What needs to be included in the essay?

It's important that you are answering and linking back to the essay question at the start and end of each paragraph.Other than that, you need to make a judgement for yourself which you can state clearly in both the introduction and conclusion (which is why you must plan before you answer). In order to really boost your marks, evidence is a good way to show knowledge and strengthen an argument. For GCSE level, it's also important to include the viewpoint of religion and whether you'd agree with the Christian/Roman Catholic view, as well as why. If you're pushing for top marks, this is where I'd encourage you to include a Biblical quote.