How to Analyze a Literary
Quotation
Quotation
How to Analyze a Literary Quotation
by Medha Patel-Schwarz
Teachers often ask their students to demonstrate their comprehension of a work of literature by analyzing an
important quotation from that text. But what is the teacher looking for? What constitutes a proper response, and
how should it be structured? What information should a full response include, and how should it be presented?
We will examine these questions for both a test situation or a critical essay.
On a Test, Quiz, or Exam
Typically when a literary quotation appears on a test, the teacher is looking for the following information:
1. From what text does this quotation come
This is only relevant if the test covers multiple works.
2. Who is speaking and to whom [it could be the narrator; it could be a monologue or soliloquy]
Be specific and think about all of the characters present at the time.
3. Where in the book/play/poem does the quotation appear
Depending on the text, it may be enough to merely specify the beginning, middle, or end of the work. However,
you might try to use specific terminology such as the five parts of a Shakespearean play: exposition, rising
action, climax, falling action, denouement (resolution). Your teacher may have asked you to know the specific
chapters, acts and scenes, or stanzas.
4. How does this quotation advance the plot, improve our understanding of a character or situation, or deepen a
theme
This is where the heavy lifting takes place. Your teacher chose this quotation because it is important; you must
figure out why! Use complete sentences to explain why the quotation is significant. Hopefully you have been
taking careful notes during class discussions, so you already know what is important. Your teacher will probably
accept multiple correct answers, but you should try to get to the heart of the matter.
5. What events result from this quotation
Often, one of the best ways to show how well you know a quotation is to simply explain what happens next in
the plot. This will show that you know exactly where in the text the quotation is placed and how it affects the
action.
6. How does the author use language
Especially when analyzing poetry, pay attention to the artful use of language in the quotation. Explain
meaningful figures of speech. If rhyme or meter are used by the author to add emphasis or create a play on
words, lay these features out for your reader.
In a Critical Essay
When integrating quotations into an essay, your purpose is to provide evidence that helps prove your thesis. If
your essay is a research assignment, you will also be including facts and quotations from secondary sources, but
all critical essays about literature should include quotations from the text itself.
Do not drown your essay in quotations. Your teacher wants your essay to be composed of your thoughts and
sentences supported by quotations. The essay should not be a laundry list of quotations with some minor
comments from you. A critical essay is not like an annotated bibliography.
Include precisely as much of the quotation as is necessary to make your point. Do not include extra sentences to
pad the length of your essay. This will hurt the strength of your argument, and your teacher will see right
through your transparent attempt to pad the length of your essay with fluff. If you are using a shorter quotation
(one to three sentences), try to integrate the quotation seamlessly by choosing elegant starting and concluding
points. If your quotation is longer than a few sentences, set it apart as its own paragraph with narrower margins.
Students typically make the mistake of including a quotation without setting up the reason why it has been
included or explaining its importance. If you can’t integrate the quotation smoothly and seamlessly with a clear
sense of purpose, ask yourself if you need the quotation at all.
Example of poor integration:
In Act 5, scene 5 of Macbeth, the protagonist has had his faith shaken by the suicide of his wife, Lady Macbeth.
“It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.” Soon afterwards, Macbeth rides to his
death in battle.
Example of adequate integration:
As he is preparing to defend his stronghold, Dunsinane, from the forces led by enemies, Macbeth receives the
tragic news that his wife has committed suicide. In his famous soliloquy, Macbeth expresses his newfound
despair at the meaning of life when he says, “It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying
nothing.” [Macbeth. Act 5, Scene 5, lines 29-31] We are not surprised, then, when Macbeth greets his fate so
grimly in the final scenes.
Example of best integration:
In the denouement of Macbeth, all of the prophecies foretold by the witches come true. Macbeth, whose
proleptic vision and ambition have brought him both the crown and a bloody conscience, is laid low by the
news that his wife has committed suicide. Macbeth’s love for his wife and her aspirations for husband’s career
set him upon the bloody path that led to his meteoric rise, and her suicide is the clearest symbol that his fall is
now inevitable. Expressing the unbearable pain of living in a meaningless world of blood and sorrow, Macbeth
curses life as “a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.” [Macbeth. Act 5, Scene 5,
lines 29-31] Macbeth orders his troops to take to the field in a desperate attempt to defend Dunsinane, but while
he no longer has anything to live for, his army does not share his desire to embrace death.
All rights reserved. Do not reproduce this material without the consent of the author.
by Medha Patel-Schwarz
Teachers often ask their students to demonstrate their comprehension of a work of literature by analyzing an
important quotation from that text. But what is the teacher looking for? What constitutes a proper response, and
how should it be structured? What information should a full response include, and how should it be presented?
We will examine these questions for both a test situation or a critical essay.
On a Test, Quiz, or Exam
Typically when a literary quotation appears on a test, the teacher is looking for the following information:
1. From what text does this quotation come
This is only relevant if the test covers multiple works.
2. Who is speaking and to whom [it could be the narrator; it could be a monologue or soliloquy]
Be specific and think about all of the characters present at the time.
3. Where in the book/play/poem does the quotation appear
Depending on the text, it may be enough to merely specify the beginning, middle, or end of the work. However,
you might try to use specific terminology such as the five parts of a Shakespearean play: exposition, rising
action, climax, falling action, denouement (resolution). Your teacher may have asked you to know the specific
chapters, acts and scenes, or stanzas.
4. How does this quotation advance the plot, improve our understanding of a character or situation, or deepen a
theme
This is where the heavy lifting takes place. Your teacher chose this quotation because it is important; you must
figure out why! Use complete sentences to explain why the quotation is significant. Hopefully you have been
taking careful notes during class discussions, so you already know what is important. Your teacher will probably
accept multiple correct answers, but you should try to get to the heart of the matter.
5. What events result from this quotation
Often, one of the best ways to show how well you know a quotation is to simply explain what happens next in
the plot. This will show that you know exactly where in the text the quotation is placed and how it affects the
action.
6. How does the author use language
Especially when analyzing poetry, pay attention to the artful use of language in the quotation. Explain
meaningful figures of speech. If rhyme or meter are used by the author to add emphasis or create a play on
words, lay these features out for your reader.
In a Critical Essay
When integrating quotations into an essay, your purpose is to provide evidence that helps prove your thesis. If
your essay is a research assignment, you will also be including facts and quotations from secondary sources, but
all critical essays about literature should include quotations from the text itself.
Do not drown your essay in quotations. Your teacher wants your essay to be composed of your thoughts and
sentences supported by quotations. The essay should not be a laundry list of quotations with some minor
comments from you. A critical essay is not like an annotated bibliography.
Include precisely as much of the quotation as is necessary to make your point. Do not include extra sentences to
pad the length of your essay. This will hurt the strength of your argument, and your teacher will see right
through your transparent attempt to pad the length of your essay with fluff. If you are using a shorter quotation
(one to three sentences), try to integrate the quotation seamlessly by choosing elegant starting and concluding
points. If your quotation is longer than a few sentences, set it apart as its own paragraph with narrower margins.
Students typically make the mistake of including a quotation without setting up the reason why it has been
included or explaining its importance. If you can’t integrate the quotation smoothly and seamlessly with a clear
sense of purpose, ask yourself if you need the quotation at all.
Example of poor integration:
In Act 5, scene 5 of Macbeth, the protagonist has had his faith shaken by the suicide of his wife, Lady Macbeth.
“It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.” Soon afterwards, Macbeth rides to his
death in battle.
Example of adequate integration:
As he is preparing to defend his stronghold, Dunsinane, from the forces led by enemies, Macbeth receives the
tragic news that his wife has committed suicide. In his famous soliloquy, Macbeth expresses his newfound
despair at the meaning of life when he says, “It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying
nothing.” [Macbeth. Act 5, Scene 5, lines 29-31] We are not surprised, then, when Macbeth greets his fate so
grimly in the final scenes.
Example of best integration:
In the denouement of Macbeth, all of the prophecies foretold by the witches come true. Macbeth, whose
proleptic vision and ambition have brought him both the crown and a bloody conscience, is laid low by the
news that his wife has committed suicide. Macbeth’s love for his wife and her aspirations for husband’s career
set him upon the bloody path that led to his meteoric rise, and her suicide is the clearest symbol that his fall is
now inevitable. Expressing the unbearable pain of living in a meaningless world of blood and sorrow, Macbeth
curses life as “a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.” [Macbeth. Act 5, Scene 5,
lines 29-31] Macbeth orders his troops to take to the field in a desperate attempt to defend Dunsinane, but while
he no longer has anything to live for, his army does not share his desire to embrace death.
All rights reserved. Do not reproduce this material without the consent of the author.