How to Write a Reflection Paper in Shakespeare Studies

What is a Reflection Paper?

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A reflection paper is an organized piece of academic writing, which includes student’s personal and subjective thoughts on an event, person, motion picture, or a book. In the reflection paper, the author discusses something in a story format. When asked to write a reflection paper in Shakespeare studies, you are required to express your impressions about his work.

What is the Purpose of Reflective Writing?

The objective of reflective writing is to help the student learn from a certain practical experience. It helps the student make connections between what he learns in theory and what should be done in practice. Reflection is meant to make the student learn.

In reflective writing, the student is trying to write down thoughts about what they’ve been through while practically doing an activity, such as teaching a class, reading a book, writing an essay, and so on. Through a reflection essay paper, you should make sense of your actions and be better at it next time.

Reflective writing gives the student a chance to reflect deeply about what they are doing and lean from the experience. You get the chance to discover how what you learn in class is helpful in your academic tasks or in the real-world. When you write your thoughts down, it will be easier for you to reflect on them and make a connection between your thoughts, what you are learning, and your actions. You can also use your reflection as evidence and a source of reference in the future.

5 Things to Know when Writing a Reflection Paper about Shakespeare

Before you begin writing a reflection paper, identify the purpose and meaning of reflection papers. The main objective of reflective writing is to present careful thoughts about the paper topic. Therefore, if you are asked to write a reflection paper in Shakespeare Studies, present, in your opinion, a reflection about the poet, his writing style, works of art, his life, etc.

A reflection paper is a personal piece of writing falling within the following parameters:

It is an expression of individual thoughts on the author, rather than provide obvious facts from his biography or other information sources.
A reflective paper is written in the first-person in a coherent structure, starting with a brief introduction through to a logical conclusion.
A reflective paper is an academic paper with a uniform writing style and tone even if “I” is used all through.
It comprises details that help you reflect on your actual attitude towards the topic under discussion.
You should stick to the provided word count, that is, between 300-700 words. Do not make it another Shakespeare play.

A reflection paper in Shakespeare Studies must demonstrate your understanding of Shakespeare and his individuality, his contribution to theatre and English literature, and broadly, his impact on the world culture and his place in modern art.

Writing a Reflection Paper Outline

Developing an outline for an essay is extremely significant in academic writing as it helps the writer create a map of the reflective paper in advance. Before you start the writing process, point out the important ideas. By doing this, you will make the process more effective and much easier. When you have the correct order of paragraphs, you will not miss any significant parts when it comes to the actual writing. The structure of the reflection essay paper should be to your preference of your instructor’s recommendations. However, the components are basically the same, that is, an introduction, main body parts, and the conclusion paragraph.

Introduction

The reflection paper introduction acts as a bridge between the reader and the ideas you want intend to cover. You should include the introductory information on the author, the topic under discussion or his works, and a thesis statement with essential sub-points that you want to explain in the reflection paper’s body.

The Main Body

The main body parts section is the key to writing a successful reflection paper as you need to awaken an echo in the hearts of your readers. The most important reader is your reader who wants you to connect with the ideas communicated in the course material. You need to make reasonable connections between all your opinions, experiences, and observations in this section of the paper. Every major concept should be expressed in the student’s point of view.

Conclusion

After presenting the main points in the body paragraphs, the final sections involve logically concluding your paper with a closing idea obtained from your reflection. In short, it is a summary of what you have understood or learned in the course. Recap your attitude to Shakespeare Studies. Do not include any supporting information in the conclusion, just talk about the topic under reflection. If everything is clear in the introduction and the main body of the paper, you will only need two concluding sentences to end a reflection paper in Shakespeare Studies.

When you ask ‘so what?’, it will help you manage the task when you get stuck before you finish the paper. A good conclusion should not bring about any more questions about your comprehension of the topic under discussion. In contrast, it should help the reader perceive the topic from your point of view fully. Therefore, you should write a reflection paper in the first person.

Topics in Shakespeare Studies/How to Write a Reflection Paper in Shakespeare Studies

Basically, you can define the topic of a reflection paper in Shakespeare Studies. You can skip the sample reflection topics below if you already have a topic. If you have no idea on what to reflect on, consider any of the 10 sample topics below:

What is the role of William Shakespeare in English literature?
Which is Shakespeare’s greatest strength?
Who do you perceive William Shakespeare to be?
William Shakespeare: His role in today’s world.
Shakespeare’s contribution to the world of theatre.
Is there a time limit for Shakespeare’s plays?
Does the society benefit from Shakespeare’s masterpieces?
What has made Shakespeare famous in recent decades?
Should high school students study Shakespeare’s works?
Will Shakespeare’s sonnets be read by the next generation?

It is essential to decide well in advance about the topic you want to write about. As a standard rule, the topic is assigned by your professor or provided to pick one among several options. So, which topic should you choose and why? An excellent reflection paper provides an insight into the topic from an individual perspective. By doing this, you will have sufficient information to write in your paper without needing help from anyone.

Reflective is about expressing your thoughts and most importantly, why and how you think that way. For more insightful ideas about your reflection paper, it is advisable to analyze other people’s ideas as there are numerous researchers actively engaged in Shakespeare Studies. An example is a series of books by William Shakespeare; Great Shakespearean, which has 18 volumes. The series provides comprehensive studies by Shakespearean writers, critics, and researchers from the 17^th to the 20^th centuries. Be attentive to how their viewpoints shape the foundation for their thoughts. After reading several pieces of literature, you can perhaps recognize how those ideas support or oppose your readings.

Step-By-Step Guide on Writing a Reflection Paper

Develop a Main Theme

After choosing your topic, write a summary of what you have taken away from your experience with the topic. Make your readers aware of your feelings about the topic, honestly. Chances are that the readers will probably relate to your viewpoint or the way you develop your perspective. This will help your readers better understand your reflection.

Brainstorm Experiences and Ideas Related to the Topic

You can note down predispositions, specific quotes, things that influence you, or any memorable thing. Be personal and discuss your feelings in simple words.

Analyze Why and How the Experiences and Ideas Affect your Understanding of your Theme

Choose an experience or an idea you had in the last step and evaluate it more. Write your reasons for supporting or not supporting it.

Connect your Opinions, Experiences, and Observations

Try and connect your insights and ideas to form a solid picture of your theme. Also, try to identify and break down your presumptions that you can challenge in the future. When writing a reflection paper about a book that was written by William Shakespeare, start by presenting information about his biography and summarize the plot. Do not reveal the ending as you want your readers to maintain interest in your paper. Ensure that you include the main themes, character names, and any other issues mentioned in the book. Lastly, reflect on the book and express your thoughts.

Important Tips to Follow for a Reflection Paper in Shakespeare Studies

When writing a reflection paper, you need to adopt a balanced approach. It does not make sense to immediately dive into the writing process after choosing a topic and knowing how to write it correctly. The following tips will help you do this task efficiently:

1. Concentrate on the task and its particulars. Some students risk getting lost in a task’s details, which ends up with poor results. Just to remind you – a reflection paper involves an individual response to the selected question. Ensure that understand all the guidelines about writing a reflection paper and follow them while writing your paper.

2. Identify your view on the topic and develop it in three sentences. The three sentences will take you straight to the point without moving away from the main topic. Ask reflective questions such as ‘what are my thoughts?’, ‘How does this make me feel?’ Do not shy away from passing a judgement. Write down a few words about what you understand about the topic, which will serve as the thesis statement. A strong thesis provides cohesion and focus for the whole reflection paper.

3. Look for sufficient information sources to support your thesis with facts. The extra sources of information are meant to expound your thoughts about an issue in detail. You will be surprised on the amount available about Shakespeare. However, your job is to obtain information that supports your opinion about the topic. You do not have to cite your sources in a reflection paper, but it will make it easier for you to present an opinion based on available facts about Shakespeare.

4. Follow the standard essay structure. It is essential to a well-organized academic paper, which also applies to a reflection paper. Each section of a reflection paper aims to meet certain objectives for the reader. Starting with the introduction, this is supposed to briefly talk about the topic. This is followed by the body paragraphs that provide a deep understanding of the subject while providing concrete details on how you decided on it. Every concept stated in the main body paragraphs should support the logical and final conclusion you present to your readers.

5. Revise the paper at least three times. You are advised to reread your written reflection to ensure that each phrase and sentence makes sense. Make improvements and correct mistakes to enable you obtain good grades.

Common Mistakes while Writing a Reflection Paper

Many students adopt a wrong approach when writing a reflective essay in Shakespeare Studies as they do not understand the objective of the task. At this time, you should be aware that reflective papers are more personal and subjective than other academic assignments. Therefore, there is no right or wrong of going about it as long as you express your opinion and experience.

Please note that you have to be brief in your text because unlike writing a research paper, an essay needs to be shorter and to the point.

The last mistake is not asking questions. If you have no idea about how to write a reflective paper in Shakespeare Studies, do not hesitate to ask your teacher for advice. Keep in mind that you will not lower your grade if you ask for help; not asking can lower your grade.

Do You Still Want To Write An Excellent Reflection Paper?

The good news is that you now have all the valuable tips on writing a good reflective paper in Shakespeare Studies. Despite all the drawbacks of beginning a new paper without proper planning, you are advised to follow the primary principles when writing a reflection paper. Choose a topic from the list provided and use the reflection paper outline in this guide and develop your individual ideas about the topic. In addition, you can find more information on the topic if necessary.

You will note that writing a reflection paper requires more effort and time unlike traditional reports and essays. Students are expected to be purposeful and engaged analysts and thinkers while developing a reflection paper. Hence, be among those who will create an excellent reflection paper in Shakespeare Studies.

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