MLA Form for Quotes for the Macbeth Essay
Opelika High School
AP & Honors English 12
Dr. Hannah
If you copy three lines or less, put the quote in your paragraph and use slashes to show line
endings.
Example:
When the captain reports the progress of the first battle to Duncan, he says, “Doubtful it
stood,/As two spent swimmers, that do cling together/And choke their art” (1.2.7-8).

Do not copy part the beginning or ending of a line if it doesn’t help your quote.
Example:
“Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark:” (1.2.28). The first two words begin this line,
but they are the ending of a previous sentence and have no relevance to the focus of the quote.
Instead, start the quote with, “Mark, King of Scotland, mark:”
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If you copy four or more lines, you must stop your paragraph with a colon, indent more than you
would for a new paragraph, and copy the lines EXACTLY AS THEY APPEAR IN THE TEXT.
When you finish the quote, on the next line return to the normal paragraph margins and finish
your paragraph.
Example:
After hearing of the slaughter of his family, Macduff moves from feeling grief “as a
man” (4.3.221) to a promise of manly action:
O, I could play the woman with mine eyes,
And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens,
Cut short all intermission; front to front
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;
Within my sword’s length set him. If he ‘scape,
Heaven forgive him too! (230-34)
This proclamation shows us the complete man inside Macduff. His determination also sets up the
fate of Macbeth just as the Weird Sisters prophesized. .


Do not add quotation marks when you double-indent a quote.
Do not begin or end a paragraph with a quote.
If you can’t finish a line in the space you have, move to the next line and indent again and finish
the line. Then start the next line of the poem on the next line of your paper.
Example:
O, I could play the woman with mine eyes,
And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle
heavens,
Cut short all intermission; front to front
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;
Within my sword’s length set him. If he ‘scape,
Heaven forgive him too! (230-34)
Ellipsis
If you omit words from lines you quote, and the quote still sounds like a sentence without the
omitted words, you must show the omission with an ellipsis, three periods with a space between
each.
Example:
Actual lines: “Macbeth/ is ripe for shaking, and the pow’rs above/ Put on their
instruments” (4.3.237-39).
Quote: Malcolm proclaims, “Macbeth/ is ripe for shaking . . .” (4.3.237-38).
If the omission occurs in the middle of your quote, Use the ellipsis and continue quoting. If the
ellipsis occurs at the end of a sentence, add another period.
Example:
Actual lines: “Macbeth/ is ripe for shaking, and the pow’rs above/ Put on their
instruments. Receive what cheer you may” (4.3.237-39).
Quote: Malcolm proclaims, “Macbeth/ is ripe for shaking . . . ./ Receive what cheer you
may ” (4.3.237-39).
If you omit one or more complete lines from a long quote of poetry, indicate the omission with
one row of spaced periods about the length of the lines of the quote. Use only one row regardless
of how many lines you’ve omitted. Be sure your line numbers in your citation indicate which
lines you have actually used.
Example:
Actual lines:
Ay sir, all this is so. But why
Stands Macbeth so amazedly?
Come sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
And show the best of his delights:
I’ll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antic round,
That this great king may kindly say
Our duties did his welcome pay. (4.2.125-32)
Quote: The witches begin their final attack on Macbeth as he enters after killing Banquo:
Ay sir, all this is so. But why
Stands Macbeth so amazedly?
........................
I’ll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antic round,
That this great king may kindly say
Our duties did his welcome pay. (4.2.125-26, 29-32)
Quotes Inside of Quotes
Be careful when copying lines that contain quotation marks.
Original:
Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep”—the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care,
The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast— (2.2.34-39)
Example 1:
Macbeth shows his disorder in Act Two when he says, “Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no
more!’”(2.34).
Example 2:
Macbeth shows his disorder in Scene Two of Act Two when he says, “Methought I heard a voice
cry ‘Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep’ . . .”(34-35).
Example 3:
Macbeth shows his disorder when he says:
Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep”—the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care,
....................................
Still it cried “Sleep no more!” to all the house:
“Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor
Shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more.”
(2.2.34-36, 40-41)
Copy Lines From More Than One Speaker in the Same Quote
If you are copying lines from more than one speaker in the same quote, you must introduce the
quote with a sentence ending with a colon. Then you must double-indent the quote regardless of
the length. The speaker’s name is in all caps followed by a period. If the speaker has more than
one line, the lines after the first one are indented an additional three spaces. The next speaker’s
name is in all caps following the same rules above. Do not use this format if you are quoting
only one speaker.
Here’s an example.
In Act Two, Macbeth leads the murderers to believe they should kill Banquo:
MACBETH.
Both of you
Know Banquo was your enemy.
BOTH MURDERERS.
True, my lord.
MACBETH. So is he mine, and in such bloody distance
That every minute of his being thrusts
Against my nearest life: and though I could
With barefaced power sweep him from my sight
. . . yet I must not,
For certain friends that are both his and mine . . . (1.114-121)