Essay Structure

Question 1

How should you begin your essay?

Answer 1

Talk about the theme
link to context
link to Coleridge

Wilde presents [insert theme] as… in An Ideal Husband. This is because in the Victorian era… Whereas/Similarly, Coleridge presents [insert theme] as… in his poetry due to…

Question 2

How should you structure your main paragraphs

Answer 2

2x Comparative Points

Wilde - point, example, explanation, critics, context
Coleridge - point, example, explanation, critics, context

Wilde presents [insert theme] as… This is seen when…This suggests that… This links to life in the Victorian era because… The critic… says… which suggests… Similarly/however, Coleridge presents [insert theme] as… This is seen when…This suggests that… This links to the era in which Coleridge was writing because… The critic… says… which suggests…Therefore…(link back to the question)
Therefore…(link back to the question)

Question 3

How should you finish your essay

Answer 3

talk about how wilde and Coleridge both present the theme
talk about audience reactions
define the overall message
Overall, Wilde and Coleridge present [insert theme] as… As a modern audience, we feel… Their overall message is…

Question 4

How do you respond to a critic?

Answer 4

The critic x says… which suggests… which supports/however…
OR
A feminist/Marxist/Psychoanalytical reading of the play would be…