An analytical essay about literature follows the same format as any analytical essay, It needs to have a strong thesis statement that makes an argument, with explanations and examples throughout the essay that back it up. How to Write an analytical essay about a piece of literature Instructions 1 Read the piece of literature at least once in order to formulate an argument on it. 2 Read literary criticism on the piece of literature in order to get an idea of insights that you may not have had on your own. This is not to say that you should plagiarize, but other writers will often approach literature from an angle you hadn't thought of. 3 Create your thesis, or argument. This should be a point that has to be defended rather than something that is inherently obvious. So, it should not be directly related to the plot [ eg "Romeo's love for Juliet is in fact his love for Mercutio,"is debatable and will need to be packed up in your essay.] 4 Write rough notes, using the piece of literature, to back up your argument. Make sure you write down page numbers when you find examples for your bibliography list at the end. 5 Write a rough outline of your essay. Each paragraph should open with a sentence that directly responds to the thesis. Make sure your argument flows logically. There are a number of ways to do this; you could proceed chronologically through the piece, citing examples as you go through and explaining how they back up your thesis, or you could approach from the angle of different characters. 6 Type a rough draft, using your outline as a guide. 7 Edit the rough draft for grammar, style and flow. 8 Repeat step 7 as many times as necessary before you print and hand in.

Here is a sample analytical essay about the central themes in Shakespeare's Macbeth: http://www.italki.com/knowledge/page/SAMPLE%20ESSAY%20ABOUT%20SHAKESPEARES%20MACBETH.htm