Compare and contrast the motivations that lead Cassius and Brutus to conspire against
Caesar. Avoid excessive plot summary. Assume the reader is familiar with the play.
Introduction: (4 to 5 sentences maximum)
•Introductory anecdote that serves as an attention-getter for an essay about a conspiracy and the people involved
•Necessary information, including author, title, and a brief plot summary
•Thesis statement with opposition (Despite, Although, Even though, Whereas, and so forth) that makes an argument that
is not self-evident. Do not resort to a list.
Body Paragraphs: (this is where the writer fleshes out the thesis argument with proof and analysis)
•Begin with a topic sentence that makes an assertion related to the first point in the thesis. Provide context for the support
of the assertion. Use properly cited quotations and paraphrases that are correctly embedded in the flow of the writing,
possibly using signal phrases. Cite at least two pieces of this type of support including analysis. Analysis consists of
phrasing such as “This shows”, “This is important because”, “…. exemplifies…”, “…exposes…”, “…indicates…”,
“…signifies…”, “ …proves…” and many other choices – available for you at The Language of Analysis in Paragraph
Writing on the class site. Analysis indicates that the writer is thinking and making connections. Close in a way that wraps
up the topic under discussion
•Begin with a topic sentence that makes an assertion related to the second point in the thesis. Provide context for the
support of the assertion. Use properly cited quotations and paraphrases that are correctly embedded in the flow of the
writing, possibly using signal phrases. Cite at least two pieces of this type of support including analysis. Analysis
consists of phrasing such as “This shows”, “This is important because”, “…. exemplifies…”, “…exposes…”,
“…indicates…”, “…signifies…”, “ …proves…” and many other choices – available for you at The Language of Analysis
in Paragraph Writing on the class site. Analysis demonstrates that the writer is thinking and making connections. Close in
a way that wraps up the topic under discussion
•Begin with a topic sentence that makes an assertion related to the third point in the thesis. Provide context for the
support of the assertion. Use properly cited quotations and paraphrases that are correctly embedded in the flow of the
writing, possibly using signal phrases. Cite at least two pieces of this type of support including analysis. Analysis
consists of phrasing such as “This shows”, “This is important because”, “…. exemplifies…”, “…exposes…”,
“…indicates…”, “…signifies…”, “ …proves…” and many other choices – available for you at The Language of Analysis
in Paragraph Writing on the class site. Sophisticated analysis proves that the writer is thinking and making connections.
Close in a way that wraps up the topic under discussion
Conclusion: (3 sentences maximum)
•Restate the thesis information succinctly in different words.
•Reference back to the Introductory anecdote to make a connection to the beginning of the essay and to provide
coherence.
•Answer the question So What? -- why is thinking about these ideas important, of value, how do these ideas connect with
the world we live in, and so forth. This is the writer’s final opportunity to connect with the reader and leave him/her with
a powerful thought. Do not include any new information in the conclusion.
General cautions: write exclusively in the 3rd person -- do not use 1st or 2rd person, write in the present tense
[notice the prompt is in the present tense] and remain consistent throughout, avoid intensifiers, refer to the author
as Shakespeare, check for proper comma usage, and any other problems that seem particular to your essays.
Make a real effort to demonstrate improvement over previous essay assignments in both conventions and
argumentation.
Thesis: (must answer the prompt and make an argument that is not self-evident)
The grounds for comparison [the prompt} anticipates the comparative nature of your thesis. As in any
argumentative paper, your thesis statement will convey the gist of your argument, which necessarily follows
from your frame of reference [the play]. But in a compare-and-contrast, the thesis depends on how the two
things you've chosen to compare actually relate to one another. Do they extend, corroborate, complicate,
contradict, correct, or debate one another? In the most common compare-and-contrast paper—one focusing
on differences—you can indicate the precise relationship between A and B by using the word "whereas" in
your thesis:
Whereas Camus perceives ideology as secondary to the need to address a specific historical moment of
colonialism, Fanon perceives a revolutionary ideology as the impetus to reshape Algeria's history in a direction
toward independence.
Another thesis example:
Pepper's and Amante both offer a greater variety of ingredients than other Chapel Hill/Carrboro pizza
places (and than any of the national chains), but the funky, lively atmosphere at Pepper's makes it a better place
to give visiting friends and family a taste of local culture.
Still another:
While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners
focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.
Whether your paper focuses primarily on difference or similarity, you need to make the relationship
between A and B clear in your thesis. This relationship is at the heart of any compare-and-contrast
paper.
Organizational Scheme:
Your introduction will include your frame of reference, grounds for comparison, and thesis. There are two basic
ways to organize the body of your paper. You will choose point-by-point.
* In text-by-text, you discuss all of A, then all of B.
* In point-by-point, you alternate points about A with comparable points about B.
Topic sentences and transitions:
To help your reader keep track of where you are in the comparison/contrast, you'll want to be sure that your
transitions and topic sentences are especially strong. Your thesis should already have given the reader an idea of
the points you'll be making and the organization you'll be using, but you can help her/him out with some extra
cues. The following words may be helpful to you in signaling your intentions:
like, similar to, also, unlike, similarly, in the same way, likewise, again, compared to, in contrast, in like
manner, contrasted with, on the contrary, however, although, yet, even though, still, but, nevertheless,
conversely, at the same time, regardless, despite, while, on the one hand … on the other hand.