Reflective Writing : Warren Bennis

The Norton Field Guide to Writing covers topics about writing and composing. Several of which I was already familiar with. In chapter 2, Bullock and Weinberg express how “Many readers find it helps to annotate as they read…” (16). I have become very familiar with annotating over the years. I often use this writing method to help me understand and summarize text I come across.

In “Reflective Writing and Revision Process”, Sandra Giles talks about the importance of reflective writing. She mentions that before she thought reflective writing was a waste of time and she just wrote her it to please her teacher, but it was not supposed to be like that. Reflective writing is supposed to talk about purpose of the essay, and then sets goals for revision. Through reflections, the students can change their audience if needed, make changes about the writing styles and the words choice, as well as figuring out the problems within their essays to improve them. The professors can also give feedbacks after reading their students’ memos and reflections. Throughout the whole essay, Giles includes several samples of reflective writings.

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This illustrates the theme in the historical play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Julius Caesar was a man full of arrogance and he had a sense of being self-absorbed. This kind of personality lead to bad things, it eventually led to death. Caesar was a well-known man in Rome. The people of Rome didn 't care what he did. Everyone thought he was perfect. I ii 273 He was married to a woman named Calpurnia. She lived in Rome. At the beginning of the play, Caesar just had defeated Pompey. I i 53 Some of the people in Rome knew that Caesar was getting into deep trouble. Brutus had to make a big decision towards the end. Everyone wanted Brutus to kill Caesar because he was never going to change his personality. He didn 't know what he should do, he didn 't know what is best for Rome.

Julius Caesar is unwilling to believe several warnings that could have saved his life. Julius Caesar was warned many times by many different people and yet

In life, people often look up to leaders and rulers in respectful viewpoints; whether it be out of bias or out of understanding. Leaders are at the top looking down upon us because of what they believe in, how commanding their words are, and the trust the people invest in them. Julius Caesar was neither a kind leader nor was he an understanding ruler; from his egotistical actions, his violent attacks and scandals with Cleopatra, and his controversy throughout Rome as leader in all its simplicity, I am undoubtedly certain Julius Caesar was a villain in disguise.

In the 2011 article “Helping Students Meet the Challenges of Academic Writing”, educators Linda Fernsten and Mary Reda offer innovative self-reflective writing exercises that post-secondary instructors can employ to help students improve writer self-image and academic writing. The authors’ rationale for reflective and practical writing strategies were developed from direct classroom experience, and are based on four (4) assumptions. Their claim that self-reflective writing can aid student writers in overcoming conflict (due to dominant culture, upbringing, former writing experiences, gender, and other marginalizing factors) to improve writer self-identity is plausible. However, their argument that cross-curriculum academic writing can be improved through self-directed, self-reflective writing requires further investigation.

He also believes this will bring him power. His downfall is shown in this quote because it shows what he’s going to do to no longer feel this way. It is also shown because the plot is based on his jealousy of Caesar.

Caesar also shows his inability to rule when he won't listen to his wife. His wife told him that she never believed in omens but dhe had a dream of him dying and it scared her and they pulled the guts out of the sacrificed animal and couldn't find its heart. Caesars response to that was “cowards die many time before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that i yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.” So off he went then he ended up getting killed. If he can't even listen to his wife then how is he going to make advice from his council? You can't rule without an adviser or someone to help you make decisions or it would be considered a dictatorship, and dictatorship hasn't worked well in the past. Take Benito Mussolini, Italy (1883-1945), his religion was so bad that he was summarily executed by communist. His body was hung upside down and pummeled with rock.

Omens are not meant to be ignored, yet some characters still choose to ignore them. The protagonist, Julius Caesar, is given a warning by a soothsayer, who tells him to “Beware the ides of March”(1.2.21). This phrase is said to him by a soothsayer during the race he participates in. Caesar immediately dismisses the soothsayer's words and calls , calling him a dreamer. The ides of March is supposed to be the day where he would be crowned king. Because it contradicts with what he wants to believe, however, Caesar decides to completely ignore this statement. His death could have been avoided if he had chosen to listen, but by disregarding the soothsayer, it leads to

After centuries of a stable republic in Rome, Rome’s political landscape is quickly changing. With kings and great political commanders venerated as gods, the power of the empire lies within the hands of a few. While Rome is conquering and controlling lands far away, the Roman people desire a great leader to oversee the wealth of the empire. Coming back from Egypt after the death of Pompey, Julius Caesar is determined to cement his place in power. However, as Julius Caesar becomes more ambitious, so does his opponents such as Brutus and Cassius.

Julius Caesar was a very import historical figure, and although there are many accounts of Julius Caesar's life through the eyes of different author’s, there is only one genuine account of Julius Caesar's life. One of the account of Julius Caesar, is found in a play written by Shakespeare. As it is presented in the “Seven Unforgettable Leadership Lessons from the Ancient Roman Conqueror”, Caesar proves to take risks, showing that there’s nothing wrong with starting small, and to never sell himself short. The ability of being a leader, and wanting approval from all of the people was in its own, a risk that Caesar took in Shakespeare’s play “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”. Taking risks comes with the quality of having leadership, and being willful and determined regardless of the outcome of that risk taken.

The nature of the human mind is that if one doesn’t like something, fix it. That statement applies to everyday life, in finances, career choices, and relationships. The delicate relationship between a ruler and his people balances on thin ice; be a leader and take charge, take the glory and power given and run. Do not, however, exploit this glory and power to the point of upsetting the people. Julius Caesar, like many rulers before and after him, worked tirelessly to strike this balance.

Living Writers taught me you can not fully understand the text as a reader until you have actively researched or engaged with the writer. I also learned you cannot accurately depict the perspective of a character as a writer until you try your best to fully embody and understand them. I took this class as an advertising major to fulfill a literature requirement. Meeting with “Living Writers” seemed like a promisingly unique experience. I thought my journalism classes prepared me to speak with strangers, but I was wrong. It turned out to be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life. Picking the brain of literary professionals is surprisingly quite intimidating. Throughout the term we have met Danielle Evans, Laila Lalami, Andre Dubus

Of the three men, Caesar's fate seemed most obvious to him and to the reader. However, Caesar used his free will in many instances to in large part ignore his

In the play, “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” explores the death and betrayal of Caesar of those he calls friends but none so more than Brutus. While an honorable man, it is through the jealousy and trickery of others that Brutus consents to the killing of a beloved friend. In this play, the bonds of friendship do not take precedence over the fact of what may possibly happen if Caesar were crowned. Brutus sets friendship aside for the good of his country, without taking time to speak with Caesar. Thus, the life question is posed are we willing to forsake friendship and rational thought for the possible good of a nation?