Verb tense is awfully difficult for many of us.  I can’t fix all your verb problems, but I can give you a few quick guidelines that may help in literary analysis essays.

First, literary analysis is almost always in present tense. Whatever you’re saying, say it as though it’s happening RIGHT NOW. “Oedipus discovers the awful truth.” “When Tita hears the news, she is devastated.” “Juliet grabs his knife and plunges it into her chest.” (You’ll notice that almost all the verbs end in “s.” Discovers, hears, is, grabs, plunges. That’s a good indicator that it’s in the present tense.)

You can use past tense for something that happened before the book or play began: “The Montagues and Capulets had fought for many years.” “Snow White’s father died.”

It’s not a rule that works 100% of the time, but usually if there’s a verb form with an S on the end of it, it’s the present tense.

One last hint to keep in mind while you’re writing: Think about the book as a living thing. The story exists all the time — in print and in our minds. The moment you open the book again, the story is happening. That’s why we write about it in present tense.