Author. |
This could be the playwright. |
Title of Source. |
The title of the work you are citing.Work that is normally italicized, like a novel or a play, is contained in a larger work (like a collection of plays) both the title of the play and the title of the anthology it is found in are written in italics. |
Title of Container, |
This would be the name of place you found your source, like a collected works/anthology, website, newspaper. |
Contributor, |
Use this filed if it is relevant or helpful to list contributors like actors who you focus on or who help to identify the work, dance or drama companies that performed the work, directors or conductors |
Version, |
Edition |
Number. |
Volume |
Publisher, |
This could include production company, film studio, or distributor, for a piece of music this could be the music label. |
Publication date, |
This could include the date the drama was first performed or published in print form |
Location. |
Page number(s), URL, |
Accessed Date. |
For online material please include the date you accessed the resource, e.g. Accessed 10 Oct. 2020. |
Common Themes
These are only some of the themes out there. You can explore many other options for your paper!
Questions to Ask
"War is Kind" by Stephen Crane and "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy are two poems that depict the lunacy of war and the grief they bring. Crane's poem focuses on the heartache families endure as they lose loved ones. Contrarily, Hardy focuses his work on the despair that accompanies a living soldier as he recalls the dreadful memories of killing an enemy soldier. When these works are contemplated together they paint a picture of grief and senselessness for soldiers in action and their family members remaining at home.
Questions to Ask
Example: Hamlet's revenge of his uncle Claudius for murdering his father, is a popular and obvious theme throughout the play. Deeper inspection reveals though, that Hamlet and Claudius are both equally capable of committing the same kind of atrocities. They both have an unparalleled drive to achieve what they want, even it means committing murder to attain it. One could ponder if Hamlet's hatred of Claudius reveals a deep seeded fear of recognition of these parallels.
Questions to Ask
Example: The short stories "The Story of an Hour", by Kate Chopin and "The Jury of Her Peers", by Susan Glaspell examine gender roles and self-identity for women living in the late 18th century. It is clear that Chopin and Glaspell's works reflect the times in which they live. Both are female authors in a society in favor of men. Notably these authors are a proponent of women and their equality within society. Both authors demonstrate this by focusing their themes on the struggles women face which also coincides with the early women's movement in the United States.
Citing Drama
The text of a play is cited differently from traditional prose works. Because plays are often printed in many editions and anthologies, it is customary to cite the act, scene, and line number rather than the page number in your in-text citations.
Tips for citing plays:
If you have included the author's name elsewhere in your paper, you do not need to include it in your parenthetical citation. Instead, include the first significant word of the title.
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If you quote a remark from one character, you can incorporate it into the body of the paragraph.
Example 1:
Nora's epiphany occurs when she realizes her husband will never reciprocate the sacrifices she's made to protect his pride. She finally stands up to Helmer, telling him, "You neither think nor talk like the man I could join myself to" (Doll act 3).
(Note: Ibsen's A Doll House is divided by act only. This will be the only division you can cite.)
Example 2:
Although Oedipus blames the gods for his tragic fate, he admits that his latest misfortune is his own doing when he cries, "But the blinding hand was my own! How could I bear to see when all my sight was horror everywhere?" (Oedipus exodus. strophe 2. lines 114-116).
(Note: Oedipus Rex is broken into numerous divisions; all available divisions are included in the citation.)
Quoting Dialogue (2 or More Characters) MLA 3.7.4
Tips for quoting dialogue:
Example 1:
OEDIPUS. Ah, what net has God been weaving for me?
IOCASTÊ. Oedipus! What does this trouble you?
OEDIPUS. Do not ask me yet. First, tell me how Laïos looked, and tell me how old he was.
IOCASTÊ. He was tall, his hair just touched with white; his form was not unlike your own.
OEDIPUS. I think that I myself may be accursed by my own ignorant edict. (Oedipus scene 2. antistrophe 2. lines 211-216)
Example 2:
KROGSTAD. Yes, yes, yes, to the point: there's still time, and I'm advising you to use your
influence to prevent it.
NORA. But Mr. Krogstad, I have absolutely no influence.
KROGSTAD. You haven't? I thought you were just saying -
NORA. You shouldn't take me so literally! How can you believe that I have any such influence
over my husband? (Doll act 1)
Works Cited
Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll House. Trans. Rolf Fjelde. Literature: Reading, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed.
Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 1666-1715. Print.
Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert
DiYanni. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 1307-1346. Print.
The format of your citation will depend on the source of the play.
Plays are usually published in one of the following sources:
:Play in an Anthology or Collection MLA 5.5.6
Anthology, Playwright and Editor
Begin the citation with the playwright, not the editor of the anthology.
Example:
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A Collection of Plays by a Single Playwright
If the play is published in a collection that has no editor on the title page, use the anthology format, but omit the editor.
If you are citing more than one play from the same collection, create a citation for each play.
Example:
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Play Published as a Single Volume MLA 5.5.2
Cite the play as you would a book.
Example:
Stoppard, Tom. The Real Thing. Boston: Faber, 1984. Print.
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Play in an eBook MLA 5.6.2c
Cite the play as you would a print book, followed by:
Example:
Shepard, Sam. Buried Child: A Play. Rev. ed. New York: Vintage, 2006. Ebrary. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.
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A Live Performance MLA 5.7.4
The example below is for a live performance.
See the appropriate citation format for:
Example:
