title of play in essay

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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 388,433 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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• 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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AP Style Composition Titles

Home » AP Style » AP Style Composition Titles

The following guidelines are rules set out in the AP Stylebook for AP style book titles, computer game titles, AP Style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, AP Style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art.

In AP Style, magazines names and titles are governed by their own rules. See AP Style Magazine Names .

How to Capitalize Composition Titles

Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.

Capitalize an article (a, an, the) or words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in the title.

Put quotation marks around the names of all of the aforementioned types of works except the Bible and books that are primarily catalogs or reference materials. Items of reference include almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks, and other such similar publications. You should not include quotations around such software titles such as Adobe Photoshop or Windows.

You should translate a foreign title into an English one unless the specific word is commonly known by its foreign name. There is one exception to this and that is for reviews of musical performances. In such instances, you should generally refer to the work in the language that it was sung in, so as to differentiate it for your reader. However, musical compositions in Slavic languages are always referred to in their English translations.

For other classical music titles, use quotation marks around the composition’s nicknames but not compositions that are identified by their sequence. For example,

• Beethoven’s “New World Symphony,” but Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Below are a number of examples for composition titles in AP Style,

AP Style Book Titles

• “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• “The Magician’s Nephew”
• “Of Mice and Men”

AP Style Movie Titles

• “Saving Private Ryan”
• “Trouble With the Curve”
• “The Dark Knight Rises”

AP Style Song Titles

• “Stairway to Heaven”
• “Good Vibrations

AP Style Videogame Titles

• “Call of Duty”
• “God of War”
• “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell”

AP Style Opera Titles

• “A Night in the Chinese Opera”
• “Nixon in China”
• “The Lighthouse”

AP Style Play Titles

• “The Sound of Music”
• “The Book of Mormon”
• “Fiddler on the Roof”

AP Style Poem Titles

• “The Road Not Taken”
• “A Pretty a Day”
• “Seeker of Truth”

AP Style Album Titles

• “Appetite for Destruction”
• “And Justice for All”
• “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

AP Style Television Titles

• “How I Met Your Mother”
• “The Tonight Show”
• “Good Morning America”

AP Style Website Titles

Most websites and apps are capitalized without quotations. For example,

“Farmville” and similar computer games apps are an exception and should be in quotes.

For classical compositions, use quotation marks around the composition’s nicknames but not compositions identified by its sequence. For example,

• Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.”
• Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9.

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• Cite: Why? When?
• Book or E-book
• Article or Class Handout
• Web Sources
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
• In-Text Citation
• Format Your Paper

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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Theater Arts Resources: Citing

• Theater@Duquesne

http://Image: Indoor Panorama from Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London, 2001

Citing Dramatic Works in MLA Format, 8th Edition

In-text citations.

Citing in-text from a play (short quotation)

If the quote is only one line place quotation marks around the quote then in paraphrases include the author's last name, act.scene.line. If the play is not divided into acts, scenes and lines then cite the page number in the paraphrases.

         Example: "This is a sorry sight" (Shakespeare 2.2.26).

If the quote is two or three lines then place a forward slash between each line.

        Example: "Come, you spirits / That tend on my mortal thoughts, unsex me here" (Shakespeare 1.5.46).

Citing in-text from a play (long quotation)

When quoting a conversation between two or more characters in a play, indent 1/2 an inch from the left margin then begin with the character's name in all capital letters and follow the name with a period. Do the same for each character.

Example: HE. You saw nothing in Hiroshima. Nothing.....

SHE. I saw everything. Everything.. The hospital, for

      instance, I saw it. I'm sure I did. There is a hospital

      in Hiroshima. How could I help seeing it?....

HE: You did not see the hospital in Hiroshima. You saw

              nothing in Hiroshima. (Dura 15-17)

Citing Prose Plays vs Verse Plays

When citing prose plays, use the page number first, followed by a semicolon and then other identifying information (e.g. Miller 9; Act 1). When citing verse plays with line numbers provided, use those instead of page numbers, separating division numbers with a period. 

On a Works Cited Page

Citing a play published as a book

When citing a play in a bibliography first place the playwrights last name then first, the title of the play should be italics, then add the publisher and publication year.

             Example: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth , Bedford/St. Martins, 1999.

Citing a play in an anthology

When citing a play from an anthology first cite the playwright, name of the play in italics, the name of the anthology also in italics , who the anthology was edited by then the publisher, publication year and page numbers.

      Example:

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works , edited by            _____ Stanley Well et al., Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 2501-2565.

The et al. is included when three or more contributors perform the same function.  

Citing a play from a database

When citing from a database use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, the name of the publisher, the publication year, the name of the database in italics and then the link to the database.

     Example:

Shakespeare, William, et al. Macbeth . Yale University Press, 2005. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1nq91p.

Citing a play published as an eBook

When citing as an eBook use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, then put the word "e-book" or if you have used a specific device then replace "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed.". Then use with the name of the publisher, the publication year.

    Example: Shakespeare, William. The Winter's Tale , Kindle ed., Simon & Schuster, 2016.

Citing a play from web site

When citing as a play use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, the name of the website in italics and web site link.

    Example: Shakespeare, William. As You Like It , The Complete Works of William Shakespeare,     ______________ http://shakespeare.mit.edu/asyoulikeit/index.html

Our Sources:

Modern Language Association of America.  MLA Handbook.   Eighth ed. 2016. Print.

" MLA Works Cited : Electronic Sources (Web Publications)." Purdue Writing Lab, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html

Citing prose vs verse plays is from this library guide: https://rdc.libguides.com/c.php?g=529924&p=3624428

Citation Helps

Research guides.

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What about MLA format?

All research papers on literature use MLA format, as it is the universal citation method for the field of literary studies. Whenever you use a primary or secondary source, whether you are quoting or paraphrasing, you will make parenthetical citations in the MLA format [Ex. (Smith 67).] Your Works Cited list will be the last page of your essay. Consult the OWL handout on MLA for further instructions.

Note, however, the following minor things about MLA format:

• Titles of books, plays, or works published singularly (not anthologized) should be italicised unless it is a handwritten document, in which case underlining is acceptable. (Ex. Hamlet , Great Expectations )
• Titles of poems, short stories, or works published in an anthology will have quotation marks around them. (Ex. "Ode to a Nightingale," "The Cask of Amontillado")

Tip If you're using Microsoft Word, you can easily include your name and page number on each page by following the these steps:

• Open "View" (on the top menu).
• Open "Header and Footer." (A box will appear at the top of the page you're on. And a "Header and Footer" menu box will also appear).
• Click on the "align right" button at the top of the screen. (If you're not sure which button it is, hold the mouse over the buttons and a small window should pop up telling you which button you're on.)
• Type in your last name and a space.
• Click on the "#" button which is located on the "Header and Footer" menu box. It will insert the appropriate page number.
• Click "Close" on the "Header and Footer" window.

That's all you need to do. Word will automatically insert your name and the page number on every page of your document.

What else should I remember?

• Don't leave a quote or paraphrase by itself-you must introduce it, explain it, and show how it relates to your thesis.
• Block format all quotations of more than four lines.
• When you quote brief passages of poetry, line and stanza divisions are shown as a slash (Ex. "Roses are red, / Violets are blue / You love me / And I like you").
• For more help, see the OWL handout on using quotes .

Writing A Book Title In Your Essay – The Right Way

Table of contents

• 1 APA Style: How to Write Book Titles in Essays
• 2 APA Style Essay: Writing The Name of The Author
• 3 MLA Style Essay: Citing a Book Title
• 4 Chicago Style Essay: Writing the Book Title
• 5 Writing Various Types of Titles
• 6 Should We Underline or Italicize Book Titles?

When you are writing an academic essay , the book title and author’s name should be written in italics. However, if the book title is part of a larger work (such as a journal article), it should be underlined instead. So, you’re wondering how to write a book title in an essay?

Writing an essay with a book title can be tricky, particularly because each style guide has its own formatting rules for including titles in the main text. Whether you are using MLA, APA, Chicago, or Harvard referencing styles, you will need to consider how to properly format the book title. For more complicated literature-based assignments, seeking assistance from an admission essay writing service may be wise, as they specialize in writing essays that incorporate academic sources.

In this article, we will explore how to write both titles in an essay properly so that you avoid any mistakes!

APA Style: How to Write Book Titles in Essays

When writing an essay, you must follow the style guide provided by your professor. Some teachers may require you to use APA style and others MLA style. There are some rules on how to quote a book title in an essay. You should use italics and quotation marks when writing book titles in essays. For example: “ The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II. “

When writing a book title in APA Style , you should be aware of these rules:

Write the book title in italics and place it after the author’s name, which is presented in reverse order (last name first).

Use quotation marks around the headline of a chapter or article.

Capitalize proper names that are not common nouns (names of people, places, organizations), but do not capitalize words such as “and,” “or,” “to,” or “and/or.”

Do not capitalize prepositions that appear at the beginning of titles if they are followed by an article (e.g., “A,” “An”), but do capitalize prepositions at the beginning of titles if they are not followed by articles (“Of”).

The first word of the headline should be capitalized, as well as any other words after a colon or hyphen. For example, “The Elements of Style: Grammar for Everyone”  or “Theories of Personality: Critical Perspectives.”

Capitalize proper names and words derived from them (e.g., the names of people, places, organizations), except proper nouns used generically (e.g., ‘a bed’).

APA Style Essay: Writing The Name of The Author

You should always use the full name and surname of the author in your APA essay because this will give proper credit to the writer. If you do not mention the author’s full name, people may not know who wrote what and will think you copied it from somewhere else. This will cause lots of problems for you and your reputation as well.

Make sure that all authors’ names appear in the same format in each entry. For example, if one person’s surname is Smith and another’s is Jones, both have first names starting with “J.” It may seem like they are being cited as different people when they’re actually written differently from each other on separate pages in your paper.

To write an APA essay without any issues, there are certain rules that you need to follow while writing an author’s name in APA essay:

• Use only one author’s name in your paper unless there are multiple authors
• If there are multiple authors, then use both their last names followed by the initials of their first names
• Only use initials of first names when there are three or more authors; otherwise, use full names with their last names

Example: Johnson, M.C., Carlson, M., Smith, J. N., & Hanover, L. E.

MLA Style Essay: Citing a Book Title

Now let’s discuss how to mention a book in an essay. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition, published by the Modern Language Association (2014), contains detailed rules about how to cite a book title in an essay.

The following guidelines will instruct you on how to refer to a book in an essay in MLA style :

• List your sources at the end of your paper, before the works cited page or bibliography.
• Use italics for titles of books, magazines, and newspapers, but not for articles within those publications, which should be placed in quotation marks.
• Include all relevant book information under two categories: “title” and “author.” In the former category, include the work’s title and its subtitle if there is one; do this even if neither appears on your title page (see below). In the latter category, include only primary authors who have written or edited an entire book; if there are multiple contributors, you should cite them separately under each.

The general format for citing the title of the book in an essay is as follows:

Author’s last name, first initial (Date). Title of Book with Subtitle if there is one. Publisher Name/Location of Publisher; Year Published

Chicago Style Essay: Writing the Book Title

One of the most important things to remember when writing in Chicago style is how to write the title of a book in an essay. To write a good book title in an essay, you should follow these steps:

• Write it at the beginning of your sentence.
• Capitalize it just like any other noun or proper noun.
• Put a comma after the title unless it’s an introductory clause or phrase. For example: “The Firm,” by John Grisham (not “by”) and “The Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D Salinger (not “and”).
• In addition to the book’s name, punctuation marks should also be italicized.

For example: Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince: Children’s Edition

Writing Various Types of Titles

Now that we covered how to write a book title and author in an essay, it’s time to look at some different types of titles. When you write a book title in an essay, several things must be considered. Whether it’s a book, series, chapter title, editor’s name, or author’s name, how you write it depends on where it appears in your paper.

Here are some key rules for writing headings for novels:

•  Use capital letters to write the title of the novel. For example,  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett .
• Use italics and capital letters to write the name of the author and his/her other works mentioned in a book title—for example,  Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813) .

You should use quotation marks when writing headings of short title poems, articles, and stories.

However, before deciding which format to use, it is important to understand the main idea you want to express in your essay. Additionally, you could use essay papers for sale to help you accomplish your goal of writing an essay effectively.

Should We Underline or Italicize Book Titles?

It depends on which style guide you use. The Modern Language Association and Chicago Manual of Style both suggest using italics, while the American Psychological Association suggests using quotation marks with a few exceptions.

The way you write the title of a book in an essay is different depending on the instructions you were given. For example, if you’re writing an essay in APA style, use quotation marks around the book’s name. If you’re writing for MLA or Chicago style , however, italicize the book’s name instead. If you’re writing a handwritten essay instead of using a computer, capitalize and underline the book’s name.

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How to Review a Play

Preparing to write a play review.

Below are some tips to help you prepare to write a play review:

The Nature of the Assignment

Because the performance of any play is such an ephemeral experience, writing a play review can be an exciting, though difficult, task. You have to be both spectator taking in and enjoying the performance and critical analyst of the production itself. You have to be able to provide a very brief summary of the play, a close objective analysis of the performance you attend, and an interpretation and evaluation of the entire ensemble of staging, acting, directing, and so on.

The review assignment asks you to analyze in an objective manner the relative success or failure of a given production. Note that you are not asked simply to summarize the plot or give an opinion regarding the text of the play being mounted; your review must be grounded in the production itself. Your job is to describe the production accurately, and then to render a value judgment of it based upon what you have seen and what you expected. The assignment will test your skill as a reader of the play and as an observer and critic of the production.

In addition to grounding your review on the production you witness, you must be careful to limit your review to a few essential observations in support of your thesis (which will be discussed below). You must concentrate on a few important ideas and aspects of the production and focus your attention on only what you consider the most significant parts of the production itself. Unlike a newspaper review, which can be loosely structured and superficial, your assignment is quite definite. You are not asked to cover a wide variety of production elements (i.e. performance of every actor, every costume change, every set change, every directorial decision, and so on); instead, the assignment demands that you develop a few key ideas in thoughtful detail.

Remember, too, that your stance is to be objective and critical, not impressionistic and merely nasty. A critic is not someone who simply “criticizes,” but a person who studies, analyzes, and then renders a rational judgment of what he/she has seen. Your tone will be very important in making your review reliable and intelligent.

Before You Attend the Production

Read the play before going to the production. (It is important to be prepared for the production you plan to attend; otherwise, you run the risk of having to see it several times.)

• In your mind, have a good sense of how a “standard” production might look, complete with a sense of what the characters might look like, the type of costuming that might be used, a suitable set design, and an appropriate rendering of the theme and tone of the work.
• Pick out, as you read, several critical or problematic points within the play that may be of particular interest to watch for in the production you are about to attend. If your instructor has asked you to pay particular attention to certain elements, make sure that you are prepared to recognize them in performance.

Attending the Production

Attend the play with an open mind, a willingness to accept the play as the director has presented it in production.

• Note any deviations from your concept of a “standard” production and try to find a good explanation for that deviation. (Is the director trying to “say” something new or different? Was your sense of the play somehow inaccurate, or were you shown new insights by the director’s production?)
• Why the choice of costumes, and why the set design?
• How did the actors deliver their lines (seriously, comically, realistically, formally)? Were there any significant actions or gestures that contributed to the play’s meaning?
• Were any “special effects” utilized (consider lighting, sound, audience participation, machinery)?
• Were any significant cuts made in the script?

After the performance, jot down the details you recall and talk about the performance with friends. You’ll need these details for your paper in order to substantiate your argument.

Evaluate the performance.

• Did the director miss any important opportunities to convey something you were able to see in your reading of the play?
• Would you have liked to have seen more attention paid to what you perceived as critical passages, passages the director seemed less interested in?
• Why would you have preferred this attention, and why do you think the director avoided giving the passage such attention?

Consider the following practical aspects:

• What kind of stage does the director have at his disposal? What kinds of restrictions does the stage impose on the director concerning movement and set design?
• Are the actors professionals, amateurs, or students? What restrictions does this impose on the director? Are the actors capable of dealing with the script’s requirements? (Be fair to the actors in your assessment of their talents and the level of their “craftsmanship.”)

Writing the Review

Below are some tips for writing play reviews:

Writing the Introduction

The introduction should include the following:

• The title of the play, the name of the playwright, and any pertinent historical information regarding them (other similar works from this period? by this writer?).
• The name of the director, the place and date of the production you attended, and the name of the production company (again, do you know of any previous work by this company? this director?).
• (Note that even if the production did not exactly coincide with your own conception of the play, you should not feel obliged to condemn the performance outright. Be open-minded and willing to weigh pros and cons.)
• (Note that this thesis asserts that Papp captured the essence of what is in the text itself — the expectations set up by the thesis are that the reviewer will then analyze the methods by which the director achieved this effect.)
• (This thesis suggests that “sympathy” was the director’s intention. Note also that the reviewer gives a strong indication of what he/she expected to find in the production.)
• Example: In You Can’t Take It With You, the acting by the family members on the open, exposed stage displayed an innocent and vigorous freedom, as well as a proud independence in their confrontation with accepted norms of behavior.

Writing the Statement and Summary

Include a brief thematic summary (but not a plot summary) of the play, and support that summary with concrete evidence from the text.

You can include this summary in the introduction; or, if you wish to expand the summary, include it in a separate paragraph following the introduction.

Writing the Body of the Paper: The Review

Remember that in the body of the paper you are obliged to deal specifically with each element of the production that you mentioned in the introduction and thesis.

In order to give your review a tight internal logic and cohesiveness, you should also discuss these elements in the order that you outlined in the introduction. Such points of discussion might include the non-technical (acting, directing) and/or the technical (lighting, scenery, costumes) aspects of the production.

For each element that you discuss:

• (Note the vivid description of what was seen, and the use of detail to convey that vividness. The passage will work nicely as evidence for an overall, positive evaluation of the production.)
• Interpret, Analyze, Evaluate : This part of the paper requires the most thought and organization and consequently receives the most attention from your reader. After you have finished describing important elements of the production, proceed to evaluate them.

For example, you would need to answer the following questions regarding the last description of Lear :

• Why were the lights dimmed at the beginning of the scene? (shock effect? slow unfolding of horror?)
• Why was the backdrop painted black? (contrast? mood?)
• Why was there no order to the skulls? Why seven? (emblem of disorder or chaos? significance in number?)

In other words, assume that everything used in production has significance, but don’t panic if you cannot find “answers” for all the questions raised by what you see in the production.

In the evaluation, you are given the opportunity to attack as well as commend the performance; if the production fails to answer questions that you feel need answers, then say so. If the question or problems are relatively minor, ignore them. Don’t quibble at the expense of missing the more important concerns.

Writing the Summary and Conclusion

Your conclusion should not merely recapitulate your thesis in a mechanical way.

Rather, you should try to show why your response to the play is valid and significant, based on what you have described in the body of the paper.

Do not add any significant new material, but don’t be afraid to leave your reader with something to think about.

Academic and Professional Writing

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Analysis Papers

Reading Poetry

A Short Guide to Close Reading for Literary Analysis

Using Literary Quotations

Play Reviews

Writing a Rhetorical Précis to Analyze Nonfiction Texts

Incorporating Interview Data

Grant Proposals

Planning and Writing a Grant Proposal: The Basics

Additional Resources for Grants and Proposal Writing

Job Materials and Application Essays

Writing Personal Statements for Ph.D. Programs

• Before you begin: useful tips for writing your essay
• Guided brainstorming exercises
• Get more help with your essay
• Frequently Asked Questions

Resume Writing Tips

CV Writing Tips

Cover Letters

Business Letters

Proposals and Dissertations

Resources for Proposal Writers

Resources for Dissertators

Research Papers

Planning and Writing Research Papers

Quoting and Paraphrasing

Writing Annotated Bibliographies

Creating Poster Presentations

Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper

Thank-You Notes

Advice for Students Writing Thank-You Notes to Donors

Reading for a Review

Critical Reviews

Writing a Review of Literature

Scientific Reports

Scientific Report Format

Sample Lab Assignment

Writing for the Web

Writing an Effective Blog Post

Writing for Social Media: A Guide for Academics

Best Tips on How to Title an Essay

How to Make a Good Title for an Essay

The success of an essay heavily depends on its title. This may not come as a surprise given that the essay title is the first aspect to provide the reader with a sneak peek into the text. It piques our interest to read the paper in the first place and gives us a preview of what to expect from the author.

Our research paper writing help prepared a thorough guide on how to title an essay. Here you may find tips and tricks for developing an effective APA or MLA essay title. So, let's dive straight into the article for more exciting details!

Essay Title Format

During your essay writing process, ensure you know the stylistic requirements before beginning an essay. Knowing the format you need to employ is crucial because different style manuals may have varying requirements. Mostly, you could have used an APA or MLA essay title format. Our service, where you can buy essay online , explains these two in more detail below.

Essay Title MLA

If you're required to create an essay title MLA format, check whether your instructor wants you to make a separate cover page. If not, put a heading at the beginning of your work that includes your name, the name of your professor, the course ID, and, lastly, the date.

On the other hand, if you must present a cover page for your essay title MLA, then you need to include the following:

• The name of the college
• The title of your paper
• The subtitle of your paper, if applicable
• Your first and last name
• Your teacher or professor's name
• The class name or course number
• The date the paper is due

The formatting instructions are as follows:

• Double-spaced
• Times New Roman font
• Size 12 font
• Apart from very short terms, each word's initial letter should be capitalized. The initial word, however, must always be uppercase.
• The title page shouldn't include a header with the page numbers.

Essay Title APA

Having discussed the MLA format essay title, let's explore what the APA student title page includes:

• The paper title
• Author names
• Institutional affiliation where the author carried out the study
• Name and number of the course
• Professor name
• Page number

The title of an essay format instructions:

• double-spaced
• 1" margins
• 12-point Times New Roman
• According to APA, your title should be targeted and brief, without unnecessary words or abbreviations

How to Choose a Good Title for an Essay: Important Qualities

Nobody will read a dull headline. Your title should grab your audience's attention and encourage them to read the rest of the work. As it is one of the initial things readers see, having a strong attention grabber is essential when writing an essay from scratch. To fully understand how to come up with a title for essay that is strong and exciting, let's consider a few following factors:

Employ a Catchy Hook - Usually, the title of essay format follows a similar basic structure, especially if they are used for an academic article. The hook serves as a unique component that attracts the reader. It's a captivating statement informing others about the topic of the essay. You can also explore several types of sentences with examples that can help you develop the ideal hook structure.

Consider Topic Keywords - These are essential terms or expressions pertinent to your subject and help your reader understand the focus and body of your article. These focus keywords should serve as a brief, one- to two-word article summary. You can choose some terms from the research topic your instructor gave you, but after your thesis statement is formed, this is where you should hunt for ideas.

Use a Colon - A colon is frequently used in academic titles to separate concepts and sentences. The standard procedure is to place a clever remark or brief quotation before the colon. Although these beginning words offer flavor, they can be overdone. Because of this, some individuals find using the colon to be repugnant. Therefore be careful not to misuse this method.

Ask a Question - To write essay title that is strong, consider asking a question. But, use it with caution because posing a question will make your tone less formal. As long as the question is suitably phrased to meet the subject of your essay, feel free to employ it. Always check to see if the title question still applies to your points in the essay's body. The thesis statement should be appropriately reflected as well.

Find Inspirational Quotes - There is no formula for selecting essay titles from the textual content. You may get playful and choose any quotation, proverb, or catchphrase that applies to your particular publication and works as a title. You may also create a great essay title using well-known expressions or idioms. Doing so will help your readers relate to and feel more comfortable discussing your subject.

Here are other rules for how to create a good title:

• Title every section of writing: In the process of writing, create interesting subheadings to give your paragraphs an identity. Also, they make your text look ordered and clear. 
• The title must bear the theme of the text: choose a title that summarizes the essay. 
• Capitalize all words with certain exceptions: Capitalize the first letter of every word in the title, but do not capitalize pronouns, articles, prepositions, and conjunctions.
• Avoid underlining the title: Since topics come in boldface, underlining it will amount to overemphasis. Some authorities say that if you must underline it, do not bolden it.
• Review the final version of the title: Do not forget to do a quick review of the final version of the title—check for grammar, structure, spelling and so on. Re-read it to determine if the title has given justice to the essay. Confirm if the topic is catchy enough to attract your reader’s attention. 
• When using a colon in your title, follow the rules: Since we are dealing with punctuation rules here, let us talk about the colon – when you have two eye-catching topics, separate them with a colon.

Student’s Guide on How to Come Up with a Title for an Essay

Titling an essay can be easy, but there are a few core principles to be taken into account. The following tips will help you stay on track and avoid any common pitfalls.

Essay Goes First

Never start with a title! If you write it before the rest of the text, it will be based on it, and it should be vice versa. Writing an essay before choosing a heading will give you a clear understanding of what should make sense to the reader. Re-read the finished paper several times to decide on the title. The last thing to create is a title - such strategy will give more time to spend on crafting an essay outline, conducting research, or writing the paper itself.

What are you writing about? What is the style of your paper, and is it an academic essay or a free-form essay like a narrative essay? If the topic of your essay is “Do people who commit heinous crimes deserve the death penalty?” your title should not be humorous; it should be strict and to the point.

If your topic is “Why do people like watching funny cat videos?”, feel free to craft a funny title. Determine the tone of your essay and base your title on it—in consideration with the essay’s topic.

The tone can be:

• Serious - “The implications of global warming”
• Funny - “How cats and dogs love their masters”
• Amiable - “Ways to fight depression”
• Persuasive - “Why positive thinking is a must have skill for every person”
• Informative - “Ten rules for creating a chemical at home”

The main goal of a title is to name its paper. There is no need to tell an entire story in the title, or provide any useless details. Sum up your paper in a few words! Another way to do this is to sum up your thesis statement, as it represents the main idea of your essay. Take your thesis and squeeze it into 3-4 words. Imagine that you are creating a title for your favourite newspaper or a slogan for Coca-Cola.

Don’t use fancy words! Take 2-3 main words (keywords), put them together, and stop wasting your time. Avoid jargon and abbreviations.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is something that can help any student and young writer reap benefits. While working on a title, detect the words related to the central idea of the paper. Type the words into the search field of Google and add the word “quote.” A search engine will show numerous web pages with in-text quotations that could be useful. Select the fragment you like. It is possible to learn how to make a creative title for an essay in this way.

Discover several more tips from experts:

• Never forget the “What,” “Who,” “When,” “How,” “Why,” and “Where” questions (if you start with one of these questions, your title has a chance of getting noticed);
• Come up with an unexpected image not related to the selected topic;
• Sometimes, starting with a lie increases the chances of a title being able to catch an eye;
• Review our catchy essay title examples.

Need Some Help With Your Essay's Title?

Feel free to contact EssayPro and we will provide you with a writing help at a moment’s notice. With the years of essay writing experience, titling becomes second nature, so you no longer need to worry about having a catchy headline on your paper.

Essay Title Examples: Bad vs Good

The strongest essay titles condense lengthy essays into concise statements. When wondering how to make an essay title, think carefully about your stylistic choices and essay format to produce an excellent one. Our dissertation help has provided essay title examples to let you understand the difference between good and bad ones more vividly.

Bad Essay Title Examples

As we discussed how to create an essay title and the specific elements that go into it, you should have a clear idea of how important it is to craft a strong title. In contrast, first, look at weak essay title ideas that can break your paper. This should serve as an example of why your heading should not be like this:

Ex 1: ' How Television Has Changed Our World ' - too vast and not informative

Ex 2: 'The Ara Pacis Augustae' - unclear for those who don't know Latin

Ex 3: 'The Most Poisonous Frog' - does not provide any insight

Ex 4: 'A Brief History of Subcultures and How They Manifest Themselves in a Constantly Changing Socio-Economic Environment' - too long and complicated

Ex 5: 'The Little Mermaid 29 Years Later: Selling a Harmful Sexist Message Through a Naughty Image' - inappropriate language

Good Essay Title Examples

Now that you know what a bad essay title looks like, let's explore good essay title examples as their substitutes. Examine the following essay title format styles that will give you a clear understanding.

Ex 1: ' The Electronic Babysitter: A Social History of Uses of the Television' - gives an exact description of what the essay will be about

Ex 2: ' The Modern Historical Significance of the Ara Pacis Augustae to the City of Rome' - here, the reader can understand what they will be reading about

Ex 3: ' A Deadly Beauty: The Evolution of Skin Coloration and Toxicity of the Poisonous Dart Frog' - clear, informative, and on-point.

Ex 4: 'Reconsidering Counterculture in Contemporary Society' - informative enough and brief

Ex 5: 'The Projection of Gender Stereotypes in The Little Mermaid' - employs appropriate language

Catchy Essay Title Ideas

You now understand that long, complicated headlines do not accurately convey the paper's main idea. Take ample time to consider the word choice before tilting your work. How do you create good essay titles? Think creatively and with common sense. But meanwhile, for your convenience, we compiled title ideas for essays you may use as inspiration.

Persuasive Essay Titles

• Why Receiving College Education is Important: Examining Long-term Benefits
• Face-to-Face Courses Cannot Be Replaced by Online Learning
• An MBA Does Not Ensure Corporate Success.
• Every Company Should Adopt a Green Strategy.
• Energy Drinks Represent a Lucrative Market Segment.
• Aircraft, Excess Weight Charges, Need to be Prohibited.
• Patients' Life Shouldn't be Put to Death by Nurses.
• Google Glasses May Increase the Number of Auto Accidents.
• All of the Conventional Malls Will Soon be Replaced By Online Shopping
• How Do Team-building Exercises Contribute to the Development of Inventions?
• Illegal immigrants are entitled to remain in the US.

Academic Essay Titles

• Several English Dialects: The Link Between Various Cultures
• Instagram: A social media innovation
• Is it possible to reverse drug-induced brain damage, and if so, how?
• What the Future Holds for Humans in the Light of Artificial Intelligence
• The Story of Two Nations after Decades of Conflict: North and South Korea
• Video Games and Their Learning Context in Schools
• Free Wi-Fi: Strategies for Enhancing the City's Economy

Strong Research Paper Titles

• Digital World Cybersecurity
• E-business to Provide New Paths for Booksellers
• Outsourcing for Large Businesses
• Preparing for College Costs for High School Students
• What News Reporters Should Do in the Digital Age and How to Do It: Examples
• The Transformative Power of Music: How Heavy Metal Impacted My Life

Best Essay Titles for College Students

• The Possible Benefits and Risks of Artificial Intelligence for Humans
• The Potential for Time Travel in Virtual Reality
• What Role Has Mathematics Played in Human History?
• How to Succeed in the Real Estate Industry
• E-Commerce: An Empire of Virtual Businesses Worth Millions of Dollars
• How to Achieve Financial Independence in the Digital Age Without Opening a Real Business

More Creative Titles for Essays

• When getting rewarded for their grades, would kids do better left alone?
• How Does Fake News Impact the Mainstream press?
• Homelessness in Contemporary Society: A Dilemma
• What News Reporters' Best Job Is in the Digital Age and How to Uphold It
• Elon Musk: Brilliant Mind or Insane Person?
• Positives and Negatives of Employing a Smoker
• Do We Employ the Appropriate Student Success Metrics?

Professional Academic Help

Now that you know how to make a good title for an essay, you should also understand that you should approach the task as a process. While composing your essay title, you must condense your whole thesis and point of discussion into a single, concise, yet powerful sentence. If you have time before your deadline, give it some thought and don't hurry.

Don't forget that you can always rely on our professional academic assistance, whether you need a reflection paper , ideas for a strong essay title, or any other academic papers. Consider the following words - write my essay for me - magic keywords for delegating your most complex tasks to our skilled writers!

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How To Title An Essay?

How to title an essay in mla format, what are some good titles for an essay.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Related Articles

How to Write the Title of a Play in an Essay

Sponsored fun_master 17 Mar , 2020 0

“Romeo and Juliet”, “Hamlet”, “Betrayal” and “The Cherry Orchard”. Do these titles sound familiar to you? Ever read any of these books? Do you know that there are films and plays about them? These are works of great authors that are still interesting to read to this day. They act as good examples of how you should write a play title. This article will help to give you tips on how you can come up with interesting titles for any play essay you write. Take time and read through to know how to attract and captivate the audience.

Consider addressing a specialist as an alternative to spending hours creating a title and the essay itself. A simple ‘ help me write my essay ‘ request can save you time that you can use to your own benefit!

Focus on keywords

Any good title must include the keywords of an essay. This is because the keywords help to capture the attention of your teacher or the target audience. Including keywords in the essay title is important because they provide more information to the reader about what the play is about. They enable the reader to get to know the ‘Where’ and ‘When’ of what you are writing about. If you combine these keywords well with topic keywords, you will come up with a captivating title. This will ensure that your essay has a professional image.

Focusing on keywords helps in defining the field, subfield, topic and other vital issues that your play covers. This will be beneficial when someone tries to search for your work on the internet. Most databases and search engines like Google and journal websites use keywords to search for your paper. This makes it easy for the reader to find your essay.

Use your Thesis

When reading, the title of the article, book or essay you are reading informs you about what and why you are reading. This means that you will have to write your thesis statement before you come up with the heading or title of your play. By now, you know that a thesis statement is a sentence that you use to state the main idea of an essay. And, it helps you to have control over the main points of your paper.

A thesis is vital when you are coming up with the title of an essay. A good and interesting topic will play a significant role in making the audience have a reason to read your essay. And the ideal place which can motivate and persuade them to read your paper is from the thesis statement. Hence, you need to use your thesis well to develop an impressive topic for your essay.

If you are having problems with coming up with an interesting title for your essay or you cannot write the essay at all, help is a mouse click away. Get on your browser and log on to https://perfectessay.com/write-my-essay-in-1-day . They have professionals who will help you with writing any type of essay you have.

Analyze examples

This is another important tip that should guide you on how to write a good title for your essay. Many students fail to use this tip and end up with poor titles for their writing. Thus, you need to try and come up with examples and analyze them. You can consider this example, ‘A Street Car Named Desire’ which is a play by Tennessee Williams. The title of these book hooks the attention of the reader from the onset. He or she will have the interest to know more about what the play is all about. The title makes the reader have questions as to what the author is writing about in the book.

After reading the novel’s title, the reader is in a state of suspense. This pushes them to figure out what the rest of the story is all about hence forcing them to continue reading. The title of the book also makes it easy for anyone searching for it on the internet or a database to identify it as a play novel by Tennessee Williams. The reader will now that it is a novel that talks about personal losses that have become one of the most successful plays of the 20th century.

Use popular phrases and clichés

Popular phrases and clichés can help you to come up with an interesting title for your play essay. It is one of the easiest ways to write titles for your essays. Catchphrases that apply to the topic of the paper you are writing end up making interesting titles. This happens when the phrase you choose to use is hilarious and creates a captivating pun.

Apart from phrases, you can use clichés to come up with a good title for your essay. You can choose to twist them a little to re-work and customize them to your paper. Clichés are easy to come across. However, you need to be careful not to use any that you come across for the mere fact that it is popular. The phrase you use must be relevant to the topic you are writing about. Choose a cliché and adapt it well to your essay, and you will end up with a good title for your paper.

Practice writing titles

One of the most popular phrases in the world today is practice makes perfect. Teachers, coaches, and parents use this phrase to encourage students and kids to improve in different areas. Athletes take time to practice to become better in their sport. Actors practice their roles and go through their lines over and over again to become better in the roles there are acting in. This is something that you should put into consideration and practice if you want to become good on how to title an essay. The more you do it, the better you become.

After writing your thesis statement, you can pick a title for your essay. Take time and think of ways you can improve it. Write all the improvements you make on paper and you will realize that with each attempt, you are improving. Each new title you come up with will be better than the last one. If you are unable to develop impressive and fascinating titles, you can get help from Essay Zoo . Contact them and let them help you with your essay.

In conclusion, the title of any essay plays an important role. It determines whether a reader will have an interest in reading your writing. Coming up with an interesting title is not easy but if you follow the tips in this article and put them into good use, then you will be on your way to coming up with good titles. Challenge yourself and practice writing titles and you will see yourself improving over time. Author: Christopher Mansfield About the author: Christopher Mansfield is a content writer at PerfectEssay. He creates, edits and manages the production of digital and print content that is consistent with the organization’s brand, style and tone. Christopher works closely with internal marketing team to ensure timely delivery of content via various marketing channels and mediums. He also develops and maintains an editorial calendar. He contributes to the webinar program to further thought leadership campaigns for different market segments.

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More From Forbes

D1 arkéma 2023/24 final: another ol against psg for the title.

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OL and PSG will meet for the 6th time this season. (Photo by Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu via Getty Images)

• This Friday, May 17 at 9 p.m. (Paris time), Olympique Lyonnais (OL) will host Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Groupama Stadium to close this D1 Arkema season.
• A first championship final at home with perhaps a 17th coronation at the end.
• A 17th title for Lyon? Or PSG's second?

For the first time since 2004 and MHSC triumph, the title of France’s D1 Arkéma is not awarded at the end of the regular season, but at the end of a second phase, called “ play-offs ”.

After respectively beating Reims (6-0) and Paris FC (2-2, 5-4 after penalties), OL and PSG meet this Friday at Groupama Stadium for a final, with the winner crowned as the league’s champion.

Announced a year ago, this change of format which sees the first four clubs of the regular season qualify for the playoffs was defended at the time by Jean-Michel Aulas, who is today the president of the new Women's Professional League.

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“We wanted to reform the competition to ensure that the D1 Arkema becomes more attractive.” At the time, 10 of the 12 D1 Arkema teams expressed their enthusiasm for this upheaval.

The 2 refractories? Well, OL and PSG. Tonight’s finalists.

Aulas Criticized By His Former Club

How efficient is Aulas' play-offs idea? (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Lyon has had very little taste of the revolution initiated by its former president and has multiplied the media outings to regret this new format.

“I can perhaps understand that the authorities are upset to see OL win the championship every year. But I do not find it appropriate that the best solution is to establish these play-offs. This is neither cultural nor fair in terms of meritocracy,” lamented Vincent Ponsot, OL Féminin’s CEO at Le Progrès.

Before their semi-final match against Reims, Ponsot highlighted the risks of such formats, saying: “OL is 11 points clear of PSG and 26 points ahead of Reims. We could, not only lose the title but also miss out on a European qualification next season if we lose our two play-off matches. This is a total heresy.

Fortunately for him, by qualifying for the final, his club will be in the Champions League next season (from 2024-2025, the European places will again be for the first three of the regular season).

But PSG is also not particularly delighted with this change.

“We must maintain the league’s known spirit which is the test of endurance”, said Jocelyn Prêcheur, the Parisian coach, in the columns of Le Monde, also judging that the redesign was “too extreme”.

A Familiar Decisive Confrontation

Tabitha Chawinga has been PSG's most important offensive weapon. (Photo by Christian Liewig - ... [+] Corbis/Getty Images)

As has been the case in the last years, the title will depend on the confrontation between OL and PSG.

Beaten only on the last matchday when they had sent their reserves team to Bordeaux (2-1), the Lyonnaises outrageously dominated the championship once again, and logically are taking on the role of favorites for this final.

With their psychological advantage over the Parisiennes, Sonia Bompastor’s squad is hoping to keep the title in Décines. Last month, OL eliminated PSG in the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League (3-2, 1-2).

For this meeting, the French coach, who won the Coach of the Year award, can count on an almost complete group with the return of Ada Hegerberg . The absences concern the regulars: Griedge Mbock, Eugénie Le Somme, and Sara Däbritz.

And tonight, they go head-to-head for the sixth time this season.

“It's a lot”, said Kadidiatou Diani while laughing in the mixed zone.

“We are used to these confrontations. They are amazing to play, PSG are a great team and we as competitors, we like these matches”, continued PSG’s former star.

The Parisians have had a slightly more complicated season, and their star striker, Tabitha Chawinga, named best player of the year by the UNFP , top scorer, and passer in the championship, is uncertain due to pain in the left adductor.

• Host City: Lyon
• Stadium: Groupama Stadium
• Capacity: 59,186
• Expected Spectators: Around 15,000
• Date: Friday, May 17
• Time: 9:00 p.m. (Paris Time)
• Where To Watch?

-France: Canal + Sport 360

-Worldwide: DAZN Website

PSG has not beaten OL since December 2022.

But despite being second throughout the regular season, with an 11-point gap, they can still be crowned France’s champions.

Insane, right?

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• Trivia According to Ilana Glazer, she and costar Michelle Buteau have been friends in real life too "for 20 years." In complementing the pair's natural chemistry that's so apparent in the movie, Jon Stewart noted, "You guys are like the... just dirty dirty Laverne & Shirley."
• Goofs When Eden visits the testing twins to ask for Claude's contact info, one of the twins says they can't give her the information and spells the acronym for the privacy law HIPPA. The name of the law is the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. Someone working in health care would know the correct acronym.

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Premier League title permutations: How Arsenal and Manchester City can be crowned champions

The Premier League ’s title race will go down to the final day of the season.

Manchester City’s 4-0 win against Fulham on Saturday saw them move two points ahead of Arsenal , with Josko Gvardiol (two), Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez the scorers at Craven Cottage in a game that narrowed the north London side’s significant goal-difference advantage.

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But Arsenal returned to the top of the league with a 1-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday — having only won once in their previous 16 visits to that stadium.

With such fine margins set to decide who lifts the Premier League title next Sunday, The Athletic breaks down the state of play.

This article will continue to be updated with each set of results. 

The top of the Premier League

What if the teams are level on points.

If Arsenal and City finish on the same points, the title will be decided by which side has the better goal difference. Failing that, it will come down to the number of goals scored, then the team who won the most points in the head-to-head matches, and then who scored the most away goals in the head-to-head.

Should it come to that, Arsenal have the head-to-head advantage over City. Arsenal beat City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium in October before the teams played out a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium in March.

The Premier League has a depth of English talent not witnessed for decades

Remaining fixtures

Manchester city.

• Tottenham Hotspur (A) — May 14 (8pm BST, 3pm ET, 12pm PT)
• West Ham United (H) — May 19 (4pm BST, 11am ET, 8am PT)
• Everton (H) — May 19 (4pm BST, 11am ET, 8am PT)

How Manchester City can win the title

The task for City is, at face value, relatively simple: win their remaining two games and they will be crowned Premier League champions for the fourth year in a row. No side has ever achieved such a feat in the top flight of English football.

If City lose or draw against Tottenham on Tuesday, though, the door is open for Arsenal ahead of the final round of fixtures after they beat Manchester United on Sunday. City would then go into the final day needing to better Arsenal’s result, due to their inferior goal difference, to have a chance of lifting the Premier League trophy.

In the scenario where City draw against Spurs and both sides are then victorious in their final games, City must win by at least one more goal than Arsenal do to level the goal difference.

If City beat Spurs, they will be two points ahead of Mikel Arteta’s side and know that equalling or bettering their result on the final day will be enough.

Why have Manchester City’s Premier League charges not been dealt with yet?

How Arsenal can win the title

Following City’s victory over Fulham on Saturday, Arsenal knew they realistically had to win both their games to have a chance at securing their first Premier League title since the 2003-04 season.

They did half the job on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Manchester United thanks to Leandro Trossard ’s first-half goal, a result which firmly puts the pressure on City ahead of their game in hand.

If City were to lose against Tottenham, Arsenal would need to equal or better their result on the final day.

If City were to draw against Spurs, they would be level on points with Arsenal but the north London club would be ahead due to their goal difference advantage. Arsenal would again need to equal or better City’s result on the final day but, if both teams win, Arteta’s side would need a victory by a sufficient margin so as to maintain their superior goal difference.

If City beat Spurs, they would go two points ahead of Arsenal. Arsenal would then need to win against Everton and hope City fail to do the same on the final day against West Ham.

Saka, Odegaard and the making of the Premier League's most creative partnership

(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

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Luke Bosher is a deputy news editor for The Athletic, based in London. He joined the company in 2020. Follow Luke on Twitter @ bosherL

‘Dune: Prophecy’ Trailer Reveals Fall Premiere, Epic First Footage of Bene Gesserit Origin Story

By Joe Otterson

Joe Otterson

TV Reporter

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“ Dune: Prophecy ,” the long-gestating prequel series at Max , has released its first teaser trailer.

The six-episode series will debut this fall, but no official premiere date has been set at this time. The series was originally commissioned in 2019 under the title “Dune: The Sisterhood.” It is inspired by the novel “Sisterhood of Dune” written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

Popular on Variety

In the teaser, we see the beginnings of the Bene Gesserit as they start wielding their incredible influence throughout the Imperium

The full video can be seen below.

“Dune: Prophecy” will star: Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Johdi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, and Shalom Brune-Franklin. Variety exclusively reported that both Tabu and Jihae will appear in the series as well. The series has had a long road to the screen, including multiple showrunner changes and a creative reset in 2023 .

Alison Schapker serves as showrunner and executive producer. Diane Ademu-John co-developed the series and serves as executive producer. Anna Foerster executive produced and directed multiple episodes including the first. Jordan Goldberg, Mark Tobey, John Cameron, Matthew King, Scott Z. Burns, and Jon Spaihts executive produce with Brian Herbert, along with Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert as executive producers for the Frank Herbert estate. Anderson serves as co-producer. The series is co-produced by Max and Legendary Television with Legendary also producing the film franchise.

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2024 NFL schedule oddity: 49ers dealt this unfortunate quirk as they look to defend NFC title

The 49ers will face four teams coming off a bye in 2024.

The San Francisco 49ers already have a target on their back being the defending NFC champions. Their path to the Super Bowl just got a lot tougher, thanks to an oddity in the regular season schedule.

San Francisco is playing a league-high four teams coming off their bye week this season, adding even more to an already challenging schedule. The 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks (home), Kansas City Chiefs (home) and Dallas Cowboys (home) in a three-week stretch from Weeks 6 through 8, but how they draw two of these teams is key. 

The Chiefs are coming off a Week 6 bye when the 49ers face them in Week 7 and the Cowboys are coming off a Week 7 bye when the 49ers face them in Week 8. 

That's two consecutive weeks the 49ers will face an opponent coming off a bye. They are not done. 

The Seahawks are coming off a Week 10 bye when the 49ers play them in Week 11. The 49ers will play the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, on the road, at night in December. Oh, and the Bills are coming off their bye. 

This comes after San Francisco plays Green Bay on the road in Week 12. The 49ers will likely come home for Thanksgiving, so they'll be making another cross-country trip. The Buffalo game could be the toughest on the schedule. 

San Francisco doesn't have the toughest schedule in the league, but the 49ers have an unlucky quirk with playing teams coming off a bye week. 

On the opposite end, twelve teams won't play any team coming off a bye in 2024. Those teams are the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles , New England Patriots , Baltimore Ravens , New York Jets , Cincinnati Bengals , Jacksonville Jaguars , Tennessee Titans , Carolina Panthers , Atlanta Falcons , Minnesota Vikings , and Green Bay Packers . 

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