Bibliography In Mla

If I am doing a formal MLA bibliography with a book that has an editor do I list the editor or author first?

I am writing a formal paper and have a Shakespeare book that has texts and contexts. I’m quoting directly from the play, but also from the contexts sections. Which do I list first? I originally though I should list the author first, but then when I say according to ____ in my paper, there will be no editor on the bibliography sheet with that name to refer to. Please Help!

It actually depends. This is what MLA refers to as an “edition” (see section 5.6.12 of the MLA Handbook if you have it) — a classic work that gets published later on, with the editor selecting the version of the original work to include, adding explanatory notes and an introduction, etc. Regarding these, the Handbook states:

“To cite an edition, begin with the author if you refer primarily to the text itself; give the editor’s name, preceded by the abbreviation “Ed.” after the title.”

Then it goes on to say later:

“If your citations are generally the work of the editor (e.g., the introduction, the notes, or editorial decisions regarding the text), begin the entry with the editor’s name, followed by a comma and the abbrevation “ed.” and give the author’s name, preceded by the word “By” after the title.”

So essentially it depends on what you are “primarily” citing in the body of your paper — the original work or the editor’s notes.

MLA International Bibliography

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