How to Quote a Shakespeare Play

Quoting Shakespeare plays is a common task for students, scholars, and theater professionals. Getting it right is important for ensuring that you are accurately representing the playwright’s words and that your readers or audience can easily understand the context of the quote. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to quote a Shakespeare play:

When to Use Quotation Marks

Use quotation marks when you are quoting the exact words of a character or the stage directions from a Shakespeare play. This includes both direct speech and indirect speech. For example:

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” (Hamlet, 3.1.56)

He asked, “To be or not to be, that is the question.” (Hamlet, 3.1.56)

How to Format the Citation

When you quote a Shakespeare play, you should include the following information in the citation:

The play’s title
The act, scene, and line number(s) of the quote
The speaker’s name (if applicable)

The citation should be placed in parentheses at the end of the quote. For example:

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” (Hamlet, 3.1.56, Hamlet)

UsingEllipses and Square Brackets

Ellipses (…) are used to indicate that you have omitted some words from the original quote. Square brackets [] are used to indicate that you have added words to the original quote for clarification.

For example, if you wanted to quote the following line from Hamlet, but you wanted to omit the words “of this most excellent canopy, the air”, you would use ellipses as follows:

“This most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o’erhanging firmament…” (Hamlet, 2.2.308, Hamlet)

If you wanted to add the word “the” to the following line from Romeo and Juliet, you would use square brackets as follows:

“But soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” (Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.2, Romeo)

Citing Indirect Speech

When you are citing indirect speech, you do not need to use quotation marks. However, you should still include the citation in parentheses at the end of the sentence.

For example, you could cite the following indirect speech from Hamlet as follows:

Hamlet asked if he should be or not be (Hamlet, 3.1.56).

Other Tips

Here are some other tips for quoting Shakespeare plays:

Use a reliable edition of the play.
Be consistent with your formatting.
Proofread your citations carefully.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that you are quoting Shakespeare plays accurately and effectively.

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How To Quote A Shakespeare Play