How do I structure an English Literarture Essay?

Every exam board in A-Levels considers it essential to have an understanding of the text at hand, but that is often not enough to reach the highest marks. What helped me get full marks on my English Literarture is to keep this mental checklist in my mind when I was writing a paragraph in the main body of my essay:Signpost sentance: this unambiguously states what this paragraph will be about. Example: ‘Hamlet is not mad as commonly believed, but uses insanity as a mask to exert revenge for his father’s death.’ Point and quote/passage: this applys my signpost sentance directly to the book and adding a quote or a quick sentance that summarises a relavant idea from the passage shows you have understanding. Example: ‘There are many times where the reader and even characters in the book, such as Polonius who muses that there is ‘method to his [Hamlet’s] madness’, may question whether Hamlet is feigning madness’.Critical Interpretation: this is an amazing moment to show you’ve looked further into your reading; what many students forget that this isn’t just a time to mention critics but film and theatrical presentations, which can be much more memorable! Example: ‘While David Tennant’s potrayal of Hamlet in BBC’s modernised interpretation of this play, 18th century critic Samuel Johnson calls the madness ‘feigned [...] with no adequate cause’. The best way to remember these are flashcards, and you only need two or three short and sweet ones for each character and theme to have enough!Analysis of your view: Here makes the main bulk of the paragraph, where you write how this impacts your perception of key themes and scenes of the text.Closing sentance: this is similar to your signpost sentance and doesn’t introduce new points. It’s a good idea to link it to your next paragraph.