Compare / Contrast
essay
Notes from your thesis & sample essays

Make sure the thesis is specific.
◦ Meh: “Macbeth can be compared to Hilter”
◦ Meh: “Macbeth and the Joker are similar”
◦ Meh: “While they may look different, Macbeth and Hitler
are very similar”
◦ Meh: Macbeth can be compared and contrasted to the
Joker.”
◦ Better: “Both Mabeth and Napoleon Bonaparte resemble
tragic heros who made similar decisions in their lives;
however, Napolen’s end was more tragic because he had
good intentions while Macbeth’s were evil”
◦ Better: “Although their treatments after death were
different, Macbeht and Michael Jackson are similar
because of their early fame and how they were both
misunderstood as their fame increased”
Notes from your thesis

Don’t compare traits:
◦ “both intellegent”
◦ “both good looking”

Think about what drives the characters
and keep a focus
◦ “Macbeth is driven by his own lust for power
while the Joker is driven by redemption for ills
against his family.”
Notes from your thesis
Not gonna lie, Hitler is tough
 Finally, remember a lot of information will
show up elsewhere in your intro

◦ “Macbeth, the title character from
Shakespeare’s Macbeth”
Notes from your thesis
Underline the thesis
 What does this student do well in the first
two paragraphs?
 What can this student revise in the first
two paragraphs?
 I’ve given you another sample to peruse
at your leisure.

Sample student essay
In your journal, answer “Pre-Reading
Journal Entry” on page 277
 Read together
 Answer:

◦ Questions for Close Reading #1
◦ Questions about the Writer’s Craft #s 1 & 2
Sample essay
“The Ugly Truth About Beauty”
Look over your previous essay.
 What is at least one goal you have for this
essay?

On your brainstorm sheet