How should I structure my argument in an essay?

It is important to justify every part of what you argue in answer to an essay question. Stating your opinion is good, as long as you back it up with evidence from the text and a strong explanation of why you see this as the strongest argument. Use the PEEL structure: Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link. State your point, use evidence from the text or other sources to support it, go into more detail to explain how it is relevant to the question, and connect your point back to the essay title/question, and to your next point. Remember to incorporate context when relevant; when discussing fidelity in Shakespeare it would be relevant to mention attitudes to and roles of women in the time that the text was written. Also, always imagine you are in a discussion. Acknowledge the points and evidence which are in opposition to your own, and show why these are less valid, or your argument is stronger.For instance, your argument may be that the handkerchief in Othello is symbolic of Othello and Desdemona's love, however to make this a strong part of your argument you must demonstrate HOW it is symbolic of this (i.e. it is his first gift to her upon marriage, she carries it always as a token of her devotion, the strawberries on it are a symbol of love because of its shape and colour) and why it is important to the story (because it also becomes symbolic of her fidelity to him and therefore is connected to his jealousy and paranoia, the strawberries becoming symbolic of desire) and Link, demonstrating clearly how this point answers the question, and leading on to interpretations which support your answer, (such as interpretation of the handkerchief as reflective of marital bed-sheets and evidence of virginity).