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How to Quote Shakespeare? (1 Viewer)

Lukybear

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Im just wondering how we quote shakespeare? When we quote it, do we mention the acts and lines? Or just the acts? Or not even the acts and just do it like any book or movie.

Please give me any guidance.
 

kaz1

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You just quote it normally.

eg. Hamlet said "to be, or not to be"

Putting acts and lines would be too hard to remember.
 

MissGiggles

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in class we're expected to quote it properly. take it from the page and shove quotation marks around it, using a forward slash to show a new line, and then write act x scene x line x in brackets after it. however they understand that there's no way in hell we can do that in exams so the act is usually enough but the scene is better. you can get away with describing the scene (eg othello act 2 scene 1: in act two just after they arrive in cyprus) before giving the quote. you can just start talking about a scene and shove a quote in without repeating which act and scene. but it isn't good to not say which part of the play it's from.
 

Lukybear

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What about using the elipse? I.e. in Macbeth "unsex me... make thick thy blood... pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell" where this quote goes across few lines, but I only incoporate the said, do I still need /?
 

Absolutezero

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You really should put in the slash. However, long paragraphs really aren't needed. You can pretty much go 'To be or not to be...' and they'll know the section you mean.

In an assignment, you do need Act and Scene numbers. In an examination, just the quote is fine.
 

Aerath

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Yeah, your quotes should be short and sharp. And quoting should be done just like any other text.
 

MissGiggles

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i might only be in yr 11 but we've been told it's very bad to just shove a quote in unless you are already said what act you are talking about.
 

Absolutezero

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Well, if your breaking down a play thematically, there's no real need to list the Act beforehand.
 

MissGiggles

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i'm talking about describing a character's behaviour or something like that. eg. we did Othello. Shakespeare offers a resistant voice to female stereotypes in his characterisation of Desdemona, who rejects her assigned domestic role. this is most evident in Act 1 Scene 3 when she speaks before the senate, asking that she is not left as "a moth of peace".
 

Absolutezero

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You could do that.

Or you could try:

In Othello, Shakespeare offers a resistent voice to female sterotypes through the character of Desdemona. As Desdemona speaks to the senate, she asks with the simile, not to be left as 'a moth of peace'. This shows her rejection of an assigned domestic role as dictated by her society.
 

MissGiggles

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you didn't mention the act and scene numbers! isn't that the point of this thread? but i guess you are seconding my point about analysing the scene first....same thing, similar words
 

Absolutezero

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What I'm saying is that in an exam, your better off writing what I wrote, because its more succinct. You don't actually need the act and scene numbers. In an actual essay, you'd just follow the quote with the act and scene in parenthesis e.g. (3.1)
 

lychnobity

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i'm talking about describing a character's behaviour or something like that. eg. we did Othello. Shakespeare offers a resistant voice to female stereotypes in his characterisation of Desdemona, who rejects her assigned domestic role. this is most evident in Act 1 Scene 3 when she speaks before the senate, asking that she is not left as "a moth of peace".
Now, in an exam, you can't afford to waste time and words on writing Act x, Scene y - quotes are and slashes are sufficient. AbsoluteZero's method allows for more cohesion, it's the better way to quote Shakespeare.

And, it doesn't cost you marks to not put in the Act and Scene numbers, so I can't see how it would be very bad.
 

jet

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In the HSC, the markers will have taught the play that many times that they will most probably know where you're getting the quote from, so it doesn't really matter.

Besides, if you analyse extracts at a time for different themes, then you are going to be talking about a scene and they will know from your brief description which scene you are mentioning - e.g. The Closet Scene in Hamlet.
 

Denn

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When you quote you can quote directly (quotation marks) or indirectly (Othello once said.....) but after each quote you should state the Act , Scene and Line in roman numerals E.g. I love you and when I love you not all hell shall come again (II,III,67)
 

jet

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but after each quote you should state the Act , Scene and Line in roman numerals E.g. I love you and when I love you not all hell shall come again (II,III,67)
Don't have to do that in exams.
 
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jet

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Yer thats what we're talking about aren't we ? :confused:
If you look at the exemplar scripts in the ARC on the Board of Studies website, none of them provide Act, Scene, Line. It's a waste of time and memory/
 

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