a modern playwright, accurate citations demonstrate your attention to detail and respect for intellectual property. With practice, citing plays will become second nature, allowing you to focus on the substance of your analysis and the power of the drama itself.