Compare/Contrast Essay In addition to your final exam, you will be writing a compare/contrast essay in order to assess your understanding of the Anglo-Saxon texts we’ve read throughout the unit. Writing a compare/contrast essay is similar to writing a regular analytical essay. The only difference is that you are working to prove your thesis statement by discussing the similarities and differences between multiple texts instead of just analyzing one text closely.
For this essay you will be comparing and contrasting aspects of Anglo-Saxon life and the way they are portrayed in Beowulf and the three Anglo-Saxon poems we read (“The Seafarer,” “The Wanderer,” and “The Wife’s Lament”). It is up to you to choose a specific aspect of Anglo-Saxon life and discuss the similarities and differences between the texts’ portrayal of this aspect. You should use the Venn Diagram we completed in class to choose the specific aspects you will examine closely.
Each essay should be 3-4 pages long, typed, double-spaced, and written in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you hand in a paper that does not follow those guidelines, it will be handed back to you and you will be asked to format accordingly.
You must also include 4 quotes to back up your argument. Each quote should be formatted properly and include a page number in a parenthetical citation.
Ex. This is also true when Hester tells Chillingworth, “blah, blah, blah” (41).
