how to quote plays in essays

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How to Quote and Cite a Play in an Essay Using MLA Format

Last Updated: October 12, 2023

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. This article has been viewed 388,811 times.

MLA (Modern Language Association) format is a popular citation style for papers and essays. You may be unsure how to quote and cite play using MLA format in your essay for a class. Start by following the correct formatting for a quote from one speaker or from multiple speakers in the play. Then, use the correct citation style for a prose play or a verse play.

Template and Examples

Quoting Dialogue from One Speaker

• For example, if you were quoting a character from the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, you would write, In Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , the character Honey says...

• For example, if you are quoting the character George from the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee, you would write, “George says,…” or “George states,…”.

• For example, if you are quoting from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , you would write: Martha notes, "Truth or illusion, George; you don’t know the difference."

• For example, if you were quoting from Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure , you would write: Claudio states “the miserable have no other medicine / But only hope.”

Quoting Dialogue from Multiple Speakers

• You do not need to use quotation marks when you are quoting dialogue by multiple speakers from a play. The blank space will act as a marker, rather than quotation marks.

• MARTHA. Truth or illusion, George; you don’t know the difference.
• GEORGE. No, but we must carry on as though we did.
• MARTHA. Amen.

• Verse dialogue is indented 1 ¼ inch (3.17cm) from the left margin.

• RUTH. Eat your eggs, Walter.
• WALTER. (Slams the table and jumps up) --DAMN MY EGGS--DAMN ALL THE EGGS THAT EVER WAS!
• RUTH. Then go to work.
• WALTER. (Looking up at her) See--I’m trying to talk to you ‘bout myself--(Shaking his head with the repetition)--and all you can say is eat them eggs and go to work.

Citing a Quote from a Prose Play

• If you are quoting dialogue from one speaker, place the citation at the end of the quoted dialogue, in the text.
• If you are quoting dialogue from multiple speakers, place the citation at the end of the block quote.

• For example, you may write: “(Albee…)” or “(Hansberry…)”

• For example, you may write, “(Albee, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ...).”
• If you have mentioned the title of the play once already in an earlier citation in your essay, you do not need to mention it again in the citations for the play moving forward.

• For example, you may write, “(Albee 10; act 1).
• If you are including the title of the play, you may write: “(Albee, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 10; act 1).”

Citing a Quote from a Verse Play

• For example, if the quote appears in act 4, scene 4 of the play, you will write, “(4.4…)”.

• For example, if the quote appears on lines 33 to 35, you will write, “(33-35).”
• The completed citation would look like: “(4.4.33-35)”.

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About This Article

To quote and cite a play in your essay using MLA format, start by referencing the author and title of the play in the main body of your essay. Then, name the speaker of the quote so it’s clear who’s talking. For example, write, “In Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? the character Honey says…” After introducing the quote, frame the dialogue with quotation marks to make it clear that it’s a direct quote from a text. If your dialogue is written in verse, use forward slashes to indicate each line break. For more tips from our English co-author, including how to quote dialogue between multiple speakers in your essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Table of Contents

Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, quoting plays and poetry in mla.

• © 2023 by Angela Eward-Mangione - Hillsborough Community College

The rules for quoting drama and/or poetry in Modern Language Association (MLA) Style differ from those for quoting the genre of prose. This article discusses rules for using MLA style to format quotes from drama and poetry. Consult the MLA Handbook to learn more.

Quoting Poetry

The MLA Handbook offers specific guidelines for quoting poetry.

In addition to the amount quoted and line breaks, other factors that matter include stanza breaks, and unusual layouts.

Special Issues: Stanza Breaks, Unusual Layouts

Stanza Breaks: Mark stanza breaks that occur in a quotation with two forward slashes, with a space before and after them ( / / ) (78).

William Carlos Williams depicts a vivid image in “The Red Wheelbarrow”: “so much depends / / upon / / a red wheel / / barrow / / glazed with rain / / water / / beside the white / / chickens” (“Williams”).

Unusual Layouts: If the layout of the lines in the original text is unusual, reproduce it as accurately as you can (79).

The English metaphysical John Donne uses indentation in some of his poems to create unusual layouts, as the first stanza of including “A Valediction: of Weeping” demonstrates:

Let me pour forth My tears before they face, whilst I stay here, For thy face coins them, and thy stamp they bear, And by this mintage they are something worth, For thus they be Pregnant of thee; Fruits of much grief they are, emblems of more, When a tear falls, that thou falls which it bore, So thou and I are nothing then, when on a divers shore. (lines 1-9)

Quoting Plays

When you must quote dialogue from a play, adhere to these rules:

• Set the quotation off from your text.
• Indent each name half an inch from the left margin and write it in all capital letters.
• Follow the name with a period and then start the quotation.
• Indent all other lines in the character’s speech an additional amount.
• When the dialogue shifts to another character, start a new line indented half an inch.
• Maintain this pattern throughout the quotation (80).

Example: One of the flashbacks in Margaret Edson’s Wit suggests Vivian Bearing’s illness causes her to question some of her previous interactions with students:

STUDENT 1. Professor Bearing? Can I talk to you for a minute?

VIVIAN: You may.

STUDENT 1: I need to ask for an extension on my paper. I’m really sorry, and I know your policy, but see—

VIVIAN: Don’t tell me. Your grandmother died.

STUDENT 1: You knew.

VIVIAN: It was a guess.

STUDENT 1: I have to go home.

VIVIAN: Do what you will, but the paper is due when it is due. (63)

Special Issues

Omissions: Follow the rules for omissions in quotations of prose (83).

Although some of the rules for quoting plays and poetry in MLA differ than those for quoting prose, understanding the guidelines will help you apply them in any scenario.

Donne, John. “The Bait.” The Complete English Poems . Penguin Books, 1971, pp. 43-4.

—. “The Break of Day.” The Complete English Poems . Penguin Books, 1971, pp. 45-6. Edson, Margaret. Wit. Faber and Faber, 1993.

Shakespeare, William. Sonnet 39. The Pelican Shakespeare: The Sonnets . Penguin Books, 1970, p. 59.

Williams, William Carlos: “The Red Wheelbarrow.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/core-poems/detail/45502 .

Yeats, William. “A Prayer for My Daughter.” The Collected Poems . Ed. Richard Finneran. Scribner, 1983, pp. 188-190.

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• Spartanburg Community College Library
• SCC Research Guides
• Citing a Play

When you refer to lines from a play in-text, you need to cite these lines according to MLA. There are several ways to do in-text citations for plays. Depending on what information you have about your play will determine how you do your citations.

• Citing a Play (MLA Works Cited)
• In-Text Citations for Plays
• Help Resources

Citing a Play from Textbook

Format:  Author.  Title of Play in Italics .  Title of Textbook,  edited by Editor Name, edition, vol. #, Publisher, Year, Page Numbers.

Example:  Hansberry, Lorraine.  A Raisin in the Sun. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature , edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Valerie Smith, 3rd ed. vol. 2, W.W. Norton and Company, 2014, pp. 470-532.

Citing a Play in a Book 

*Note:  this citation should be used if you find your play in a book where the play is the entire book

Format:  Author.  Title of Play in Italics.  Edition, Publisher, Year. Database Name in Italics (if electronic), URL.

Example:  Sophocles.  Antigone.  Translated by David Mulroy,   University of Wisconsin Press, 2013.  ProQuest Ebook Central,  ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/sccsc/detail.action?docID=3445283.

How you cite in-text depends on whether you are using line numbers or page numbers. 

Using Line Numbers

Example:  (Hansberry, 4.5. lines 171-9)

*Note:  If the text of your play includes line numbers on the side of the page, then replace the page number with the act, scene, and line numbers.

*Notes:  Once you establish you are using line numbers for your in-text citations, you no longer need to use the word "line" in your parenthetical citation.

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

Using Page Numbers

Example : (Wilson 200)

*Note:  If lines in your play are not numbered, you can use the page number in your citation.

• Sample Drama Paper
• Sample Drama Paper with Line Number Citations This sample drama paper will show examples of in-text citations using line numbers.
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• Cite: Why? When?
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Key Elements

• "Play Title" (in quotes)
• Book Title (italicized)
• Publication year
• Page number (p.) or page numbers (pp.)
• From database: D atabase (italicized) , permanent link
• Web site URL (no http) and date a ccessed

Play in a Collection or Anthology (p. 27)

Cite the playwright first, then the play title in quotes.  If you cite more than one play from the same collection, create a citation for each play.

Use the anthology format, but omit the editor.

Play as a Book (5.5.2)

Some long plays are published as a single book . Cite these like  a regular book. 

eBook (p. 48)

After the publication year, include the database in italics and then the permanent link to the book.

Live Performance

After the play title in italics, list the playwright, director, performance date, theater, location, and description.

Play on DVD (p. 24)

Begin with the film's title unless you cite the contribution of a particular individual. If so, start with the individual's name.

If citing individual contributors of the performance, start with that person's last name.

Streaming Play (p. 33)

After the publication year, list the database in italics and permanent link or the Web site title, Web site URL, and date accessed.

Shakespearean Play In-Text Citations (p. 121)

Abbreviate the title of a work if you cite it frequently in your paper.  Use the full title when first mentioned in your text with the abbreviation in parentheses, then use the a bbreviation in l ater  references to the title . Cite the line numbers.

ex. In All's Well That Ends Well (AWW), Helena believes she is the master of her own fate, saying "Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, / Which we ascribe to heaven" ( AWW , 1.1.199-200).

See the document below for commonly-used Shakespearean play abbreviations.

• Abbreviations for Shakespeare Plays
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources / How to Cite a Play in APA, MLA, or Chicago

How to Cite a Play in APA, MLA, or Chicago

You can cite a play as either a live performance or script.

Citing a Live Performance

EasyBib has a form to cite a performance that has been viewed live. For instructions on how to cite a live performance, visit this guide on citing Hamilton  the musical in MLA, APA, and Chicago .

Citing a Play Script

If you are citing a play found as an entire source, cite it as a book (and use our book citation form ).

MLA Format (9 th edition)

STRUCTURES:

(Playwright last name page#)

Works Cited:

Playwright last name, First name. Play Title. Publisher, edition (if applicable), publication year.

Hwang, David Henry. M Butterfly . Plume, 1989.

APA 7 Format

If you’re merely paraphrasing or discussing a play in general terms, you’re not required to use a page number or other locator. But if you directly quote a play script, you must include a location for the relevant passage. For plays, this often means including a page number(s).

However, some plays use books, chapters, verses, lines, or cantos to distinguish specific parts of a play. The examples below include citations for both a modern play script with a page number and a play by Shakespeare with an act, scene, and line number.

(Since Shakespeare’s works appear in republications, there are two years in the source citations: the original publication year/the republication year).

(Playwright last name, year, p. page#)

           (Playwright last name, year, Act#.Scene#.Line#)

References:

Playwright last name, First initials. (Year published). Play Title . Publisher.

           Playwright last name, First initial. (Year of republished play). Classic Play Title. (First initials. Last Name, Ed.). Publisher. (Original work published Year)

(Hwang, 1989, p. 22)

Hwang, D. H. (1989).  M butterfly . Plume.

          (Shakespeare, 1603/2008, 1.4.5)

Shakespeare, W. (2008). Hamlet (S. Greenblatt, Ed.). W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. (Original work published 1603)

Chicago Format

Author-Date Format In-text:

(Playwright Last Name Publication Year, page#)

         (Playwright Last Name Publication Year, Act#.Scene#.Line#)

Author-Date Format Reference:

Playwright Last Name, First Name. Publication Year. Play Title. City: Publisher.

Playwright last name, First Name. Publication Year. Classic Play Title , edited by First Name Last Name. City: Publisher.

Note Format:

• Playwright First Name Last Name, Play Title (City: Publisher, Year), page #.
• Classic Play Title , ed. Editor First Name Last Name. (City: Publisher, Year), Act#.Scene#.Line#. References are to act, scene, and line.

Bibliography Format:

Playwright Last Name, First name. Play Title . City: Publisher, Year.

          Classic Play Title . Edited by First Name Last Name. Edition Details. City: Publisher, Year.

Author-Date:

(Hwang 1989, 22)

           (Shakespeare 1603, 1.4.5)

Hwang, David Henry. 1989.  M Butterfly . New York: Plume.

           Shakespeare, William. 2004. Hamlet,  edited by Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House.

• David Henry Hwang, M Butterfly  (New York: Plume, 1989), 22.
• Hamlet , ed. Harold Bloom. (Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2004), 1.4.5. References are to act, scene, and line.

Bibliography:

Hwang, David Henry. M Butterfly . New York: Plume, 1989.

         Hamlet . Edited by Harold Bloom. Major Literary Characters, 1st ser. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2004.

Updated July 10, 2022.

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MLA Style Guide: 8th Edition: Block Quote

• Works Cited examples
• Direct Quote

Block Quote

• Paraphrase/Summary
• Indirect Quote
• Multiple Authors
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IN-TEXT CITATIONS FOR A...

The block quote is used for direct quotations that are longer than four lines of prose, or longer than three lines of poetry. A block quote is always used when quoting dialogue between characters, as in a play.

The block format is a freestanding quote that does not include quotation marks. Introduce the block quote with a colon (unless the context of your quote requires different punctuation) and start it on a new line. Indent the entire quote 1-inch from the left margin and double-space it (even if the rest of your paper is not double-spaced). Include the page number at the end of your block quote outside of the ending period. Also include the author's last name, date of publication, and page number(s)/paragraph number.

If you quote a single paragraph (or just part of one), do not indent the first line of the block quote more than the rest:

It is not until near the end of The Hound of the Baskervilles that the hound itself is actually seen:

A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen. Fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering flame. Never in the delirious dream of a disordered brain could anything more savage, more appalling, more hellish be conceived than that dark form and savage face which broke upon us out of the wall of fog. (Doyle 82)

If you quote two or more paragraphs, indent the first line of each paragraph an additional ¼ inch. However, if the first sentence quoted does not begin a paragraph in the source, do not indent it the additional amount, only indent the subsequent paragraphs. Here is an example where the first sentence is the beginning of a paragraph:

In the aftermath of the hound sighting, Sherlock Holmes keeps his cool:

   Sir Henry lay insensible where he had fallen. We tore away his collar, and Holmes breathed a prayer of gratitude when we saw that there was no sign of a wound and that the rescue had been in time. Already our friend's eyelids shivered and he made a feeble effort to move. Lestrade thrust his brandy-flask between the baronet's teeth, and two frightened eyes were looking up at us.

   "My God!" he whispered. "What was it? What, in heaven's name, was it?"

   "It's dead, whatever it is," said Holmes. (Doyle 82)

Just as for prose, poetry block quotations (3+ lines) should begin on a new line. Unless the quotation involves unusual spacing, format it as you would prose:  indent each line one-inch from margin and double-space the lines. Do not add any quotation marks that do not appear in the source:

Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem “To John Oliver Killens in 1975” addresses another African American writer of the day:

look at our mercy, the massiveness that it is not.

look  at our “unity,” look at our

“black solidarity.”

Dim, dull, and dainty. (1-5)

A line of poetry in a block quote that is too long to fit within the right margin of the page should be continued on the next line and indented an additional ¼ inch:

Allen Ginsberg’s famous poem “Howl” begins:

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,

dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,

angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo

   in the machinery of night, (9)

When quoting dialogue from a play, begin each part with the appropriate character’s name indented 1-inch from the left margin and written in all capital letters followed by a period. Then, start the quotation and indent all subsequent lines an additional ¼ inch. In the parenthetical reference at the end of the quote, include the act, scene, and line(s) of your quote, instead of the page number(s):

At the beginning of Shakespeare’s The Tempest , chaos erupts on a ship at sea before the cast of characters ends up on Prospero’s island:

MARINERS. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!

BOATSWAIN. What, must our mouths be cold?

GONZALO. The king and prince at prayers! let’s assist them,

For our case is as theirs.

SEBASTIAN.                                        I’m out of patience.

ANTONIO. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards:

This wide-chapp’d rascal,—would thou mightst lie drowning

The washing of ten tides!

GONZALO.                                          He’ll be hang’d yet,

Though every drop of water swear against it,

And gape at widest to glut him.

A confused noise within: “Mercy on us!”—“We split, we

split!”—“Farewell my wife and children!”—“Farewell,

brother!”—“We split, we split, we split!” (1.5.3-14)

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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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MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

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Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the  MLA Handbook  and in chapter 7 of the  MLA Style Manual . Both books provide extensive examples, so it's a good idea to consult them if you want to become even more familiar with MLA guidelines or if you have a particular reference question.

Basic in-text citation rules

In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations . This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as the examples below will illustrate, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.

General Guidelines

• The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited page.
• Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.

In-text citations: Author-page style

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.

In-text citations for print sources with known author

For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.

These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:

Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.

In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author

When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.

In-text citations for sources with non-standard labeling systems

If a source uses a labeling or numbering system other than page numbers, such as a script or poetry, precede the citation with said label. When citing a poem, for instance, the parenthetical would begin with the word “line”, and then the line number or range. For example, the examination of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” would be cited as such:

The speaker makes an ardent call for the exploration of the connection between the violence of nature and the divinity of creation. “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes," they ask in reference to the tiger as they attempt to reconcile their intimidation with their relationship to creationism (lines 5-6).

Longer labels, such as chapters (ch.) and scenes (sc.), should be abbreviated.

In-text citations for print sources with no known author

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.

Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.

Titles longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example, To the Lighthouse would be shortened to Lighthouse .

If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:

In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:

"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs . 1999. www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.

If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.

Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.

Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions

Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's  The Communist Manifesto . In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:

Author-page citation for works in an anthology, periodical, or collection

When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the  internal source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in  Nature  in 1921, you might write something like this:

See also our page on documenting periodicals in the Works Cited .

Citing authors with same last names

Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:

Citing a work by multiple authors

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:

Corresponding Works Cited entry:

Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.” Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR, doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1

For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al.

Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine , vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.

Citing multiple works by the same author

If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.

Citing two articles by the same author :

Citing two books by the same author :

Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):

Citing multivolume works

If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)

Citing the Bible

In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:

If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:

John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).

Citing indirect sources

Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited within another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:

Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.

Citing transcripts, plays, or screenplays

Sources that take the form of a dialogue involving two or more participants have special guidelines for their quotation and citation. Each line of dialogue should begin with the speaker's name written in all capitals and indented half an inch. A period follows the name (e.g., JAMES.) . After the period, write the dialogue. Each successive line after the first should receive an additional indentation. When another person begins speaking, start a new line with that person's name indented only half an inch. Repeat this pattern each time the speaker changes. You can include stage directions in the quote if they appear in the original source.

Conclude with a parenthetical that explains where to find the excerpt in the source. Usually, the author and title of the source can be given in a signal phrase before quoting the excerpt, so the concluding parenthetical will often just contain location information like page numbers or act/scene indicators.

Here is an example from O'Neill's  The Iceman Cometh.

WILLIE. (Pleadingly) Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.

ROCKY. Den grab it. It's right under your nose.

WILLIE. (Avidly) Thanks. (He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows.) (1.1)

Citing non-print or sources from the Internet

With more and more scholarly work published on the Internet, you may have to cite sources you found in digital environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's  Evaluating Sources of Information  resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source on your Works Cited page.

Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers. However, these sorts of entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical citation. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:

• Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
• Do not provide paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
• Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like  CNN.com  or  Forbes.com,  as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.

Miscellaneous non-print sources

Two types of non-print sources you may encounter are films and lectures/presentations:

In the two examples above “Herzog” (a film’s director) and “Yates” (a presentor) lead the reader to the first item in each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:

Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo . Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.

Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Address.

Electronic sources

Electronic sources may include web pages and online news or magazine articles:

In the first example (an online magazine article), the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below).

In the second example (a web page), a parenthetical citation is not necessary because the page does not list an author, and the title of the article, “MLA Formatting and Style Guide,” is used as a signal phrase within the sentence. If the title of the article was not named in the sentence, an abbreviated version would appear in a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:

Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant , 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009. 

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL , 2 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Accessed 2 April 2018.

Multiple citations

To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:

Time-based media sources

When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

When a citation is not needed

Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge (For example, it is expected that U.S. citizens know that George Washington was the first President.). Remember that citing sources is a rhetorical task, and, as such, can vary based on your audience. If you’re writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, you may need to deal with expectations of what constitutes “common knowledge” that differ from common norms.

Other Sources

The MLA Handbook describes how to cite many different kinds of authors and content creators. However, you may occasionally encounter a source or author category that the handbook does not describe, making the best way to proceed can be unclear.

In these cases, it's typically acceptable to apply the general principles of MLA citation to the new kind of source in a way that's consistent and sensible. A good way to do this is to simply use the standard MLA directions for a type of source that resembles the source you want to cite.

You may also want to investigate whether a third-party organization has provided directions for how to cite this kind of source. For example, Norquest College provides guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers⁠ —an author category that does not appear in the MLA Handbook . In cases like this, however, it's a good idea to ask your instructor or supervisor whether using third-party citation guidelines might present problems.

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How to quote a dialogue answer’s here.

June 7, 2019

It is essential to understand the meaning of quoting dialogue before we learn how to quote dialogue in an essay. As you continue to write your essay, you may wish to refer to what other people said without making any changes to their phrases. The application of quotes comes in handy at this place. You can refer to the statements of other people in two ways. You can either use active or reported speech. Quotation involves the use of direct speech as you are referring to what another person said directly.

Importance of Writing Dialogue in an Essay

Several benefits come with quoting dialogue in your essay. These include:

• It makes your statement more valid because you are using the words of another person to refer to a point. It is good to have reference in your work as it will help the reader to understand the origin on your arguments and there will be no doubt especially if it is a quote dialogue.
• Quote dialogue also displays your proficiency in grammar. Most people don’t include quotations in their essays because they need to follow some punctuation rules such as having a comma before quotation. Most students prefer reporting like quoting because they don’t want to mess up with the set guidelines.
• Quotes make your essay outstanding because the reader will get first-hand information the way it was said. When reporting dialogue, you can omit some words that are crucial in supporting your points. However, when you use quotations, you are sure that you will state everything and hence your essay will have strong points.

It is good to use long quotes as long as you adhere to the set rules. If you don’t know how to quote dialogue, seek for help as this can change the meaning of your work and mess it up. Here are some of the things that you need to put into consideration before moving further.

Tips on How to Quote Dialogue in an Essay

• Don’t quote all the sections of your essay. Inserting too much quotations in your paper will make it boring to the readers as you will tend to over-rely on the words from other people. It will reduce the originality of your paper and the reader may undermine your creative ability as you are depending on the words of other people.
• Let your quotes be precise and avoid anything that is not related to the context of your writing. Do an analysis of the quote you wish to use and make sure that the impression that you are bringing out from the dialogue is related to what the essay is talking about.
• Only quote the words that vividly relate to what you are discussing in the essay. You will not have an organized piece of work if you just quote haphazardly. You may find yourself bringing up another meaning that is completely contrary to what you were saying.
• Avoid including long quotes in your essay because they can confuse your reader and make him fall off from your essay.

How to Quote Dialogue Example

There are different rubrics and formats for follow when quoting various phrases in your college essay. It all depends with the type and length of dialogue that you are referring. Here are a few illustrations for various quotes:

• Quoting a Short Paragraph That Has Less Than Four Lines

James insisted on the spying character of Desmond unworthy in the book: “The scholar’s eyes glowed so much on her that Dominic held her over his heart.” (Think wise 88)

• Quoting a Whole Passage

It will help you to summarize and not write the whole passage. You will refer to the passage using the simplest form of quotation. The use of length quotations in an essay is not a good practice in writing. It is good to make them as short as possible.

Existing Format for Dialogue Quotation

You should learn how to quote dialogue because making an error in the quotation can change the whole meaning of your essay and cause a misunderstanding. The most important thing is the format as it will dictate whether your quotation is right or wrong. You need to follow several rules in the quotation:

• Use one single quotation inside the above double marks. The case applies if there is a dialogue inside a quote. After using the double quotes at both ends, you may wish to introduce a dialogue of a specific character inside the quote. At this point, you will be expected to use single quotes.

For Instance “The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Rose said, ‘Lazy girls cannot help you to find some work to do!!’”

You may also quote the dialogue by reporting it and then use parenthesis at the end. For Instance You need to think before leaping (Faraday 57).

• Use block quotes to prove something in your essay. Block quote referencing is where you put the dialogue in indents for each line with no quotation makes.

It is a perfect example on how to quote dialogue between two characters.

It is crucial to go through various how to quote dialogue examples for you to become an expert in quoting dialogue. Exposing you to various samples will benefit you in several ways. These include understanding various dialogue quotes formats like Purdue owl and avoiding spelling and punctuation errors. Punctuation is a crucial element in quotation dialogue as it identifies the various characters in the quote. The use of wrong punctuation can change the whole meaning of your sentence. These examples will help you to gain the skills that you need in your day to day writing. The other thing you need to learn is how to quote dialogue from a play. This guide will help you to learn how to quote dialogue in your essay in the best way possible.

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75 condolence messages to offer your love and support

There's no greater sadness than losing a friend or loved one.

In the difficult days following a loss, it's often the support of friends and loved ones that help lesson the pain, bringing comfort and peace during a time of deep sorrow.

“It’s very lonely when you lose someone because your feelings and experience are unique,” Dr. Robin Grant-Hall, clinical psychologist, tells TODAY.com. “People who care need to let the person know that you are there for them.”  

However, it's not always easy to know what condolence message to write in a card or to text to someone who is going through a hard time.

According to Grant-Hall, when expressing your sympathy, it's important to recognize the loss , as well as offer someone the much-needed reassurance that in the weeks and months ahead, you'll be there to support them.

To help put your feelings into words, we've gathered a list of condolence messages and sympathy quotes to assist you in composing a text or card.

Though your kind gesture may not ease their sorrow, it will remind them that they are not alone , that you're thinking of them and sharing in the burden of their loss. And nothing means more than that.

Condolence messages to offer support

• From across the miles, we send our heartfelt sympathy and healing prayers during this difficult time.
• A love that deep never fades in memory, it only grows stronger in your heart. Wishing you peace and comfort during this sad time.
• May happy memories help lesson your sorrow during these difficult days. Thinking of you.
• Keeping you close in our hearts. Our deepest sympathy.
• Please know that I am just a call or text away. Reach out anytime for any reason. I'm here for you now and always.
• As you navigate the difficult days ahead, please know that you aren't alone. We are here to help.
• Sometimes there are no words for a loss so great. Praying for healing in the days to come. Thinking of you.

• A light that dims here on earth, shines that much brighter in the night sky.
• A memory on the breeze, a whisper through the trees that says, “They will never be forgotten.”
• May love and comfort wrap you in their warm embrace during this difficult time.
• In these moments, when there are no words, know that the ones we love remain beside us, now and always.
• During this difficult time, may faith, family and friends bring you peace.
• The light will be on in my heart for whenever it gets too dark.

• Sending you strength today and peace in all the days ahead.
• Those we love never truly leave us, but rather remain a song that will forever be carried in the wind.
• May every sunrise remind you of the lingering beauty of yesterday's sunset.
• Those who live in our memories are never truly gone.

Short condolence messages

• “It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.” — John Steinbeck
• “There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” — Mahatma Gandhi
• “Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.” — Mark Twain
• “Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Only in darkness can you see the stars.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

• “Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.” — Markus Zusak, “I Am the Messenger”
• “The wind is us — it gathers and remembers all our voices, then sends them talking and telling through the leaves and the fields.” — Truman Capote
• “The stars show us the path but the flowers travel with us.” — Bhuwan Thapaliya

Short condolence messages for the loss of any loved one

•   The candle may go out, but the memory of its light remains.
• We’ve shared so much through the years and I’m here now to share the weight of your loss. Whatever you need, I’m standing by.
• Our/my heartfelt condolences for your loss.
• Our/my thoughts are with you during this sad time.
• Words of sympathy feel inadequate in expressing grief and sorrow for a loss so great. Sending a warm embrace and all my love during this sad time.
• Wishing you peace and comfort during these difficult days.

• I’m here to lend an ear or shoulder should you need one.
• Even when we can’t see them, the stars still shine. Deepest sympathy.
• I’m so sad for your loss. Thinking of you.
• Sharing in your sorrow and here for you in the days ahead.
• Thinking of you and sending my love during this difficult time.
• My heart goes out to you and your family. My deepest condolences.

• Sending thoughts of comfort and all my love.
• If you were here, I’d give you a hug. I’m so sorry for your loss.
• With love and remembrance, we share in your sorrow.
• There are no words for such a sad time. My condolences.
• Caring thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

Condolence messages for the loss of a friend or coworker

• Those we love never truly leave us. Sending our love and sympathy to you.
• Sending you strength and support during this difficult time.
• I wanted to reach out and let you know that I’m here for anything you need. I’m so sorry for your loss.
• In this sorrowful time, sending thoughts of comfort and hope that you find strength to get through the difficult days ahead. We’re here for you.
• I share in your grief and send you all my love in this time of sadness.

• Our deepest sympathy to you and your family. Hoping that the support of loved ones brings you comfort during this sad time.
• A hug from me to you to let you know that today and every day, you are in my heart and thoughts. I’m so sorry for your loss.
• Gone, but never far from our hearts. Deepest sympathy for your loss.
• You need only look in your heart to find what is lost. Sending our condolences to you and your family.
• If there wasn’t so much love, it wouldn’t be this hard to say goodbye. Our thoughts are with you.

Condolence messages for the loss of a parent

• Your mom was the brightest light in a sky full of stars. Sending love and support during this hard time.
• There’s nothing to say to ease the loss of a mother. We are here for you and send our deepest sympathy to you and your family.
• In loving memory of your mom. Thinking of you and hoping you find peace and strength in the days ahead.
• Mothers never truly leave us. You need only look in your heart and she’ll be there. So sad for your loss.
• Wishing you comfort and remembering the kind spirit that was your mom. Our condolences for your loss.

• May you find peace and comfort in your father’s memory.
• Though I didn’t know your father, I know you, and that means he must have amazing. I’m so sad for your loss.
• There isn’t anyone I know who didn’t look up to your dad. He was one of the kindest, most genuine people I ever met. My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.
• May you always feel his hand on your shoulder and hear his laugh echo in your heart. Our heartfelt condolences for the loss of your father.
• It’s hard to say goodbye and even harder when it’s to someone like your dad. He was one-of-a-kind and will be missed by everyone.

Condolence messages for the loss of partner

• In loving memory of your husband, a person whose kindness and generous spirit touched the lives of everyone who knew him. He will be so missed.
• When something like this happens, it leaves everyone figuring out how to pick up the pieces. There are no words, only love and support during this sorrowful time. I am here for you.
• Our deepest condolences on the loss of your beloved husband. He leaves behind an eternal flame in our hearts. Our thoughts are with you.
• Even when we cannot see the sun, it is still there, shining down from the sky and spreading its warmth so that we may one day bask in it again.
• There are no words for the loss of your wife, a person who was cherished by everyone who knew her. Our thoughts and love are with you in this time of sorrow.
• She shined so bright that the memory of her light will never dim. Sending strength and comfort.
• Everyone who knew her considered themselves lucky, myself included. I’m here to offer an ear or shoulder should you need one.
• In loving memory of your wife: She was loved deeply by everyone who knew her. Hoping the support of friends and family bring you comfort at this difficult time.

Condolence messages for the loss of a family member

• Although I never met your sister, I feel like I knew her through you. I’m so sad for your loss and wish you strength in the days ahead.
• Your sister was sincerely one of my favorite people and I know she was yours, too. Hoping the love of friends and family see you through this sad time.
• In heartfelt memory of your loved one, someone who brought a smile to every occasion. Thinking of you.
• Brothers are special. Yours was exceptional. Wishing you peace and comfort at this sad time.
• Thinking of your cousin and how much you loved him/her. There’s nothing to say for a loss so great. Our condolences at this sad time.

• We are saddened to learn of your loss. Please know that we’re thinking of you and are here for anything you may need.
• Remembering your grandmother/grandfather with love at this sad time. Sending condolences to you and your family.
• My condolences on the loss of your uncle. I know how special he was to you and hope you find peace during this sad time.
• Your (loved one) was completely outrageous — in all the best ways possible. It’s hard to imagine a world without them in it. They leave behind so many wonderful memories, which I hope brings you comfort during these difficult days.
• With a loss so great, there are simply no words to ease the pain. If there were, I would use them now. Please know that I’m here.

Find the right words for any occasion

• Birthday wishes to send to all the special people in your life
• Retirement wishes to celebrate a job well done
• The best wishes to write in a wedding card

Sarah is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter for TODAY who covers holidays, celebrities and everything in between.

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Dramatic day in court as defense begins to present case in Trump trial

By CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle and Jeremy Herb in the courthouse

Key takeaways from Donald Trump's hush money trial as the prosecution rests its case

From CNN's Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell

The prosecution rested its case against Donald J. Trump on Monday in the  former president’s hush money trial , which is barreling toward a conclusion as soon as next week. Michael Cohen ’s testimony wrapped up after four days — and 17 hours — on the witness stand.

It wasn’t long after the defense began its case for things to get heated. Judge Juan Merchan admonished a witness for the defense, Robert Costello, after he audibly complained when the judge sustained objections to the questions he was being asked.

Here are the key takeaways :

• Prosecution rests: Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office rested their case after calling 20 witnesses over 15 days, including Cohen, Stormy Daniels, former Trump aide  Hope Hicks  and ex-publisher of the National Enquirer  David Pecker . Cohen was the key witness, accusing his former boss of directing him to pay Daniels’ attorney in October 2016 and approving the reimbursement plan at the heart of the criminal case. Prosecutors also introduced a host of evidence to try to corroborate his allegations.
• Defense witness infuriates the judge: Trump’s attorneys called Costello as a way to try to rebut Cohen’s testimony about the pressure he was receiving in 2018 when the  FBI searched his home and office . Costello described his initial 2018 meeting with Cohen, in which he said Cohen told him, “I don’t have anything on Donald Trump.” But once on the stand, Costello quickly got on the wrong side of the judge, audibly protesting the sustained objections. “Ridiculous,” he could be heard saying while the attorneys approached the judge after one objection. He later let out an audible “jeez” following the judge’s ruling.
• Trial endgame comes into focus: Trump’s side began its defense case Monday afternoon — and appears likely to rest on Tuesday. The defense first called a paralegal to introduce call records between Cohen and Costello, before Costello took the stand. He’s expected to be off the stand by mid-morning Tuesday, and Trump’s attorneys said that — as of now — they don’t plan to call any other witnesses after him. Merchan said he expects to have closings next Tuesday. Once the defense rests its case, he will hold a conference with the two parties to discuss the instructions the judge will give to the jury before deliberations.

"If you try to stare me down one more time, I will remove you from the stand," judge tells defense witness

From CNN's Michelle Watson

The transcripts from Day 19 of Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial give a little more detail about what happened between Judge Juan Merchan and Michael Cohen's former legal adviser, Bob Costello, who was the defense's second witness on Monday. 

"Sir, your conduct is contemptuous right now," Merchan told Costello after the courtroom was cleared, according to the transcript. "I'm putting you on notice that your conduct is contemptuous," Merchan said. "If you try to stare me down one more time, I will remove you from the stand."

"I will strike his entire testimony; do you understand me?" Merchan then asked Trump defense attorney Emil Bove.

"Yes, Judge. I understand," Bove responded.

The transcript also notes that court officers had "great difficulty" clearing the courtroom, which is "made up primarily of the press."

Merchan acknowledged that and said, "I can appreciate that the press wants to be present for every part of these proceedings, therefore, this record is not sealed. The press will have access to this record." 

Here are the witnesses who have testified so far in the Trump hush money trial

From CNN staff

Donald Trump's longtime assistant, the former banker of Trump's attorney Michael Cohen and adult film actress Stormy Daniels are among witnesses who have taken the stand so far in the hush money trial.

As of Monday evening, here's everybody we've heard from so far:

• David Pecker — the former CEO of American Media Inc., the National Enquirer's parent company — was the first witness called to testify. After more than 10 hours of testimony across four days, he offered illuminating details into how the infamous tabloid operated and conducted so-called “catch and kill” operations.
• Rhona Graff , Trump's longtime assistant at the Trump Organization, was called to testify briefly on April 26.
• Gary Farro , the former banker of Cohen, walked the jury through Cohen’s bank activity around the payment to Daniels.
• Dr. Robert Browning , the executive director of C-SPAN archives, was called so prosecutors could use his testimony to get records into evidence.
• Phillip Thompson, a director at a court reporting company, testified about how depositions work.
• Keith Davidson , the former lawyer for model and actress Karen McDougal as well as for Daniels, was on the stand for nearly six hours   over two days.
• Douglas Daus works for the Manhattan District Attorney's High Technology Analysis Unit, and was assigned to analyze two iPhones that  belonged to Cohen  in the investigation related to Trump. They were obtained via a search warrant. Daus testified about the  "unusual" amount of contacts  and other things he found on Cohen's phone.
• Hope Hicks , Trump's longtime former aide, testified for a little less than three hours about her role as Trump’s 2016 campaign press secretary, the aftermath of  the “Access Hollywood” tape release  and Cohen's payment to Daniels.
• Jeffrey McConney , a former Trump Organization controller, testified about  how Cohen's payments were listed  in Trump's financial documents.
• Deborah Tarasoff, the accounts payable supervisor in the accounting department at the Trump Organization, explained how checks were cut to Cohen  in 2017 and testified that  invoices over $10,000  had to be approved by Trump or one of his sons.
• Sally Franklin , the senior vice president and executive managing editor for Penguin Random House publishing group, testified for  46 minutes . Prosecutors used her testimony to enter  excerpts from Trump’s books  into evidence. 
• Stormy Daniels, who's at the center of the hush money case, was on the stand for six hours and 10 minutes over two days of testimony. Daniels walked the jury through details about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 and the $130,000 hush money payment from Trump's ex-attorney Michael Cohen shortly  before the 2016 election . Trump attorney Susan Necheles hammered down on Daniels in cross-examination to establish some of the ways she gained publicity and money from her story going public.
• Rebecca Manochio , a junior bookkeeper at the Trump Organization, testified for about 35 minutes. The prosecution used Manochio to submit invoices , documents and emails as evidence.
• Tracey Menzies , the senior vice president of production and creative operations at Harper Collins, spoke about one of the books Donald Trump co-authored, “Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life,” by Trump and Bill Zanker and read excerpts from the book.
• Madeleine Westerhout , a former personal assistant to Trump at the White House, detailed how the president preferred to work, his attention to detail and the reaction to the "Access Hollywood" tape.
• Daniel Dixon , an AT&T lead compliance analyst. He was used to enter phone records into evidence.
• Jennie Tomalin, Verizon senior analyst in executive relations, was also called to the stand to enter evidence into the records.
• Georgia Longstreet, who testified on May 3 and May 10, gave evidence about social media posts and text messages.
• Jaden Jarmel-Schneider , another paralegal from the Manhattan district attorney's office, testified about analyzing phone records entered into evidence on May 10.
• Michael Cohen, former Trump attorney, is at the center of the hush money payment, and hence, was a key witness for the prosecution .
• Daniel Sitko, a paralegal in Trump attorney Todd Blanche's law firm, was the defense's first witness and submitted a phone chart into evidence.
• Robert Costello, an attorney connected with Michael Cohen was the second defense witness. Trump's attorneys have indicated he will be their final witness.

Robert Costello declines to comment about his behavior on the stand Monday  

From CNN's Paula Reid 

Former Michael Cohen adviser Robert Costello declined to comment about his behavior on the stand Monday.

Judge Juan Merchan had asked Costello not to talk about the case. 

Merchan cleared the courtroom about 14 minutes into Costello’s testimony over “proper decorum in my courtroom.” 

Costello could be overheard saying “ridiculous” while attorneys were at a sidebar and later let out a “jeez” over an objection. After another sustained objection, Costello made an audible sigh and rolled his eyes, side-glancing at the judge. 

CNN’s Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle and Jeremy Herb contributed reporting to this post.

The hush money cases is only one of the 4 criminal indictments Trump faces

From CNN’s Devan Cole, Amy O'Kruk and Curt Merrill 

The hush money criminal case against former President Donald Trump is just one of  four criminal cases  he faces while juggling his presidential campaign.

The former president faces at least  88 charges  over the four criminal indictments in Georgia, New York, Washington, DC, and Florida. Trump has pleaded not guilty to every charge in these cases. 

Here's a recap of each case: 

• Hush money:  Trump was first indicted in March 2023 by the Manhattan district attorney on state charges related to a hush-money payment to an adult film star in 2016. Prosecutors allege Trump was part of an illegal conspiracy to  undermine  the integrity of the 2016 election. Further, they allege he was part of an unlawful plan to suppress negative information, including the $130,000 payment. 
• Classified documents:  Trump was indicted in June 2023 by a federal grand jury in Miami for taking classified national defense documents from the White House after he left office and resisting the government’s attempts to retrieve the materials. The National Archives said in early 2022 that at least 15 boxes of White House records were recovered from the estate, including  some that were classified . The charges were brought by special counsel Jack Smith. However,  Judge Aileen Cannon  has  indefinitely postponed the trial , citing significant issues around classified evidence that would need to be worked out before the federal criminal case goes to a jury.
• Federal election interference:  Smith separately charged the former president last August with four crimes over his efforts to reverse the 2020 election results. The indictment alleges Trump and a co-conspirator "attempted to exploit the violence and chaos at the Capitol by calling lawmakers to convince them ... to delay the certification" of the election. That case is currently on hold  as the Supreme Court  weighs Trump’s claims of presidential immunity in the matter. The court held a hearing on the issue of immunity in late April. Every day the court doesn’t issue a decision will play into Trump’s strategy of delay, jeopardizing the likelihood that Smith can bring his case to trial before the November election. 
• Fulton County:  State prosecutors in Georgia brought a similar election subversion case against Trump and others. An Atlanta-based grand jury on August 14, 2023, indicted Trump and 18 others on state charges stemming from their alleged efforts to overturn the former president’s 2020 electoral defeat. A trial date has not yet been set in that case, and the Georgia Court of Appeals will consider an effort by Trump and his co-defendants to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis from the case.

Read more about  the four criminal cases  Trump faces.  

Michael Cohen finishes testimony and defense calls first witnesses. Catch up on a dramatic day in court

From CNN's Elise Hammond

The prosecution rested its case in the hush money trial against Donald Trump on Monday.

The day started with Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, back on the stand as the defense finished its cross-examination and the prosecution worked to patch up doubts on redirect. Cohen  admitted to stealing  from the Trump Organization and was grilled about his financial interest in the trial.

The defense then called its first witness, Daniel Sitko, a paralegal for defense attorney Todd Blanche, to submit a phone chart into evidence. The calls in the chart were between Cohen and his former legal adviser, Bob Costello.

Costello was then called to the stand as the defense’s second witness.

Here’s a recap of what happened in court today:

Michael Cohen:

• October call: Cohen maintained that he only spoke to Trump on the phone on an October 26 call about the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels . Cohen said he remembers it “because it was important to me.” Last week, Trump Attorney Todd Blanche confronted Cohen with text messages he sent to Keith Schiller two days before on October 24 – whom Cohen had said put Trump on the phone – which were unrelated to the Daniels payment.
• On re-direct: Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen if it was possible that he spoke to Trump about the Daniels payment and brought up other topics in October 2016. Cohen confirmed it was possible.
• Stealing from the Trump Organization: The payments at the center of the case concern the $420,000 Trump paid Cohen throughout 2017. Documents show some of that money was to reimburse Cohen for unrelated tech services to a company called Red Finch. Cohen testified Monday he only paid back Red Finch $20,000 and kept the rest for himself. “So, you stole from the Trump Organization,” Blanche said. Cohen answered, “Yes sir.”
• On re-direct: He said he took part of the money intended for Red Finch because " it was almost like self-help ." Cohen confirmed that he did not have a retainer agreement and the $420,000 did not have anything to do with any legal work .
• Other money-making opportunities: Cohen said he made $4 million in 2017 from six other consulting clients that he did “not specifically tell” Trump about. He said he was Trump’s personal attorney at that time. Cohen also said he made about $4.4 million from podcasts and books since 2020. He also testified that he has a “financial interest” in the outcome of the case but that he will talk about whether Trump is convicted or not.
• After the Daniels payment: When the payment to Daniels became public, Cohen testified that he told multiple people and reporters that Trump knew nothing about it. Cohen has been testifying that Trump knew about the payment and that he kept his boss updated.
• On re-direct: Cohen testified that a 2018 letter to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and a 2018 public statement were misleading because they left out Trump personally. Cohen said Trump approved the substance of the false statements. He also told prosecutors that he would not have paid Daniels if Trump had not signed off.
• Cohen and Costello: Blanche pressed Cohen on his relationship with Bob Costello, trying to argue that Cohen was working with him more than he was letting on. After Cohen was raided by the FBI , he testified Costello wanted him to speak to Rudy Giuliani. He had testified during the prosecution’s direct questioning that Costello offered him back-channel communication to Trump through Giuliani. On cross-examination, Blanche pointed out that it was Cohen who was asking Costello to go to Giuliani for information.

Bob Costello called for the defense:

• Costello testified that Cohen told him “numerous times” that Trump did not know anything about the payment to Daniels. When Costello told Cohen that his legal issues would be resolved if he gave “truthful information” to prosecutors, Cohen told Costello that he didn’t “have anything on Donald Trump.”
• About 14 minutes into defense attorney Emil Bove’s questioning of Costello, Judge Juan Merchan cleared the courtroom over “proper decorum.” Costello could be overheard making comments while attorneys were at a sidebar and over objections and glaring and rolling his eyes at the judge.
• When questioning resumed, Costello said he gave Cohen legal advice during a 96-minute phone call after the raid. He denied putting pressure on Cohen to “do anything” and said he considered Cohen is client .
• During the prosecution’s cross-examination, Costello pushed back on the notion that Costello was excited about potentially representing Cohen . Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Costello if he thought Cohen was being a “drama queen” during their meeting. Costello testified that Cohen was “putting on quite a show.”

What happens next: The prosecution will continue its cross-examination of Costello on Tuesday. Hoffinger said she has up to 45 minutes left of questioning and then the defense will have the opportunity to conduct re-direct. Bove said the defense doesn’t expect to call any more witnesses , which suggests at this point Trump will not testify in his own defense. Merchan said he expects closing arguments will be next Tuesday.

Trump praises witness Bob Costello in remarks outside court room

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

Former President Donald Trump praised Bob Costello in his remarks after court wrapped for the day.

"You saw what happened to a highly respected lawyer today, Bob Costello. Wow. I've never seen anything like that," he said.

This raises the possibility of Trump running afoul of the gag order he is under by talking about a witness.

What happened: Bob Costello, the defense's witness, is a lawyer who advised Michael Cohen. During his testimony, Costello could be overheard making comments while attorneys were at a sidebar, and over objections, and glaring and rolling his eyes at Judge Juan Merchan. The judge cleared the courtroom mid-testimony to address “proper decorum”

Trump says judge can get "respect" back if he dismisses the case

Former President Donald Trump called the hush money criminal trial a "witch hunt" on Monday after court wrapped.

He also said he hoped that Judge Juan Merchan grants the motion to dismiss the trial. "This case should be dropped by the judge," he added, saying if Merchan did that, he could "gain the respect back."

Trump also highlighted commentary from some conservatives that questions and dismisses the merits of the case.

Trump is still writing as his lawyers pack up

Trump is still writing as his lawyers are packing up. He's got a note he'd folded earlier, too.

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