Table of Contents
- Key Takeaways
- How to Write an Analysis Essay
- What is an Analytical Essay?
- Key Features of an Analytical Essay
- Objective Analysis
- Analytical Essays are Thesis-Driven
- What is a Thesis?
- Every Analytical Essay Follows a Specific Structure
- Example Introduction for an Analytical Essay on Hamlet
- Let’s break down this introduction:
- The Body of The Analytical Essay
- How to Write the Body of an Analytical Essay
- How to Conduct Thorough Research for an Analytical Essay
- Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing an Analytical Essay
- PDF Examples Of Analysis Essays Across Various Fields of Study
- Conclusion: Reinforcing the Analysis
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Writing an analysis essay calls for objective thinking. The first rule is to understand that this kind of essay, although expository, is not an opinion piece.
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This blog post covers everything you need to know to write an engaging and high-scoring analysis essay. It doesn’t matter whether you have never heard about or written one before.
Writing an analysis essay calls for objective thinking. The first rule is to understand that this kind of essay, although expository, is not an opinion piece. This blog post covers everything you need to know to write an engaging and high-scoring analysis essay. It doesn’t matter whether you have never heard about or written about one before.
Key Takeaways
- An analytical essay requires an objective examination of a subject rather than personal opinions.
- The essay revolves around a clear and concise thesis statement that presents the main argument or point of analysis. Every part of the essay should support this thesis.
- Like other essays, an analytical essay follows a standard structure—introduction, body, and conclusion—each serving to prove and elaborate on the thesis.
- Support your analysis with evidence drawn from the subject matter, ensuring that every point made directly ties back to the thesis.
- Maintain a neutral and objective tone, avoiding personal judgments or subjective phrases. Use phrases like "The evidence suggests" or "The text demonstrates."
- The introduction should provide context, introduce the main characters or themes, and present the thesis. It sets the stage for the analysis to follow.
- Each body paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the analysis, offering evidence and connecting it back to the thesis. The essay should explore different angles of the subject, such as contrasting characters or themes.
- The conclusion should tie together the analysis and reinforce how the evidence supports the thesis, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of the topic.
How to Write an Analysis Essay
What is an Analytical Essay?
An analytical essay is a type of expository essay that requires you to analyze, interpret, and break down a topic into its core components.
If you are in the arts or social sciences and have not written an analytical essay before, chances are, you will — sooner or later— because they are a common assignment for those who are offering these courses.
Your professor will give you a task to analyze a certain aspect of existing work concerning literature, arts, music, movies, history, law, or politics.
However, an analytical essay can also be applied to other subjects, such as science, but the goal remains the same, which is to offer a detailed examination of the subject matter, support your examination with evidence and help the reader gain a deeper understanding of the topic.
Key Features of an Analytical Essay
Your instructor may require an analytical essay in politics, literature, movies, or music. Whatever the case, there are standard features of writing an analytical essay that cuts across themes, topics, and subject matter.
Objective Analysis
Analytical essays rely on facts and logic rather than opinions. Your goal is to provide an unbiased examination of the subject, which could be an author’s or filmmaker’s piece of work. When writing an analytical essay, your primary task is to interpret the creative work or theme in focus objectively rather than building opinions about the subject.
Your analysis should be grounded in facts, examples, and evidence drawn from the work you are analyzing. This holds whether you are analyzing a literary work, a historical event, or a piece of art. Your conclusions should be based on what the text or evidence shows.
Due to the above reasons, your language should be neutral and objective. Avoid using words and phrases that suggest personal judgment or preference, such as "I think," "I believe," or "in my opinion."
Instead, use phrases like "The evidence suggests," "The text demonstrates," or "The data indicates.
Analytical Essays are Thesis-Driven
Just like other types of essays, every analytical essay revolves around a central thesis statement that presents the main argument or point of analysis. When we say that an analytical essay is "thesis-driven," we mean that the entire essay is centered around a clear, concise statement known as the thesis.
The thesis presents the main argument or claim of the essay, which you, the writer, will support and explore throughout the essay using evidence from the text.
What is a Thesis?
A thesis is a single sentence (sometimes two) that summarizes the main point or claim of your essay. It is not just a topic or a question, but a specific argument or interpretation (in this case) that you will develop and prove through your analysis.
The thesis is important in any analysis because it will guide the direction of your analytical essay. Everything in your essay—the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion—should relate to this thesis. Your analysis, evidence, and explanations are all there to support and expand on the thesis.
Follow the examples below to understand better. The three examples are possible thesis statements in literature, music, and movie assignments:
Example 1: Literature (Shakespeare's Hamlet)
Thesis:
"In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses the recurring motif of madness to explore the theme of uncertainty and the difficulty of discerning truth from illusion."
As you can see, in this thesis, the essay will focus on how Shakespeare uses madness as a motif throughout the play and how this relates to the broader theme of uncertainty.
If you were given a choice to pick a topic and develop this thesis, then each paragraph in your essay would have to examine different instances of madness—such as Hamlet’s feigned madness, Ophelia’s real madness, and the madness attributed to the ghost—and discuss how these instances contribute to the theme of uncertainty.
Body Paragraph Example:
One paragraph could analyze Hamlet’s "antic disposition" and how his feigned madness creates ambiguity, making it difficult for other characters (and the audience) to determine whether Hamlet is truly mad or merely pretending. This ambiguity, in turn, reflects the larger theme of uncertainty in the play.
Example 2: Music (The Beatles’ Revolver Album)
Thesis:
"The Beatles’ Revolver album marks a pivotal shift in the band’s music from pop to more experimental forms, reflecting the social and cultural changes of the 1960s."
Now, this thesis suggests that the essay will explore how Revolver represents a turning point in The Beatles’ musical style, moving from straightforward pop songs to more complex, experimental tracks.
As an approach to developing the assignment, the essay will analyze how specific songs on the album demonstrate this shift and how they relate to the broader cultural context of the 1960s.
Body Paragraph Example:
A paragraph could analyze the song "Tomorrow Never Knows," discussing its innovative use of studio effects, unconventional structure, and lyrical content influenced by Eastern philosophy. This analysis would show how the song exemplifies the band’s departure from pop norms and their engagement with the countercultural ideas of the time.
Example 3: Film (Christopher Nolan’s Inception)
Thesis:
"Christopher Nolan’s Inception uses the concept of dreams within dreams to explore the nature of reality and the human subconscious."
You can see that the thesis shows that the essay will explore how Inception uses its unique narrative structure—dreams within dreams—to examine deeper philosophical questions about what is real and how our subconscious mind influences our perception of reality.
Body Paragraph Example:
You can dedicate one paragraph to the concept of the "totem" in the film, particularly Cobb’s spinning top, and how it symbolizes the characters’ struggle to distinguish between dreams and reality. The analysis could explore how this struggle reflects broader existential questions posed by the film.
All in all, your thesis should be clear and specific. It should provide a roadmap for your essay. Also, your thesis should present an interpretation that can be supported by evidence from the work under analysis.
Lastly, every part of your essay should be connected to the thesis. Each paragraph should contribute to proving or explaining the thesis.
Every Analytical Essay Follows a Specific Structure
Typical essays follow a loose structure and standard. That goes to say that an analytical essay will naturally have an intro, body, and conclusion.
These three parts are dedicated to different uses, all tying up to prove the thesis.
Introduction: In the introductory part of your essay, you should start with a clear thesis statement that presents the main argument or point of your analysis. As we mentioned before, the thesis should be an objective claim about the subject that you will support with evidence throughout your essay. Then it should provide context and some background information for your analytical essay.
Here is an illustration for you:
Example Introduction for an Analytical Essay on Hamlet
Introduction:
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is widely recognized as one of the most significant works in literature, known for its deep exploration of human emotions and struggles. Written around the early 1600s, the play is set in Denmark, a kingdom filled with political tension, moral dilemmas, and uncertainty about life and death. The main character, Prince Hamlet, faces tough questions about existence and reality. One of the key elements in the play is the theme of madness, which Shakespeare uses not just to drive the plot but to make the audience think about how hard it is to tell what’s real from what’s not.
In this essay, I will argue that Shakespeare uses the motif of madness not merely as a plot device but as a lens through which the audience can examine the difficulty of discerning truth from illusion in a world full of lies.
This analysis will demonstrate how the motif of madness in Hamlet serves as a reflection of the broader theme of uncertainty, contributing to the play’s enduring relevance and complexity.
Let’s break down this introduction:
The introduction provides some context about the subject matter—HHamlet. It starts by placing it in its historical and literary context ("Written at the turn of the 17th century, Hamlet is set against the backdrop of a Denmark steeped in political intrigue, moral corruption, and existential uncertainty").
The essence of an intro is that it sets the stage for both readers who are familiar with the subject matter and those who are not. This helps them understand the environment in which the story unfolds. sets the stage for readers who may not be familiar with the play or its themes.
Secondly, it introduces the reader to the main characters and themes. As you see, the introduction also briefly introduces the protagonist, Prince Hamlet, and mentions the central themes of the play ("grappling with profound questions about life, death, and the nature of reality"). Right there, it gives the reader a sense of the scope and depth of the analysis that will follow.
Thesis Statement: The intro is where you will house your thesis statement. The thesis statement here is clear and direct, presenting the main argument of the essay ("In this essay, I will argue that Shakespeare uses the motif of madness not merely as a plot device but as a lens through which the audience can examine the difficulty of discerning truth from illusion").
That statement sets up the analytical focus of the essay and informs the reader of what to expect.
The introduction effectively connects the background information to the thesis, showing how the motif of madness ties into the broader themes of the play ("This analysis will demonstrate how the motif of madness in Hamlet serves as a reflection of the broader theme of uncertainty").
This connection helps to ground the thesis in the context provided so that the introduction is cohesive and logically structured.
At the end of the day, the introduction:
- Engages the Reader
- Establishes Relevance
- Clear Direction
The Body of The Analytical Essay
Just like other kinds of essays, the body of an analytical essay is the nucleus of the entire work. It is like a melting pot of ideas and points. Every point should support the thesis with proof from the work under analysis.
In exploring the topic of Madness in the play, we could approach it in the following ways:
Paragraph 1: Exploring Hamlet's Feigned Madness
Topic Sentence:
Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s feigned madness as a tool to explore the theme of uncertainty, highlighting how the line between reality and illusion can become blurred.
Evidence from the play:
Early in the play, Hamlet decides to "put an antic disposition on" (Act 1, Scene 5), pretending to be mad to investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding his father’s death.
Analysis:
This act of pretending to be mad serves multiple purposes. On one level, it allows Hamlet to speak and act in ways that he might not be able to otherwise, giving him the freedom to question those around him without revealing his true intentions.
However, as the play progresses, the audience is left to wonder whether Hamlet’s madness is entirely an act or if he is genuinely losing his grip on reality. This ambiguity reflects the play’s broader theme of uncertainty, where appearances can be deceiving and truth is difficult to discern.
Connecting it back to the thesis:
By making Hamlet’s madness both a deliberate choice and a source of genuine confusion, Shakespeare underscores the difficulty of distinguishing between what is real and what is not—a key aspect of the play’s exploration of uncertainty.
Paragraph 2: Ophelia's Descent into Madness
Topic Sentence:
In contrast to Hamlet’s feigned madness, Ophelia’s descent into genuine madness illustrates the devastating effects of the uncertain and corrupt environment in which she is trapped.
Evidence from the play:
Ophelia’s madness becomes evident after her father, Polonius, is killed by Hamlet. Her behavior becomes increasingly erratic, and she sings songs that reveal her inner turmoil (Act 4, Scene 5).
Analysis:
Unlike Hamlet, who uses madness as a strategy, Ophelia is overwhelmed by the chaos around her. Her madness is a response to the pressures and traumas inflicted upon her, particularly by the men in her life—her father, her brother, and Hamlet. Through Ophelia, Shakespeare shows how a world steeped in corruption and deceit can drive an innocent person to the brink, further reinforcing the play’s theme of uncertainty. Her tragic end serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of living in such a world.
Connection to Thesis:
Ophelia’s genuine madness contrasts with Hamlet’s feigned madness, but both illustrate the destructive power of uncertainty and the challenge of navigating a world where the truth is elusive.
Paragraph 3: The Court’s Perception of Madness
Topic Sentence:
The varying responses of the court to Hamlet’s and Ophelia’s madness further emphasize the theme of uncertainty and the difficulty of understanding others’ motives and mental states.
Analyzing Evidence from the play:
Characters like Polonius and Claudius attempt to diagnose Hamlet’s madness, attributing it to everything from unrequited love to political ambition (Act 2, Scene 2). However, their interpretations often reveal more about their insecurities and agendas than about Hamlet’s true state of mind.
Analysis
The court’s efforts to explain Hamlet’s behavior are full of errors and assumptions, demonstrating how easily people can misinterpret others, especially in a setting rife with intrigue and betrayal.
This misinterpretation extends to Ophelia’s madness as well, where her condition is either dismissed or misunderstood by those around her. Through these misreadings, Shakespeare highlights how difficult it is to ascertain the truth in a world clouded by personal biases and political maneuvering.
Connecting it back to the Thesis:
The court’s misinterpretations of madness underscore the play’s central theme: in a world filled with deceit and ambiguity, even those who seek the truth can be misled. This makes the quest for certainty all the more challenging.
How to Write the Body of an Analytical Essay
The cornerstone of an analytical essay is a deep understanding of the subject matter you will be analyzing. As with all academic writing, curiosity is the fuel for understanding anything deeply.
This comes from quality research from premium sources, which in this case is mainly the author of the work.
How to Conduct Thorough Research for an Analytical Essay
When analyzing a work of art, movie, or music, your research is crucial in forming a well-supported interpretation. Here’s how to carry out thorough research for your analytical essay:
Immerse Yourself in the Work
Start by engaging deeply with the work you’re analyzing. For a movie, watch it multiple times, paying attention to different aspects like cinematography, dialogue, and themes each time. For a piece of music, listen to it repeatedly, focusing on lyrics, instrumentation, and rhythm.
Let’s say you are analyzing the second example with a thesis statement on how: "The Beatles’ Revolver album marks a pivotal shift in the band’s music from pop to more experimental forms, reflecting the social and cultural changes of the 1960s."
This topic requires research into both technical and non-technical aspects of the work. You will have to analyze the songs by comparing tracks on Revolver with The Beatles’ earlier pop hits, focus on how the album’s music and lyrics differ from their previous work, and investigate how the social and cultural changes of the 1960s influenced Revolver and the album’s role in responding to these changes.
These are some of the ingredients that will bring about a rich analytical essay on that thesis, likewise an exploration of other critical analyses plus interviews.
As you immerse yourself in the work, jot down observations, questions, and initial thoughts. These notes will help you identify themes or patterns that you can explore further.
Explore Critical Analyses and Reviews
Look for existing critics or reviews from credible sources. These could be academic papers, book reviews, art critiques, or film analyses. These sources can provide different perspectives that you might not have considered and can also help you support your thesis with established opinions.
If you're writing for an academic setting, use databases like JSTOR, Google Scholar, Cowriter.ai, or your school’s library to find peer-reviewed articles that discuss the work in question.
Understand the Context
When you invest in learning about the artist, director, or musician behind the work, you will set your essay apart from others because you will see how their background, influences, and other works can provide insight into the work you’re analyzing.
Record Citations
Citations are a key part of the body. You need to add references like page numbers and movie scenes when you explore such information in your work. So, keep track of where you found each piece of evidence because proper citations are crucial, especially in academic writing.
Focus on Clarity
It is very easy to get the details muddled up when writing an analytical essay. However, it is important to write as clearly as possible. One way is to make sure each paragraph discusses just one point that connects to the thesis.
Your goal in the first draft is to communicate your ideas. Don’t worry about perfection; just make sure your arguments are understandable and backed by evidence. Then you can use a smart writing assistant like Cowriter.ai to keep your work on track and confirm for clarity, just like this.
Avoid overcomplicating sentences. Keep your sentences straightforward to ensure that your analysis is easy to follow.
Use Transition Words
Don’t jump between two or more points without a buffer. In this sense, a transition word is the buffer you need to connect ideas between paragraphs without jarring the reader. This helps maintain a logical flow and guides the reader through your essay.
Here are some common transition words you can use to add logical flow to your analytical essay:
Category | Transition Word | Usage |
Addition | Additionally | Adds more information to a point. |
ㅤ | Furthermore | Extends an argument or provides more detail. |
ㅤ | Moreover | Adds emphasis to an additional point. |
ㅤ | Also | Introduces another similar idea or detail. |
ㅤ | In addition | Provides extra information or examples. |
Contrast | However | Introduces a statement that contrasts with the previous one. |
ㅤ | On the other hand | Presents an opposing viewpoint or idea. |
ㅤ | Nevertheless | It conveys a point while still holding a contrasting view. |
ㅤ | Conversely | Indicates an opposite perspective or outcome. |
ㅤ | Although | Introduces a contrasting idea or exception. |
Comparison | Similarly | Shows similarity between two points or ideas. |
ㅤ | Likewise | Indicates a comparable situation or point. |
ㅤ | In the same way | Draws a parallel between two concepts. |
Cause and Effect | Therefore | Indicates a logical conclusion or result. |
ㅤ | Consequently | Shows the effect or result of a previous statement. |
ㅤ | As a result | Presents the outcome or impact of a situation. |
ㅤ | Thus | Summarizes the result of an argument or statement. |
ㅤ | Because | Explain the reason or cause behind something. |
Clarification | In other words, | Restate or clarify a point. |
ㅤ | That is to say | Provides a more detailed explanation or clarification. |
ㅤ | To put it differently, | Rephrases a statement for better understanding. |
Example | For example | Introduces an illustrative example. |
ㅤ | For instance | Provides a specific case or example. |
ㅤ | Such as | Lists specific instances or examples. |
ㅤ | To illustrate | Demonstrates a point with an example. |
Sequence/Order | Firstly/First | Introduces the first point or step. |
ㅤ | Secondly/Second | Introduces the second point or step. |
ㅤ | Finally | Concludes the sequence or presents the last point. |
ㅤ | Subsequently | Indicates a following action or event. |
ㅤ | Next | Shows the subsequent step or point in a sequence. |
Summary/Conclusion | In conclusion | Summarizes and closes an argument or discussion. |
ㅤ | To summarize | Provides a recap of the main points. |
ㅤ | Overall | Gives a general summary of the argument or analysis. |
ㅤ | In summary | Concludes by summarizing the key points. |
ㅤ | Ultimately | Highlights the final result or conclusion of the discussion. |
Emphasis | Indeed | Reinforces or emphasizes a previous statement. |
ㅤ | Significantly | Highlights the importance or impact of a point. |
ㅤ | Notably | Points out something particularly important or relevant. |
Most people abuse transition words and end up with an essay that lacks coherence and clarity. When this happens, the reader becomes confused and dumps your essay.
Another problem with transition word abuse is the watering down of the impact of your claim or statement. You don’t want that either. For these reasons, you must exercise caution when using transition words.
One other thing: transition words are not only used at the beginning of a sentence. Words like though and regardless are two examples of transition words you can use at the end of a sentence.
Don’t Get Hung Up on Details
While it is important to get it right, if you get stuck on a particular sentence or paragraph, move on and come back to it later. The first draft is about getting your ideas down on paper.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing an Analytical Essay
It may seem exciting to jump right into your essay. The problem with this is that, most times students pick the wrong topic. This means choosing a topic that is vague and lacks proper context for research. Here are other mistakes students make:
1. Skipping the Research: Rushing headlong into writing an analytical essay without thorough research can lead to weak arguments and a lack of evidence. Spend ample time on research before you start writing. Make sure you fully understand the work and have gathered sufficient evidence to support your thesis.
2. Choosing an Overly Broad Topic: Picking a topic that is too broad can make your essay unfocused and shallow. Try and narrow your topic to something specific that you can thoroughly analyze within the scope of your essay.
If your topic hasn't been assigned, choose one that interests you and has enough material for analysis.
A good topic should be specific enough to allow for detailed analysis but broad enough to find sufficient evidence.
Start with a general idea and narrow it down. For example, instead of analyzing "love in literature," focus on "the portrayal of unrequited love in Pride and Prejudice.”
You will not be able to do justice to the first idea of love in literature in one analytical essay. Not even in a hundred analysis essays. It's that broad and vague. What kind of love are we talking about?
However, the second idea is great. Even as it is narrower than the first, you bet there are enough materials to cover it.
3. Ignoring the Thesis: Writing body paragraphs that don’t relate to your thesis can confuse the reader and weaken your argument. Continuously refer back to your thesis as you write. Ensure each paragraph supports your main argument.
4. Forgetting Transitions
When you are analyzing an issue on paper or even in speech, it is important to move from one point to the next smoothly. Abruptly moving from one idea to the next without transitions can make your essay difficult to follow.
5. Neglecting the Revision Process
Don’t ever submit your first draft without revising it. This kind of action can lead to avoidable errors and missed opportunities to improve your essay. The way out is to start your assignment early on and use cowriter.ai to optimize for speed, clarity, and flow.
PDF Examples Of Analysis Essays Across Various Fields of Study
We have created the following compilation of essays to help you get started with creating your own using cowriter.ai
Conclusion: Reinforcing the Analysis
The conclusion is also an important component of an analysis essay. You get the chance to reinforce your points and make a recap of each one.
Simply summarize your analysis, restating how the evidence supports your thesis.
One rule is to never introduce new opinions or perspectives in the conclusion; instead, focus on reinforcing the objective analysis you’ve presented.
It is also important to end with a memorable statement.
