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How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on January 22, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on March 5, 2024.

The works of Shakespeare, like many plays , have consistently numbered acts, scenes, and lines. These numbers should be used in your MLA in-text citations, separated by periods, instead of page numbers.

The Works Cited entry follows the format for a book , but varies depending on whether you cite from a standalone edition or a collection. The example below is for a standalone edition of  Hamlet .

If you cite multiple Shakespeare plays in your paper, replace the author’s name with an abbreviation of the play title in your in-text citation.

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Table of contents

Citing a play from a collection, citing multiple shakespeare plays, quoting shakespeare in mla, frequently asked questions about mla citations.

If you use a collection of all or several of Shakespeare’s works, include a Works Cited entry for each work you cite from it, providing the title of the individual work, followed by information about the collection.

Note that play titles remain italicized here, since these are works that would usually stand alone.

If you cite several works by Shakespeare , order them alphabetically by title, and replace “Shakespeare, William” with a series of three em dashes after the first one.

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If you cite more than one Shakespeare play in your paper, MLA recommends starting each in-text citation with an abbreviated version of the play title, in italics. A list of the standard abbreviations can be found here ; don’t make up your own abbreviations.

Introduce each abbreviation the first time you mention the play’s title, then use it in all subsequent citations of that play.

Don’t use these abbreviations outside of parentheses. If you frequently mention a multi-word title in your text, you can instead shorten it to a recognizable keyword (e.g. Midsummer for A Midsummer Night’s Dream ) after the first mention.

Shakespeare quotations generally take the form of verse  or dialogue .

Quoting verse

To quote up to three lines of verse from a play or poem, just treat it like a normal quotation. Use a forward slash (/) with spaces around it to indicate a new line.

If there’s a stanza break within the quotation, indicate it with a double forward slash (//).

If you are quoting more than three lines of verse, format it as a block quote (indented on a new line with no quotation marks).

Quoting dialogue

Dialogue from two or more characters should be presented as a block quote.

Include the characters’ names in block capitals, followed by a period, and use a hanging indent for subsequent lines in a single character’s speech. Place the citation after the closing punctuation.

Oberon berates Robin Goodfellow for his mistake:

No, do not use page numbers in your MLA in-text citations of Shakespeare plays . Instead, specify the act, scene, and line numbers of the quoted material, separated by periods, e.g. (Shakespeare 3.2.20–25).

This makes it easier for the reader to find the relevant passage in any edition of the text.

If you cite multiple Shakespeare plays throughout your paper, the MLA in-text citation begins with an abbreviated version of the title (as shown here ), e.g. ( Oth. 1.2.4). Each play should have its own  Works Cited entry (even if they all come from the same collection).

If you cite only one Shakespeare play in your paper, you should include a Works Cited entry for that play, and your in-text citations should start with the author’s name , e.g. (Shakespeare 1.1.4).

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How to Cite Shakespeare

Last Updated: January 1, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Michelle Golden, PhD . Michelle Golden is an English teacher in Athens, Georgia. She received her MA in Language Arts Teacher Education in 2008 and received her PhD in English from Georgia State University in 2015. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 336,895 times.

Shakespeare’s works follow a unique citation method that is specific to them. All citations are done parenthetically, which means that they appear within the text of your paper inside parentheses. There is certain information that must be included in citations of plays, including the act, scene and line numbers. Format them properly so that your reader knows exactly where your quoted material comes from.

Including Parenthetical Citations

• Don’t use quotation marks for paraphrased material.

• Cite this quote as it appears in the original source, such as: Much Ado About Nothing (2.3.217–24).

Formatting Parenthetical Citations

• Separate each of these numbers with a period.

• Most modern scholars prefer using Arabic numbers, but both formats are acceptable. [5] X Research source
• Write upper-case Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.) for the play’s act number. Use lower-case Roman numerals for the scene number (i, ii, iii, etc.). For example, (IV.ii.56–57).

• If the range of line numbers is under 100, write: 66–84.
• If the range of line numbers is over 100, write: 122–34.
• If the range of line numbers extends from under 100 to over 100, write: 90–104.
• Put an en dash between the line numbers. This dash is slightly longer than a hyphen but not as long as a dash.

• In MLA format, write: (Shakespeare 3.4.40)

• For example, the citation for a stage direction would read: 3.4.40.1. This means that the stage direction is at Line 1 after Line 40. [9] X Research source

• When citing fewer than four lines of verse, you will use quotation marks around the quoted material. Then write the parenthetical citation, and follow that with punctuation (a period, for example).
• When citing four or more lines, you will use a block quote. There are no quotation marks, and the ending punctuation (a period, for example) will go at the end of the last line. Then include the parenthetical citation.

Quoting Shakespeare in the Text

• Othello recalls, "Upon this hint I spake: / She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, / And I lov'd her that she did pity them" (I.iii.166–168). In this option, you need to include quotation marks where the spoken passage begins.
• ”OTHELLO: Upon this hint I spake: / She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, / And I lov'd her that she did pity them” (I.iii.166–168). In this option, include quotation marks before you name the character, since this is how the name appears in the text.

• For example, write: “OTHELLO: Upon this hint I spake: / She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, / And I lov'd her that she did pity them” (I.iii.166–168). [13] X Research source
• If you are quoting prose, then omit the slash and instead use a comma.

• Indent one inch from the left margin. The entire block quote will be set apart from the rest of your paper. Indent every line of the block quote one inch from the left-hand margin.
• Omit quotation marks. Block quotes are set apart from the rest of your text. Therefore, you do not need to set them apart by using quotation marks. [16] X Research source
• For example: Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword, And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph and with revelling. (1.1.19–22)

• If you are quoting prose, then you don’t need to preserve the line breaks. These will differ depending on the publication in which the work appears.

• Indent one inch on the first line and include the first character’s name in capital letters. Follow the name with a period. Then add a space and start the character’s dialogue. When you need to start a new line, indent an additional ¼ inch (putting this line one and ¼ inches from the left margin).
• Start a new line when another character speaks. Again, put this character’s name in capital letters and follow it with a period. Add a space and start the character’s dialogue.
• Include the parenthetical citation at the very end of the dialogue block.
• For example: HAMLET. No, by the rood, not so: You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife: And--would it were not so!--you are my mother. QUEEN. Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak. (3.4.14-17)

Including a Works Cited Page

• Depending on the citation style, the works cited page may be called a “bibliography” or a “references” page.
• Don’t just list the play that you’re citing. You need to indicate the publication in which the play appears.
• Alphabetize the works cited page.
• Shakespeare, William. “The Comedy of Errors.” The Oxford Anthology of Tudor Drama. Ed. Greg Walker. Oxford, UK: Oxford U P, 2014. 682-722. Print.
• Shakespeare, William. Love Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare. New York: Doubleday, 1991. Print.
• Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Jill L. Levenson. New York: Oxford U P, 2000.
• Hamlet. By William Shakespeare. Dir. Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurs. Shakespeare's Globe, London. 25 April 2014. Performance.

• Each style is slightly different in terms of format. Follow one style for your entire paper.

• Align each entry on the left.

Community Q&A

• Italicize or underline the work’s title. It is important that you make the distinction in your paper between the title of a play and a character’s name. Many of these are one and the same, such as Richard III. [19] X Research source For example, for the title of the play, write: Macbeth . Do not underline or italicize if you are talking about the character of Macbeth. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/cite/
• ↑ http://drmarkwomack.com/mla-style/how-to-quote/quote-shakespeare/
• ↑ https://guides.library.duq.edu/c.php?g=983278&p=7124608
• ↑ https://libguides.css.edu/APA7thEd/APAFAQs
• ↑ https://bu.digication.com/wr100h2/Citation_Resources
• ↑ http://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/shakespeare/mla.html
• ↑ http://lib.pstcc.edu/c.php?g=106731&p=693753

About This Article

To cite Shakespeare, use parenthetical citations that include the act, scene, and line numbers at the end of the related passages. Be sure to cite both direct quotes and paraphrased sections! Remember to pull direct quotes from Shakespeare's original works rather than books about his works. When quoting a passage, always indicate which character is speaking by introducing them in your own writing, or including their name in capital letters at the beginning of the verse. To learn more from our English Ph.D. co-author, like how to include Shakespeare in a Works Cited page, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA Referencing

3-minute read

• 14th September 2019

Is this a dagger I see before me ? No. It’s a blog post about citing Shakespeare in MLA referencing. And that’s even more useful than a dagger, especially if you’re currently writing an essay . But how do you cite a Shakespeare play when using MLA referencing ? Let us explain.

Citing Shakespeare in MLA Referencing

When citing Shakespeare, you will need to adapt the basic MLA citation format slightly. The biggest difference is that, rather than page numbers, you need to give act, scene and line numbers:

Macbeth’s soliloquy lays the ground for his later torment, betraying his mental fragility early on (Shakespeare 2.1.33–61).

Here, we’re citing act 2, scene 1, lines 33–61 of the play Macbeth . Most MLA citations of Shakespeare will use this citation format. Some editions of Shakespeare plays feature paragraph numbers instead of line numbers, but you can use these for pinpoint citations as well.

Citing Multiple Shakespeare Plays

We have cited “Shakespeare” in the example above because he is the author. However, if you are referencing more than one Shakespeare play in the same essay, you will need to use the play title in citations instead. For example, we could cite both Othello and Macbeth as follows:

Shakespeare’s characters often express regret immediately after a misdeed, such as when Othello describes Desdemona’s death as “horrible and grim” ( Othello 5.2.236) or when Macbeth admits to being “afraid to think” about what he has done ( Macbeth 2.2.64).

Here, we’re citing act 5, scene 2, line 236 of Othello and act 2, scene 2, line 64 of Macbeth . Using the play titles in the citations makes it absolutely clear which text we’re citing each time.

In addition, if you’re citing multiple plays repeatedly, you can abbreviate the title of each play in citations. Othello , for example, could be cited as just Oth. to minimise repetition:

Iago’s reaction speaks volumes at this point ( Oth . 3.3.234).

You will still need to give the full title in the Works Cited list, though.

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Shakespeare in the Works Cited List

In the Works Cited list , standalone Shakespeare plays are cited in the same way as any book:

Surname, First Name. Title . Editor/Translator (if applicable). Publisher, Year of Publication.

In practice, then, we could cite a print edition of Macbeth as follows:

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . Edited by Keith Carabine. Wordsworth Editions, 2005.

The format differs slightly if the work cited is part of an anthology . In this case, treat the poem or play like a chapter from an edited book. For example:

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works , edited by Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor, Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 969–994.

Here, we have the details of the container volume and the page range for the play as well. It is worth noting, though, that MLA referencing italicizes the titles of plays even when they are part of a larger anthology. This differs from a book chapter title, which would be in quote marks.

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ENG 102 - Shakespeare Research

• 5. Cite Your Sources

5. Cite Your Sources in MLA Format

Here are a few examples to help you cite your sources in MLA format:

How to Cite a Play From Your Textbook

Format:   Author(s). Title of Play . The Norton Introduction to Literature , edited by Kelly J. Mays, shorter 14th ed., W. W. Norton, 2022, pp. 123-45.

How to Cite a Journal Article

Format:   Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Journal , vol. #, no. #, Date of Publication, page number(s). Database Name (if electronic),  URL.

How to Cite Part of a Book, Ebook, or Encyclopedia

Format:   Author(s). "Title of Part." Title of Book , edited by Editor, edition, vol. #, Publisher, Year, page number(s). Database Name (if electronic).  URL.

Additional MLA Examples

Citing a Play: Shakespeare, In-Text Citation

Format: (Act. Scene. Line Number(s))

Example: In Hamlet ,   Ophelia sings about different flowers and plants in a display of her descent into madness:

OPHELIA. There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies,

that's for thoughts.

LAERTES. A document in madness! Thoughts and remembrance fitted.

OPHELIA. There's fennel for you, and columbines. There's rue for you, and here's some for me. We  may call it herb of grace o'  Sundays. O, you must wear your rue with a difference! There's a daisy.   I would give you some violets, but they wither'd all  when my father died. They say he made a good end. [Sings] For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy. (4.5.171-179)

*Note: If the lines in the play are not numbered, include the page number instead.

*Note : If you have used the author's name or the play's title in the signal phrase before introducing the quote, you do not need to include it in your in-text citation.

*Note:  When quoting dialogue or lines from a play, indent the line a half inch (one tab) from the left margin. Include the character names in all capital letters, followed by a period. If the dialogue is more than one line on the page long, indent the remaining lines of dialogue by a half inch.

Citing a Play: Shakespeare, Works Cited

If your play was published as a stand-alone book, it is the same as a MLA Book Citation

Format: Author Last Name, Author First Name.  Title of Play in Italics.  Edition, Publisher, Year . Database

Name in Italics (if electronic), URL.

Example:  Shakespeare, William.  Hamlet. Simon & Schuster, 1992.

*Note: if using a print book, skip the database name.

If your play was published in an anthology or a collection:

Format:  Author Last Name, Author First Name.  Title of Play in Italics . Collection or Anthology Title,  edited by

Editor Name, edition, vol. #, Publisher, Year, Page Numbers.

Example:  Shakespeare, William.  Hamlet. The Norton Anthology of World Literature , edited by Martin

Puchner, 3rd ed., vol. C, W.W. Norton and Company, 2012, pp. 652-753.

In-Text Citations

This in-text citation information will get you started, but see our full In-text Citation Guide for more information and additional examples .

• Basic Format

No Page Numbers

• 3 or More Authors

Basic Format: 1 Author and Page Numbers

Place the author’s last name and page number in parenthesis. If the in-text citation is at the end of a sentence, place the period outside the parenthesis.

Example 1:  (Hennessy 81).

Example 2:  (Hennessy 81-82).

If a source has no page numbers, omit the page number. Keep in mind, most electronic sources do not include pages.

Example 1: ("Everyday Victims")

Example 2: (Jones)

If the source has no author, your in-text citation will use the title of the source that starts your works cited entry. The title may appear in the sentence itself or, abbreviated, before the page number in parenthesis.

Example 1:  (“Noon” 508).

Example 2 :  ( Faulkner’s Novels  25).

Example 3 :  (“Climate Model Simulations").

If the entry on the Works Cited page begins with the names of two authors, include both last names in the in-text citation, connected by and.

Example:  (Dorris and Erdrich 23).

If the source has three or more authors, include the first author’s last name followed by et al.

Example:  (Burdick et al. 42).

MLA Works Cited Guide

Shortened MLA Practice Template

MLA Formatting Rules

In-text Citations

Sample Paper in MLA Format

MLA Practice Template (long version)

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Subject Guide

The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers additional guidelines on MLA style rules. There may be some inaccuracies on the PurdueOWL so check your course syllabus and the  MLA Manual  for more information.

View the PurdueOWL's resources on MLA  here .

MLA Citation Manual

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ENGL 263 - Shakespeare

• Sources for Your Papers

Formatting a Paper for MLA Style in Word or Google Docs

Citing shakespeare's plays in mla.

• Need More Help?

Want to go more in-depth? Check out these guides

• Guide to MLA In-text Citations (Scribbr) A guide to using in-text citations in MLA style. This will be helpful for other sources you will cite beyond Shakespeare's work.
• Guide to MLA Works Cited Pages (Scribbr) A comprehensive guide to preparing the works cited page for an MLA paper (also known as a reference list or bibliography).
• MLA Style (Purdue Online Writing Lab) An extensive guide to MLA style covering both formatting and citations.
• ZoteroBib (aka zbib) A fast, free bibliography generator, powered by the same parser used for Zotero. This tool is more reliable than other bibliography generators. Remember to change the bibliography style from 'American Psychological Association 7th edition' (the default) to 'Modern Language Association 9th edition'. You are responsible however for double-checking the accuracy of citation outputs. You can always ask a librarian for assistance with citations!

The works of Shakespeare, like many plays, have consistently numbered acts, scenes, and lines. These numbers should be used in your  MLA  in-text citations, separated by periods, instead of page numbers.

The Works Cited entry follows the format for a book, but varies depending on whether you cite from a standalone edition or a collection. The example below is for a standalone edition of  Hamlet .

If you cite multiple Shakespeare plays in your paper, replace the author’s name with an abbreviation of the play title in your in-text citation.

Citing a play from a collection

If you use a collection of all or several of Shakespeare’s works, include a Works Cited entry for each work you cite from it, providing the title of the individual work, followed by information about the collection.

Note that play titles remain italicized here, since these are works that would usually stand alone.

If you cite several works by Shakespeare, order them alphabetically by title, and replace “Shakespeare, William” with a series of three em dashes after the first one.

Citing multiple Shakespeare plays

If you cite more than one Shakespeare play in your paper, MLA recommends starting each in-text citation with an abbreviated version of the play title, in italics. A list of the standard abbreviations can be found  here ; don’t make up your own abbreviations.

Introduce each abbreviation the first time you mention the play’s title, then use it in all subsequent citations of that play.

Don’t use these abbreviations outside of parentheses. If you frequently mention a multi-word title in your text, you can instead shorten it to a recognizable keyword (e.g.  Midsummer  for  A Midsummer Night’s Dream ) after the first mention.

Quoting Shakespeare in MLA

Shakespeare quotations generally take the form of verse or dialogue.

Quoting verse

To quote up to three lines of verse from a play or poem, just treat it like a normal quotation. Use a forward slash (/) with spaces around it to indicate a new line.

If there’s a stanza break within the quotation, indicate it with a double forward slash (//).

If you are quoting more than three lines of verse, format it as a block quote (indented on a new line with no quotation marks).

Quoting dialogue

Dialogue from two or more characters should be presented as a block quote.

Include the characters’ names in block capitals, followed by a period, and use a hanging indent for subsequent lines in a single character’s speech. Place the citation after the closing punctuation.

Oberon berates Robin Goodfellow for his mistake:

Frequently asked questions about MLA citations

No, do not use page numbers in your MLA in-text citations of Shakespeare plays. Instead, specify the act, scene, and line numbers of the quoted material, separated by periods, e.g. (Shakespeare 3.2.20–25).

This makes it easier for the reader to find the relevant passage in any edition of the text.

How do I cite multiple Shakespeare plays in an MLA paper?

If you cite multiple Shakespeare plays throughout your paper, the MLA in-text citation begins with an abbreviated version of the title (as shown here), e.g. ( Oth.  1.2.4). Each play should have its own Works Cited entry (even if they all come from the same collection).

If you cite only one Shakespeare play in your paper, you should include a Works Cited entry for that play, and your in-text citations should start with the author’s name, e.g. (Shakespeare 1.1.4).

Adapted from:

Caulfield, Jack. “How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA.”  Scribbr , June 2022, www.scribbr.com/mla/shakespeare-citation.

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• Last Updated: Sep 4, 2023 6:23 PM
• URL: https://libguides.potomacstatecollege.edu/c.php?g=1344971

Website navigation

Below are examples of several citation styles that can be used in papers, publications, and other projects.

A special thanks to Abbie Weinberg, Research and Reference Librarian at the Folger Shakespeare Library, for her expertise in preparing these citation styles.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact us .

Citing a Specific Text

Modern language association (mla), in-text citation:.

(Shakespeare,  Romeo and Juliet from The Folger Shakespeare.)

Works Cited citation:

Shakespeare, William.  Romeo and Juliet from The Folger Shakespeare. Ed. Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, and Rebecca Niles. Folger Shakespeare Library, [datetoday].  https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/romeo-and-juliet/

American Psychological Association (APA)

(Shakespeare, n.d.)

References citation:

Shakespeare, W. (n.d.)  Much Ado About Nothing (B. Mowat, P. Werstine, M. Poston, and R. Niles, eds.). The Folger Shakespeare. https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/much-ado-about-nothing/

Chicago/Turabian

Footnote/endnote citation:.

William Shakespeare.  A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, Rebecca Niles, eds (Washington, DC: Folger Shakespeare Library, n.d.), accessed [datetoday]. https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/a-midsummer-nights-dream/

Bibliography citation:

Shakespeare, William.  A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, and Rebecca Niles, eds. Folger Shakespeare Library. Accessed on [datetoday]. Washington, DC: Folger Shakespeare Library.  https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/a-midsummer-nights-dream/

Citing the Entire Collection

( Shakespeare’s Plays, Sonnets and Poems from The Folger Shakespeare.)

Shakespeare, William.  Shakespeare’s Plays, Sonnets and Poems  from The Folger Shakespeare. Ed. Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, and Rebecca Niles. Folger Shakespeare Library, [datetoday].  https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/all-works

(The Folger Shakespeare. n.d.)

Folger Shakespeare Library. (n.d.)  Shakespeare’s Plays, Sonnets and Poems from The Folger Shakespeare. Retrieved from https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/all-works

Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, Rebecca Niles, eds.,  Shakespeare’s Plays, Sonnets and Poems (Washington, DC: Folger Shakespeare Library, n.d.), accessed [datetoday]. https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/all-works .

Shakespeare’s Plays, Sonnets and Poems , from The Folger Shakespeare, ed. Barbara Mowat, Paul Werstine, Michael Poston, and Rebecca Niles. Washington, DC: Folger Shakespeare Library. Accessed on [datetoday]. https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/all-works .

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Citing Shakespeare

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There is perhaps no better-known writer in history than William Shakespeare, the English playwright whose works have been acted and reenacted perhaps millions of times throughout their storied history. So how can you create a reference to one of Shakespeare’s works in your next research paper? Here are some tips for making your citation as accurate as possible.

To cite a play by Shakespeare, you’ll want to locate the following pieces of information:

• The play’s title
• Where and when the play was published (a book, anthology, etc.)
• Where and when the play was performed (if you are citing it as a performance)
• Any other contributors’ names (the director, actors, editors, authors, etc.)

As an example, let’s take a look at one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet, and how you would go about citing it in some of the most popular citation formats.

We have included examples for citing the play as both a published work in an anthology or book, and as a performance.

Cite as an Anthology

Citing shakespeare in in mla format (in an anthology).

Shakespeare, William.  Play Title .  Book/Anthology Title , edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year Published, pp. #-#.

Shakespeare, William.  Romeo and Juliet.   The Riverside Shakespeare , edited by G. Blakemore Evans, Houghton Mifflin, 1974, pp. 1307-42.

Citing Shakespeare in APA format (in an anthology)

Author’s last name, first initial. (Year published).  Title . In First Initial. Editor Last Name (Ed.),  Title of larger work/collection.  Publisher city, state/country: Publisher.

Shakespeare, W. (1974).  Romeo and Juliet.  In G. Evans (Ed.),  The riverside Shakespeare.  New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.

Citing Shakespeare in Harvard* format (in an anthology)

Author’s last name, first initial. (Year published).  Title . In Editor Last Name, First Initial (ed.) Title of book/anthology.  Publisher city, state/country: Publisher, pp. #-#

Shakespeare, W. (1974) Romeo and Juliet. In Evans, G. (ed.) The riverside Shakespeare. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, pp. 1307-42.

Are you citing several sources in this citation style? Try the Cite This For Me Harvard referencing generator for help!

Cite as a Performance

Citing shakespeare in mla format (as a performance).

Author Last Name, First Name. Play Title. Directed by Director First Name Last Name, Name of Play Production Company, Date of Performance, Name of Theater, Theater Location.

Shakespeare, William.  Romeo and Juliet . Directed by Jonathan Munby, Shakespeare Globe Trust Performers, 1 Oct. 2017, American Airlines Theatre, New York City.

Is your teacher asking for annotations? Read this guide about what is an annotated bibliography .

Citing Shakespeare in APA format (as a performance)

Playwright Last Name, First Initial (Writer), & Director Last Name, First Initial (Director). (Date Seen). Performance title . Live performance at Theater Name, City, State.

Shakespeare, W. (Writer), & Munby, J. (Director). (2017, October 1).  Romeo and Juliet. Live performance at the American Airlines Theatre, New York, NY.

For those who need it, here is page on how to do in-text citations . An APA example is included.

Citing Shakespeare in Harvard* format (as a performance)

Play title by Playwright First Name Last Name (Year of Performance) Directed by Director First Name Last Name [Name of Theater, Location of Theater. Day Month of performance].

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (2017) Directed by Jonathan Munby [American Airlines Theatre, New York. 1 October].

*These examples adhere to style rules in Harvard Cite Them Right 10 th edition

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How to cite Shakespeare in MLA: Guidelines and Examples

Updated 20 Jun 2024

If you're working on an MLA paper and need to cite Shakespeare, you may wonder how to include lines, scenes, and acts in your citations properly. It requires attention to style, including in-text citations, creating quotes, and formatting Works Cited entries. To ensure that when you  do my homework , your citation style is up to par, it’s important to follow step-by-step instructions that cover all of Shakespeare's works, from “Romeo and Juliet” to “Hamlet.” Read this guide to learn how to cite Shakespeare in MLA and find the best examples of proper citations.

General citing rules 

Shakespeare's plays, like many others, are divided into lines, scenes, and acts that are consistently numbered. When citing Shakespeare in MLA, use these numbers in your in-text citations. They have to be separated by periods rather than page numbers.

The format for citing Shakespeare's works in the Works Cited entry is similar to that for a book and includes the following: 

• Author’s name;
• Play’s title;
• Editor or translator;
• Date of publication;

Still, the format may vary depending on whether you cite a standalone edition or a collection. Discover how to format a Works Cited entry and in-text citation according to the MLA 9th edition standard. 

Works Cited entry:

Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Edited by Stephen Greenblatt, 2nd ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2008.

In-text citation:

(Shakespeare 2.2.36-39) or (Romeo and Juliet 2.2.36-39)

How to cite a Shakespeare play from a collection

When citing from a collection of Shakespeare's works, you must create a separate Works Cited entry for each work you reference. In this entry, you should provide the title of the work you cite, followed by information about the collection.

The titles of the plays should remain italicized in the citation, as they are works that would typically be standalone pieces. If you cite multiple works by Shakespeare, they should be listed alphabetically by title. You can replace the author's name with a series of three em dashes after the first one.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet.  The Norton Shakespeare , edited by Stephen Greenblatt, 2nd ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2008, pp. 1402-1488.

How to cite multiple Shakespeare plays 

Suppose instead of citing a short story in MLA , you have to cite multiple plays by Shakespeare in your assignment. In that case, using an abbreviation of the play title in italics is recommended to start each in-text citation. It is important to use the standard abbreviations for Shakespeare's plays rather than create your abbreviations.

According to the guidelines about how to cite Shakespeare MLA, for each play title you mention, you should introduce the abbreviated version the first time it appears in your paper and then apply it consistently in all succeeding citations of that masterpiece. These abbreviations should only be used within parentheses.

If you apply a multi-word title in your paper, you can transform it into a recognizable keyword after the first mention, such as “Midsummer” instead of  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Benedick says, “I will live as a bachelor” (Ado, 1.1.232), but his resolve is quickly tested when he meets Beatrice at the masquerade ball.

In this example, the in-text citation is placed in parentheses after the quotation. It includes a recognizable keyword of the play's name (“Much Ado About Nothing”), the quoted material's act, scene, and line numbers. Note that the punctuation mark appears after the citation.

MLA abbreviations for plays by Shakespeare 

To better understand how to cite Shakespeare in MLA, knowing the most frequent abbreviations for in-text citations of William Shakespeare's works and how to use them is necessary. The first citation should include the full name, while subsequent mentions can be abbreviated. For this, it’s necessary to shorten the title to its primary noun phrase. Let’s see some examples:

• Ham. ─ Hamlet;
• TN ─ Twelfth Night;
• Son. ─ Sonnets;
• Lr. ─ King Lear;
• Tmp. ─ The Tempest;
• LLL ─ Love’s Labour’s Lost;
• Rom. ─ Romeo and Juliet.

When abbreviating titles to initials or using full words like “ado,” placing a period in the end is unnecessary. To ensure you use abbreviations correctly, you may see the full list of standard  abbreviations of Shakespearean titles .

How to quote Shakespeare MLA?

If you have to cite the epilogue of a Shakespeare play , you should understand that Shakespeare's quotations can be in verse or dialogue. 

Treat quotations up to three lines of verse from a poem or play like a regular quotation and indicate a new line with a forward slash (/) and spaces around it. 

Hamlet famously contemplates life’s greatest questions when he says, “To be, or not to be, /  that is the question” (Hamlet 3.1.64).

Use a double forward slash (//) if there's a stanza break. For quotations exceeding three lines of verse, present it as a block quote without quotation marks and indented on a new line.

For quoting dialogue between two or more people, present it as a block quote with the names of characters in block capitals and a period. For subsequent lines in a single character's speech, you have to use a hanging indent, and after the closing punctuation, you should insert the citation.

Macbeth and Banquo discuss the strange happenings of the day, with Macbeth noting the contradiction of it being both “foul and fair”: 

MACBETH. So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

BANQUO. What sights, my lord?

MACBETH. A falcon, towering in her pride of place, 

                   Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed. (Macbeth 1.3.38-41)

Is it needed to use page numbers in a Shakespeare MLA citation?

When citing Shakespeare's plays in MLA in-text citations, it's recommended to avoid using page numbers. Instead, it’s better to indicate the act, scene, and line numbers of the text you quote, which should be separated by periods. For example, write (Shakespeare 2.3.10–15). This approach enables readers to locate the relevant passage in all book editions more easily.

What should a Hamlet MLA citation example look like?

Let’s see how to cite Shakespeare line MLA from the play “Hamlet.”

In-text citation: 

(Shakespeare 3.1.64-67)

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, 1992.

How to cite Romeo and Juliet in MLA?

To cite William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet in MLA format, you should follow the general format for citing a play. 

(Shakespeare 2.2.33-38)

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet . Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2003.

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Quality academic research on literature should include masterpieces of famous poets and writers. So, citing Shakespeare MLA is essential. His works contain various characters that can be used for the comparative and contrastive study of various features. Shakespeare’s plays and poems are a good choice for students to make their paperwork unique and valuable. That is why it is important to know how to cite and quote his works and collections.

When citing Shakespeare plays in MLA format, the Works Cited entry follows the format for a book but varies depending on whether you're citing from a standalone edition or a collection. For example, to cite a standalone edition of Hamlet, the citation format would be:

Our  papers writing service  will help you get involved in the rules of presenting an entry of a writer's works in the reference list and in-text citation. Keep reading, and you will find out all the information about citing Shakespeare in MLA style.

Citing Shakespeare MLA: Single Play

When citing Shakespeare in MLA, you should be aware of presenting reference to the source used: plays from a collection or single ones with separate editions. These two options have differences in citation. Single play typically consists of acts and scenes and is cited much like a book. By referring to a particular scene or dialogue, you should point out a number of an act, scene, and line, separated with periods. The general formula is reflected in the table below. Keep in mind punctuation used after each entry element and MLA writing format .

Here is an example of this citation:

Note that numbers used in in-text citation mean act 4, scene 3, lines 305-308.

Shakespeare MLA Citation: A Play From Collection

If you use one play or several plays from Shakespeare’s collection of works, MLA citing Shakespeare helps you place a correct entry in references. When alluding to several plays, you should cite every play in your paper separately. Thus, an entry includes information about an individual work and title of collection. The general formula of play citation from collection is as follows:

An example of this citation is given below:

How To Cite Shakespeare MLA: Multiple Shakespeare Plays

MLA citing Shakespeare for multiple plays is a little bit different from other citations. In this case, you should list every play in alphabetical order in the reference list. When citing particular characters and their dialogue in your work, you should mention an abbreviation of Play Title in parentheses. Generally, citation entry takes a look:

An example is as follows:

Dealing with abbreviations, you should be careful to use an appropriate system of shortenings of Shakespearian titles.

Quoting Shakespeare in MLA

Expressing real examples from an original, you often need to quote a line or even a complete dialogue sticking to MLA citation for Shakespeare . In accordance with the specificity of literary work, the page is not mentioned in citation but numbered lines instead. When it comes to quoting a verse with up to three lines, it is taken in quotation marks, and each line is separated with slash (/). In-text citation is given after a quote.

When a quote contains more than three lines, you should format it as a block quote. In this case, there should be an introductory sentence with semicolons at the end and present quotation close to the original. It concerns quoting dialogue too.

Maybe you need MLA citation for short story , open one more blog we prepared for our users. You will find it useful for sure.

Final Thoughts on Citing Shakespeare MLA

Utilizing Shakespear’s poetry, you should obligatorily know how to cite Shakespeare play MLA and place it in your reference list. Also, to express the original text as a background for research, it is necessary to quote a verse or a part of dialogue. We have presented the general formulas for citing the writer's works above. It is essential to keep those rules as it helps you avoid plagiarism in your research paper.

In case you need to conduct an analysis of various litersture works, you might also be interested in our guide on  citing a short story MLA .

If you require help with formatting quotes or others, you can just place an essay order with StudyCrumb and get what you need.

Emma Flores knows all about formatting standards. She shares with StudyCrumb readers tips on creating academic papers that will meet high-quality standards.

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A Guide to Citing Shakespeare in Academic Writing

• Nov 09, 2023
• Academic Editing
• Proofreading Tips
• Referencing and Citations

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Are you confident when it comes to citing Shakespeare? Shakespeare’s plays are so influential that many style guides have special rules for citing them. As a proofreader, you’ll need to look out for citations like these when working on academic writing and make sure they have been added correctly. 

If you’re not sure how to cite a play by Shakespeare accurately, don’t worry! In this blog post, we’ll set out the key rules for citing Shakespeare’s plays in some of the major referencing systems:

Keep reading to learn more.

How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA Style

MLA style recommends citing Shakespeare’s plays using act, scene, and line numbers rather than standard page numbers. For example:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream addresses love early on (Shakespeare 1.1.234–235).

However, if your client has cited more than one of Shakespeare’s plays, they will need to replace the author’s name with the source title. This is because MLA referencing doesn’t use a date of publication in citations, so the title helps readers distinguish between sources by the same author.

In addition, for Shakespeare’s plays, MLA style suggests a series of standard abbreviations for use in citations. Your client should use these rather than shortening titles themselves:

Shakespeare touched on this theme many times (e.g., MND 1.1.234–235; TN 1.1.1; Rom. 1.1.181), suggesting the nature of love was a point of fascination for him.

The passage above, for example, cites A Midsummer Night’s Dream ( MND ), Twelfth Night ( TN ), and Romeo and Juliet ( Rom. ), with the abbreviations keeping the citations succinct.

Meanwhile, the format for Shakespeare’s plays in an MLA “Works Cited” list will depend on how your client accessed the source (e.g., online or a print anthology). However, entries should always include full publication details for the version cited in the document.

How to Cite Shakespeare in APA Style

APA referencing uses its author–date citations when citing Shakespeare. The main issue to look out for is the date, which should include two dates separated by a forward slash:

Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare, 1597/2021) is the most famous love story ever written.

The first year here (1597) refers to the year the play was originally published. The second (2021) is the year of publication for the specific edition referenced. In this respect, Shakespeare plays follow the standard rules for reprinted works in APA referencing .

The other key point relates to quotations and paraphrases from Shakespeare plays, which should be cited with act, scene, and line numbers rather than page numbers:

It is at this point we encounter the famous line from the balcony scene: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” (Shakespeare, 1597/2021, 2.2.35).

This shows that the quote comes from act 2, scene 2, line 35 of Romeo and Juliet .

In an APA reference list, meanwhile, Shakespeare plays are typically cited as reprinted books (i.e., with an original date of publication at the end of the reference). Make sure to check your client includes the edition cited, as line numbers can vary between versions.

How to Cite Shakespeare in Chicago Style

Chicago style varies depending on the version of this system used (i.e., footnote citations or parenthetical author–date citations ). However, there are two things that always apply:

• The Chicago Manual of Style suggests using act, scene, and line numbers when citing classic English plays, including Shakespeare plays.
• Writers should include the edition of the text used for clarity on line numbers.

In the footnote version of Chicago referencing, then, the first footnote might look like this:

1. William Shakespeare, The Tempest , ed. Alden T. Vaughan and Virginia Mason Vaughan (London: Bloomsbury, 2011), 1.1.20–26. References are to act, scene, and line.

Here, for example, the citation is for lines 20 to 26 in act 1, scene 1 of The Tempest . The full publication information and the sentence “References are to act, scene, and line” would be only required on the first reference, though: subsequent citations can typically be shortened .

A Chicago author–date citation of the same passage, meanwhile, would look like this:

We see this early on in The Tempest (Shakespeare 2011, 1.1.20–26).

Both versions of Chicago style also require the full publication details for the version cited in the bibliography/reference list, so make sure to check if this information is present.

How to Cite Shakespeare in MHRA Style

In the MHRA referencing system , Shakespeare’s plays should be cited using the guidelines for citing plays and other long works (i.e., classic works with established subdivisions such as scenes, books, cantos, and similar). In practice, this means:

• The edition used should be included in the first footnote citation.
• Citations should include act, scene, and line numbers (not page numbers).
• Act numbers should be given in Roman numbers ( small capitals ).
• Scenes and line numbers should be given in Arabic numerals.

In practice, then, the first citation of a Shakespeare play would look like this:

1. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice , ed. by Peter Holland (London: Penguin Classics, 2015), ɪɪ. 3. 15.

For subsequent citations of the same play, MHRA suggests shortening the footnote to just the author’s name and the pinpoint citation (still given with act, scene, and line numbers):

2. Shakespeare, ᴠ . 1. 18–25.

However, if there could be doubt about the play in question (e.g., if your client is citing more than one Shakespeare play in a single document), footnotes should give the play name instead:

2. William Shakespeare, The Tempest , ed. by Alden T. Vaughan and Virginia Mason Vaughan (London: Bloomsbury, 2011), ɪ. 1. 20–26.

3. The Merchant of Venice , ᴠ . 1. 18–25.

In the bibliography entry, meanwhile, your client should include the full publication details.

Reference Variations

We’ve offered some brief guidelines on how to present Shakespeare plays in reference lists for the systems above, but this can depend on how your client has accessed the source.

For example, a student using APA referencing might access a Shakespeare play online and reference it as a website. As long as all the relevant source information is given, this is usually fine. Your role will be to check references for clarity and consistency.

Nevertheless, if you’re not sure about the reference format for a Shakespeare play in a specific system, make sure to look it up (either online or in the relevant style guide).

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MLA Citations for Shakespeare Examples

Following MLA citations for Shakespeare examples, such as those below, helps to ensure you cite his work correctly. Writing papers about Shakespeare’s life or his plays is easy to do with plenty of open source resources available for your research. If you’re citing his works, then use the title of the play as the first element. If you’re writing about William Shakespeare, in general, then use his name as the first element.

How to Format Shakespeare Citations in MLA Style

Use MLA’s nine core elements to write your works cited entry , following this basic format:

Works Cited Format

Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Play . Edited by first name, last name, version, number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.

In-Text Citation Format

While writing your in-text citation, include the title of the play, the act, the scene and lines for the first in-text citation.

(Title of Play Act. Scene. Lines)

Example  Works Cited

Shakespeare, William.  The Tempest . Edited by Howard H. Furness, 6th ed., vol. 9, Classic Books Company, 2001, Google Books.

Example In-Text Citation

( Tempest 1.2.25-30)

( Tmp  1.2.38)

Examples of MLA Citations for Shakespeare

As mentioned above, the way that you format an MLA citation for Shakespeare depends on what you are using as your source .

If, for example, you are citing an anthology that contains some of Shakespeare’s works, you should follow this example. Note that the title of the play is in quotations and the title of the anthology is italicized.

Shakespeare, William. “The Taming of the Shrew.” The Complete Works of William Shakespeare . Wordsworth Editions, 2007, 329-358.

(Shakespeare 330)

Works About Shakespeare

If you are referencing a work that discusses the Shakespeare himself, then your MLA citations should follow this format:

Example Works Cited

Greenblatt, Stephen.  Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare . WW Norton & Company, 2005, Google Books.

(Greenblatt 234)

Abbreviations for Shakespeare Plays

Consult your MLA 8 edition for a full list of abbreviations used for Shakespeare plays. Listed on pages 100-101,  these abbreviations will make your life easier.

• Follow the same basic MLA format for books or anthologies.
• Use abbreviations, following MLA recommendations.
• Do not place a period after the abbreviations.
• Do not place a period after a short word such as ado.

Enjoying Shakespeare’s Plays

Learning about Shakespeare is a common assignment for students. Whether you’re writing about his life as a playwright or talking about the young love of Romeo and Juliet , you’ll enjoy learning about the fascinating Renaissance era.

MLA Format Basics with Citation Examples

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How to Cite a Newspaper Article in MLA With Examples

Writing numbers in mla style, how to cite a picture in mla, works cited examples and formatting tips.

Dr. Mark Womack

How to Quote Shakespeare

Title and reference format.

Richard III or Othello

Twelfth Night (1.5.268–76)

In 3.1, Hamlet delivers his most famous soliloquy.

“Periods and commas,” says Dr. Womack, “ always go inside quotation marks.”

Prose Quotations

The immensely obese Falstaff tells the Prince: “When I was about thy years, Hal, I was not an eagle’s talon in the waist; I could have crept into any alderman’s thumb ring” (2.4.325–27).

In Much Ado About Nothing , Benedick reflects on what he has overheard Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio say: This can be no trick. The conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady. It seems her affections have their full bent. Love me? Why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured. They say I will bear myself proudly if I perceive the love come from her; they say too that she will rather die than give any sign of affection. (2.3.217–24)

Verse Quotations

Berowne’s pyrotechnic line “Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile” is a text-book example of antanaclasis (1.1.77).

Claudius alludes to the story of Cain and Abel when describing his crime: “It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, / A brother’s murder” (3.3.37–38).

Jaques begins his famous speech by comparing the world to a theater:                                         All the world’s a stage And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. (2.7.138–42)

He then proceeds to enumerate and analyze these ages.

Dialogue Quotations

The Christians in Venice taunt Shylock about his daughter’s elopement: SHYLOCK.  She is damned for it. SALARINO.  That’s certain, if the devil may be her judge. SHYLOCK.  My own flesh and blood to rebel! SOLANIO.  Out upon it, old carrion! Rebels it at these years? SHYLOCK.  I say my daughter is my flesh and my blood. SALARINO.  There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory, more between your bloods than there is between red wine and Rhenish. (3.1.29–38)

From their first conversation, Lady Macbeth pushes her husband towards murder: MACBETH.                         My dearest love, Duncan comes here tonight. LADY MACBETH.                 And when goes hence? MACBETH. Tomorrow, as he purposes. LADY MACBETH.                                 O, never Shall sun that morrow see. (1.5.57–60)

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Answered By: Ellen Quilty Last Updated: Apr 17, 2023     Views: 4393

The APA 7th edition provides that classical literature should be cited as a book. If a classical work has numbered parts that are common across editions (i.e. 'canonically' numbered), use these numbers instead of page numbers when referring to a specific part of the work or directly quoting from the work. For plays, the act, scene and line(s) is used. 

Other important details to include are the editor and publication details.

In text citation

In Much Ado About Nothing,  Don John said, "In the meantime / let me be that I am and seek not to alter me" (Shakespeare, 1623/1995, 1.3.36-37)

Reference list

Shakespeare, W. (1995).  Much ado about nothing  (B. A. Mowat & P. Werstine, Eds.). Washington Square Press. (Original work published 1623)

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• National Politics

Florida clarifies that Shakespeare is OK for classrooms, but confusion still reigns

On monday, the tampa bay times broke news that hillsborough county teachers planned to teach only excerpts of his works, to avoid sexual content..

After weeks of wildly-varying interpretations, Florida has finally let school districts know that it doesn't think William Shakespeare's works should be removed from classrooms.

With Gov. Ron DeSantis' signature of approval, Florida's latest book challenge law took effect on July 1. Soon after, media specialists across the state, including in Leon County, said the law could mean Shakespeare's works would have to be put on the chopping block.

According to the law, if a school district finds material that contains the state’s definition of “sexual conduct,” it “shall discontinue use of the material for any grade level or age group for which such use is inappropriate or unsuitable.”

Chris Petley, spokesperson for Leon County Schools, said the district ultimately decided not to restrict Shakespeare, who's widely-thought to be history's most influential English writer.

But, on Monday, the Tampa Bay Times broke news that Hillsborough County teachers planned to teach only excerpts of his works, to avoid sexual content.

That news shook social media and caught the attention of a multitude of national outlets, which further amplified the story.

The next day, the Department of Education sent the Tampa Bay Times a clarification.

“The Florida Department of Education in no way believes Shakespeare should be removed from Florida classrooms,” spokesperson Cassie Palelis said in the email. “In fact, eight works by Shakespeare are included in the sample text list within the (state)  Standards for English Language Arts , including ‘Hamlet,’ ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet.’”

Additionally, in Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr.'s Tuesday afternoon announcement of August's "Commissioner’s Book of the Month," he recommended "Romeo and Juliet" for high schoolers.

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But whether school districts will heed the department is an open question, if recent events are any indication.

Florida's AP Psychology program nearly  came crashing to a halt in Florida  Thursday when the state Board of Education informed school districts that teachers could not teach the portions of the AP course that related to gender or sexuality because it violated state law. The College Board , the organization that approves the courses, said that if the course was taught without those topics, it would not be considered an AP course and should not count toward a student's transcript for college credit.

A letter late Friday afternoon from the Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr.  clarified that the course could be taught "in its entirety" if it was kept age appropriate.

But some Florida school districts, such as in Duval County and Brevard County , have decided they're still not going to offer it, citing uncertainty and legal risk for teachers.

And, despite what the department said about Shakespeare, there's still confusion and wildly-varying interpretations on what books are affected by Florida's new book challenge law.

In mid-July, a Leon media specialist was one of the first to alert officials that even The Bard could run afoul of the law.

“If there were one or two small scenes in a book that we were not necessarily comfortable with, but the overall part of the book was really very valuable as a piece of literature, contributed to what students learned and so on, then I would look at that small percentage and be able to make a decision about a purchase,” said Kathleen Malloy, Leon County Schools' coordinator for instructional materials. “That's changed.”

Over the last month, the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida has sent the Department of Education questions about how school districts should proceed with reviewing books.

After about a month, it's still not gotten a response.

Contributed: C. A. Bridges and Ana Goñi-Lessan, USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule is based in Tallahassee, Fla. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter:  @DouglasSoule . 

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