Question

Read the following quote:

“It befell in the days of Uther Pendragon, when he was king of all England, and so reigned, that there was a mighty duke in Cornwall that held war against him long time.” Sir Thomas Mallory author of Le Morte D’ Arthur, written sometime between 1469 – 1470

Should this quote be paraphrased or directly quoted and why?


This quote should be directly quoted because it is especially well-worded for modern readers.


This passage should be paraphrased because it is too long.


This quote should be directly quoted because it emphasizes the authority of the original author.


This quote should be paraphrased to share information and ideas from another source.

Answer 1

This quote should be paraphrased to share information and ideas from another source.

Brief reason: the sentence isn’t uniquely phrased or essential to analyze, so you can convey its meaning in your own words while still crediting Mallory (and include a citation). Direct quotation would be appropriate only if you needed to discuss Mallory’s specific wording or style.