Notes about the Compare/Contrast Essay Macbeth

Overview  Definition of essay  Organization  Evidence  MLA  Final reminders/questions/turnitin.com

Definition of Compare/Contrast essay  Try not to get caught up in the definition. To compare is to contrast. To contrast is to compare. You’re two may be entirely similar, entirely different, or a mix of the two.  Although Macbeth and General Custer were ambitious to the point of not only their own destruction, but also that of their family members, both desired to be acknowledged by the public for their heroic abilities.

Organization  Key to this essay  Keep parallel  Remember:  Point by Point  Topic sentence should reflect comparison, not character  Block  Same idea

Evidence  Still a literary analysis  Need evidence to prove your point  Best way to do this is specific quotes from the text  Evidence should be attributed (who said it) and cited (where you got the evidence from)  Attribute it smoothly  Macbeth says, “It’s our duty as Scotsmen to eat haggis”  “It’s our duty as Scotsmen to eat haggis,” Macbeth says.  “It’s my duty as Scotsmen” Macbeth says, “to eat haggis”  In the first three lines of Act I, Scene 3, the witches are “killing swine.”

MLA  Essay is in MLA format  Everybody will have a works cited with Macbeth on it.  Use noodlebib – this will make your life easier.  Citations direct reader to the works cited. Use the first word or two of each entry in the parenthetical citation.  Exception is the play. Citation is merely (Macbeth )  Act.Scene.line numbers  After first, no need to write Macbeth anymore

MLA continued  Quotes four lines or less of Shakespeare’s words:  Use quotation marks  Use a slash “/” between line breaks  Punctuate exactly as he does  Quotes over four lines of Shakespeare’s words:  Block quotation  No quotation marks  Entire quote is indented  No slashes; write exactly as it looks on page.  Hit enter where Shakespeare would have, if he had a computer.

MLA continued  Normal:  To himself, Macbeth says, “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself / And falls on the other.” (Macbeth )  Block Macbeth tells his wife, We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon. (Macbeth )  TIP: USE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED. QUOTES THAT ARE TOO LONG JUMBLE UP YOUR WRITING.

MLA reminders  Works cited  Its own page.  Double spaced  Hanging indent  Alphabetical order  Heading (Top left of first page)  Your name  My name  Class title  Date  Header  Last name & page number (top right of every page)

Final reminders  Proofread and revise before turning it in  Turnitin.com due Friday night at 11:59 pm.