Assignment Instructions

Instructions: Develop a compare/contrast essay of 750 to 1000 words minimum/maximum with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Include a works cited page.

Be sure to argue a particular point of view in your essay (your thesis) and cite varied examples from the readings in MLA format in order to support your perspective. Please focus on the reading themselves, and avoid using outside sources (particularly open-web sources such as Wikipedia). Whatever you do, DO NOT give me a biography of the author or retell a story.

Chose one of the following topics:

1. Compare and contrast a work with a movie adaptation. For example, compare the recent movie version of Beowulf to the Anglo-Saxon poem or the film Excalibur to Malory. Let me know what adaptation you'd like to write about if it isn't on this list, and we'll discuss options. Remember, this is meant to be a thesis-driven essay, not simply a description of the two versions of the story, or a movie review.

2. Compare and contrast two of the tales in the Canterbury Tales. Possible ideas would be to discuss different areas being satirized, tone, and characters. Do not retell two of the stories in this essay but lay out similarities and differences in topic, form, or something else that strikes you as important or relevant. Do not repeat a discussion we have seen in the forum.

3. Suggest your own compare/contrast topic. If there is anything from the past three weeks that has caught your attention, but that we haven't had a chance to cover yet, let me know. We'll discuss the option. Note that instructor permission is REQUIRED before you pursue this option.