How can I structure my essay to the question “In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows that the guilty suffer more than the innocent.” To what extent do you agree with this view of the play?

First of all, it is important to get a thorough understanding of the question. Here, the stem is 'To what extent', meaning that an acknowledgment of both sides of the argument is required. Before starting the essay, make sure you know what side you are ultimately taking. If you agree that the guilty suffer more, then your answer must work towards that conclusion but ensure you state your stance in your introduction, therefore your essay immediately has structure and direction. The body of your essay is then a discussion, where you must refer and give examples of how the guilty suffer more, but also, how the reverse can be argued too. To keep your direction clear, it would be good to argue one side first, and then start another paragraph for the counter argument. As this question refers to suffering, it is safe to approach the answer based on character. Therefore, each example should be based on a character, for example, Lady Macbeth's guilt sees her descend into insanity and ultimately suicide, while meanwhile, Banquo, who has nothing to feel guilt over, is savagely killed before his son, as are many other innocent characters slaughtered throughout the play. A good answer will show a thorough understanding of the characters and their motivations, and the best essays will include relevant, embedded quotations to show a depth of knowledge, as well as including references to contextual trivia and critical opinion. At the end of each new point made, it must be relayed back to the question in order to show that you are on track, and remember, do not tell the story, analyse it!