How to Write a Romeo and Juliet Essay (OCR GCSE English Literature)

Revision Note

Sam Evans

Written by: Sam Evans

Reviewed by: Kate Lee

How to Write a Romeo and Juliet Essay

Your OCR GCSE English Literature exam will include questions on the Shakespeare play that you’ve been studying.

You will have 50 minutes to complete one Romeo and Juliet question from a choice of two options:

  • Either a question based on an extract (of about 40 lines) from Romeo and Juliet

  • Or a “discursive” essay question, which is not based on any extract

Examiner Tips and Tricks

You will not have access to a copy of Romeo and Juliet for either of these two options, so it’s important that you know the plot of the play very well. Examiners want you to track themes or character development by referring to key parts of the play. A good tip is to consider the way the theme or character has been introduced, how they develop, and how the play’s ending presents them.

OCR examiners state that, for the Romeo and Juliet essay, you need to use evidence from elsewhere in the play, even for the extract-based question: to get a Grade 9, it’s not enough to rely on the text from the extract. See our Romeo and Juliet Quotations and Analysis revision note page for key quotations you can use in your answer.

How do you start a Romeo and Juliet essay?

It’s always daunting when you know you have 50 minutes to write only one long answer. So how do you start writing? It might sound frightening, but the answer is: don’t start writing. With such limited time, preparation is key, so try not to rush into it.

The single most important thing you can do in order to get the highest mark on your Romeo and Juliet essay is to hold off on writing anything before you make a plan. A plan should include your general answer to the question, and then some references from across the play that will support your argument. For both the OCR extract-based question and the discursive essay, examiners award the highest marks to students who create a “coherent line of argument” and who maintain a “focus on the question” and a “critical style”. What do these phrases actually mean?

Examiner comment

What this means you should do

“Focus on the question”

  • Ensure that you understand what the question is asking before you start writing

  • Ensure your argument answers the question clearly

  • Do not simply write everything you know about the play, or explain what is happening in the extract

“Coherent line of argument”

  • Include an introduction that sets out your argument

  • Ensure your argument is consistently supported  throughout your essay

  • Don’t include analysis that isn’t related to your overall argument

  • Include a short conclusion that summarises your line of reasoning

“Critical style”

  • Make sure you have offered your opinion on the question

  • Comment on the genre (Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy)

  • Offer different interpretations, such as on societal values or expectations

  • Consider the audience response

By creating a plan before you start writing, you are ensuring that your essay covers all three of these points.

Your plan could look something like this:

Romeo and Juliet Essay Plan for OCR GCSE

How do you structure a Romeo and Juliet essay?

OCR Examiners give the highest marks to students who have managed to create a “coherent line of argument” throughout their essay. One of the best ways to achieve this is – before you start writing – to form your own answer to the question: this is your interpretation or argument. Once you have done this, you can plan how to structure your ideas. This means considering how each paragraph will analyse a different point in your argument, and choosing relevant evidence from across the play to support your ideas. To achieve a grade 9, OCR recommends that students include an introduction, clearly organised paragraphs and a conclusion

If you look at the example plan above, you will see that the example plan includes a “thesis statement” and “topic questions”. See how to include these into your essay below:

Structure Romeo and Juliet GCSE Essay OCR

Top tips for structuring your Romeo and Juliet essay

  • Always begin with a clear thesis statement that sets out your argument:

    • Your thesis statement should be one or two sentences that focus on the question you’ve been set

    • It can also include a reference to what you think Shakespeare’s overall message might be

    • For a character-based question, consider what the character represents or how they convey a theme 

    • You could consider genre:

      • For example, the fact that Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy

  • Include three or four paragraphs in your essay:

    • Including more paragraphs can result in a vague essay that doesn’t specifically answer the question – writing more about less leads to a coherent essay

    • For the extract question, remember to spend some time considering the rest of the play, such as how the character has changed or will change by the end

  • Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence:

    • This is one sentence that sets out the argument of the paragraph

    • Topic sentences should always be directly related to your thesis statement

    • All the evidence (quotes or references) should prove your topic sentence

  • Finish your essay with a short conclusion:

    • The conclusion shouldn’t include any new evidence

    • Try to reuse the words of the question, and the words in your thesis statement

    • As it should sum up your argument, it may help to reread your introduction

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Some schools and teachers recommend students use a “writing frame” for structuring essay paragraphs. This usually takes the form of an acronym, like PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation).

This is a good way to help you achieve the objectives on the mark scheme, but do make sure it does not limit your analysis. For example, OCR examiners want to see you explore an idea thoroughly before moving onto another piece of evidence. But what does this mean? It does not mean repeating what you have said in different words. Instead, it means that you should consider the evidence you use in the wider context of the play, or a particular character’s development. For example, rather than simply analysing a metaphor in a particular line, consider if this is typical language for that character, how it may be received by other characters and, importantly, how it is delivered to the audience and what they know at this point.

To see an example of how to include these elements in your essay, see our model answer for the OCR Romeo and Juliet extract question, and a model answer for the Romeo and Juliet discursive essay question.

Romeo and Juliet essay top tips

Top-grade students:

Students who don’t do as well:

Make a plan before writing their essays

Don’t plan and write rambling, unfocused essays that include everything they know about a character or theme

Formulate their own line of argument before they start writing and include it in the form of a thesis statement

Try to adapt pre-learned essays that don’t answer the question, but rather answer the question they wish they’d been asked

Always focus their response on the question given, and the writer’s aims

Focus on character or plot points, rather than Shakespeare’s methods and audience

Include contextual analysis to support a point, often in relation to values and expectations 

Include irrelevant context (usually at the end of a paragraph) that doesn’t relate to the point of the paragraph

Consider different interpretations, as well as dramatic and tragic conventions

Explain or retell the plot of Romeo and Juliet, rather than analyse Shakespeare’s choices

Choose the best supporting evidence from the extract or play as a whole: both quotations and references

Analyse irrelevant or difficult quotations because they’ve learnt them, or they sound important in the extract

Develop and extend their analysis of language, structure and form to consider audience response and character function

Make simple comments that don’t extend their analysis

Sources

Shakespeare, William. Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Edited by Peter Alexander, HarperCollins, 1994. Accessed 26 March 2024.

Last updated:

You've read 0 of your 10 free revision notes

Unlock more, it's free!

Join the 100,000+ Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Sam Evans

Author: Sam Evans

Expertise: English Content Creator

Sam is a graduate in English Language and Literature, specialising in journalism and the history and varieties of English. Before teaching, Sam had a career in tourism in South Africa and Europe. After training to become a teacher, Sam taught English Language and Literature and Communication and Culture in three outstanding secondary schools across England. Her teaching experience began in nursery schools, where she achieved a qualification in Early Years Foundation education. Sam went on to train in the SEN department of a secondary school, working closely with visually impaired students. From there, she went on to manage KS3 and GCSE English language and literature, as well as leading the Sixth Form curriculum. During this time, Sam trained as an examiner in AQA and iGCSE and has marked GCSE English examinations across a range of specifications. She went on to tutor Business English, English as a Second Language and international GCSE English to students around the world, as well as tutoring A level, GCSE and KS3 students for educational provisions in England. Sam freelances as a ghostwriter on novels, business articles and reports, academic resources and non-fiction books.

Kate Lee

Author: Kate Lee

Expertise: English and Languages Lead

Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.