1. Epic Essay
Comparison / Contrast of Dante’s Inferno and Milton’s Paradise Lost: Visions of Hell

2. ASSIGNMENT:
Write an analytical essay in which you compare and / or contrast the descriptions of the following: Hell / Satan in the excerpts from Dante’s Inferno and Milton’s Paradise Lost (as contained on pages ) for the author’s intended purpose / effect.

3. To create your analysis, consider the following:

4. The Introduction MUST CONTAIN
Authors’ names
Titles of the two pieces in PROPER MLA format
Thesis statement which will identify the SUBJECTS of the essay and an ARGUMENT to be developed in relation to the subject.

5. The ARGUMENT Within the Thesis Should Respond to the Following:
What purpose(s) do Dante and Milton intend in the writing of their respective pieces as suggested by the similarities and / or differences? [What is Dante trying to show, prove, demonstrate? And Milton? Is it a shared idea or concept? Are they different?]

6. Body Paragraph(s) Should Answer. . .
What idea / concept do the authors intend based on their compared and /or contrasted portrayals of: Hell, Satan? Good topic sentences will state the subjects being developed and their relationship to the argument.
EVIDENCE: Quotes with line citations from each piece:
ONE QUOTE from EACH PIECE showing a SIMILARITY or DIFFERENCE using ANALYSIS for the first category
ONE QUOTE from EACH PIECE showing a DIFFERENCE or SIMILARITY and using ANALYSIS for the next category
ANALYSIS: How / Why / What About EACH quote demonstrates shared significance OR varying significance in developing the authors’ purpose(s)?

7. Conclusion
What general idea (conclusion) would the authors want the reader to take away from the literature? What should the reader learn from each piece [or from both]?