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Writing a literature essay
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At GCSE you will write essays about the texts you study. A strong essay has a clear argument, short embedded quotations, close analysis and precise terminology. You can start building these habits now.
A clear argument
Question: 'How does Shakespeare present conflict in Romeo and Juliet?'
Thesis: 'Shakespeare presents conflict as a destructive force that spreads from the old feud into the lives of the young.'
Analytical paragraphs
What is the writer showing? (your point)
How do they show it? (a short quotation and a method)
Why? (the effect on the audience and the writer's purpose)
Zoom in on single words, and use tentative language: 'this suggests', 'this could imply', 'perhaps'.
Embedding quotations
'Tybalt links peace with hell, saying he hates 'the word' peace 'As I hate hell', which suggests that for him, violence is natural.'
Use the present tense: 'Shakespeare shows...', not 'showed'.
Write a What, How, Why paragraph opener about Tybalt.
- What: Tybalt is presented as full of hatred.
- How: he links peace with hell: 'I hate the word, / As I hate hell'.
- Why: the repeated 'hate' suggests his violence drives the tragedy.
Answer: Shakespeare presents Tybalt as consumed by hatred. When he declares 'I hate the word, / As I hate hell', the repetition of 'hate' suggests that his violence will drive the tragedy forward.
Begin with a thesis. Build paragraphs with What, How, Why. Embed short quotations, zoom in on words, use tentative language and the present tense, and name methods precisely.
Check you have got it
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