How do I structure an essay?

A standard, good essay contains 5 paragraphs, comprising of an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and one conclusion paragraph.

The introductory paragraph should include a succinct opening (i.e. what the work is generally about) for 1-2 sentences and then proceed to cover the topic, thesis, and theme with each being roughly one sentence.

The topic is an idea in your chosen work that you are writing about. An example of a topic would be exploring fate in Macbeth.

The thesis should follow afterwards and state the argument upon which the whole essay is predicated. It should be an arguable interpretation that can be well supported. An example of a thesis would be ‘In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, symbolism, imagery, and foreshadowing are used to demonstrate how one cannot escape their fate’. One does not need to categorise their body paragraphs by literary devices, but it can be helpful if one is still learning how to structure an essay.

The theme is the general lesson being taught through the work. With the previous examples being used, the theme would be considered ‘one cannot escape their fate’.

Each body paragraph must have the same style and organisation. Generally, one would need an introduction to the specific body paragraph. Since I mentioned symbolism first of the literary devices in my theme, symbolism should be the core of my first body paragraph. The first sentence of each body paragraph would expand upon the literary device. An example of this is ‘Shakespeare uses symbolism of inclement weather and dreams to display the inevitability of one escaping their fate’. Then one would do an introductory sentence that glosses over the topic of weather as symbolism of inescapable fate in Macbeth and then two sentences that use examples from the text and one’s own interpretation and analysis. One would continue in the same way when talking about the symbolism of dreams. When all of the examples are explained and connected to the theme, then one uses the final sentence to transition to the next paragraph which should continue in the same style. An example of a transition is ‘While the symbolism of weather and dreams are used to discuss the inevitability of fate in Macbeth, Shakespeare also uses imagery to portray the irreconcilable nature of destiny.

Once one has completed the introductory and three body paragraphs, they must summarise in the conclusive paragraph. No new ideas may be introduced in this last paragraph but one may connect the three body paragraphs to the theme briefly. To achieve high marks, it is recommended that one infers a wider implication for the aforementioned theme. This essentially means relating the whole essay to the reader and what the demonstration of this theme means for society. An example of this would be to discuss how the inevitability of fate is a highly controversial topic that has been explored in many Western religions and while there is still contention in that subject area the complex discussion is beneficial to how each individual person views their place in the world.