How can I form a strong argument in an essay about a text (ie a novel, play or poem)?

To make sure you're making a well-informed argument, you ought to use a structure that is backed up by plenty of evidence. To think about this you can use the PEEL method: P is for POINT- make your point about the text; E is for EVIDENCE - take a quotation from the text that you think demonstrates your point; E is for EXPLAIN - elaborate in detail what this evidence shows and explain how it supports your point; finally, L is for LINK - always make sure you link your argument back to the main question so that your examiner can see exactly why this point is relevant in answering theuestion. Your answer will be much stronger if you can follow these steps.

For example, if I were to make a point such as, "Mortality is an important theme in Romeo and Juliet", but I fail to include any direct EVIDENCE (i.e., Mercutio: "I am hurt. A plague o' both your houses!") then my argument is not going to score very highly. By including evidence and EXPLAINING what this evidence demonstrates, my point is much stronger because it has specific examples that shows I really know and understand the text (in this instance, I could argue that Mercutio's words show him grappling with death and blaming the Montagues and Capulets for causing his death). Importantly, I need to LINK this back to the question I am answering so that the relevance of my argument is clear. It is possible (and advisable!) to find more than one piece of evidence for your point to bulk out your argument and demonstrate its significance across the text. If you can think of around three points in answering your question, and can use PEEL for all of your points, this should result in a strong and coherent argument