Analytical Comparison

Write an essay comparing at least two, but no more than three, mythic beliefs, rituals, characters, scenes, stories, or other aspects that share COMMON CHARACTERISTICS.

Use at least three sources.

Structures for Comparison:
1. Compare items that share common characteristics. If they do not share common characteristics they cannot be compared.

2. In the first paragraph, state the shared characteristics and the purpose of your comparison. The purpose statement is a thesis statement that controls the whole essay. The statement of shared charcteristics is a roadmap to the essay’s development of ideas.
3. Three shared characteristics is a good number. Two can be too few, four can get messy.
4. Use one of these organizational structures and DO NOT MIX THEM.

A. Subject by Subject.
Apples
Sweet
Red, Yellow or Green
Seed in central pocket
Oranges
Sweet, citric, and tangy
Orange
Seeds internal
Strawberries
Sweet, very sweet when ripe
Red
Seeds on surface

B. Point by Point
Sweetness
Apple
Orange
Strawberry
Color
Apple-Red to yellow smooth
Orange-orange textured
Strawberry-red w/seed speckles
Seeds
Apple-interior, hard, small
Orange-interior, soft, medium
Strawberry-exterior, hard, tiny.
Possible comparison topics:
*The object of two hero’s quests (e.g. grail, victory, love) as related to the hero’s character
*Sacred objects and their influence on mortals
*The structure of the universe (sky, earth, underworld) as envisioned by human cultures
*The human search for wisdom through journey, quest, or other means

NOTE: keep your topics mythical. If you include modern "mythical" items, define and defend them as such using definitions and terms related to the study of Mythology.