What is the best way to approach and structure essays for Shakespeare, prose and drama and why?

Although there are several different approaches, I have found that the 'PETAL' structure ( P - point, E - evidence, T - terminology, A - analysis, L - link) demonstrates all the skills that the mark scheme requires. The structure guides you when forming an answer because once you find the evidence (a quote) and identify the terminology (literary terms, e.g. metaphors, pathetic fallacy, etc.) within it, analysing the literature and making your point becomes so much easier. If you understand the point you are making, you are more likely to end your paragraph with a stronger link which demonstrates that you have a clear understanding of what the question is asking you. When making your point, it is important to address the question in the form of a topic sentence and to include a comment on the overarching theme. Embedding your evidence and using a range of quotes from different places in the text helps to make your essay more sophisticated. Analysing the terminology used is crucial as it shows that you are aware of the writer's intention and the mood/atmosphere that they have attempted to create.