Macbeth

Another game of chess

“Life is like a game of chess. To win you have to make a move. Knowing which move to make comes with IN-SIGHT and knowledge, and by learning the lessons that are accumulated along the way. We become each and every piece within the game called life” (Allan Rufus).

The next few weeks mark the final chapter of our senior schooling. Senior English, throughout the last two years has proven extremely effective on many levels and equipped me with a greater insight to my interaction within the social landscape that surrounds me in everyday-to-day scenarios. It has left me with a greater sense of perception and wisdom into the reality that exists behind many facets of life, namely be it documentaries, poems, novels and world

The game of chess, became a struggle, but one I could overcome. This assessment attracted the response, why? Will I use this after school? Macbeth, set in the very early 17th century witnessed how a man, Macbeth was plagued by his vaulting ambition, fertile imagination and his uncertain sense of identity. As a knock on effect, the deterioration of the hierarchical order of the, ‘Great Chain of Being’ and his hamartia ambition resulted, due to his succumbing to his erosion of conscience (due to a forfeiture of rationality). So, what did Macbeth have to teach me as a person? Power should only be reserved for those that know its ins and outs. Sociocultural influences take a major toll on a person’s life and they need to question their own sense of rational with the accepted ideals, which may not always be reasonable. Personally, finding your own sense of identity and knowing your limits and strengths is something Macbeth lacked and this is what made him succumb to his vaulting ambition leading to death. Ultimately, Macbeth was influenced too much of an extent where his rationale effectively did not safeguard him from his unwise decisions - therefore one must consider the decisions in their life and consider the potential ramifications. Thanks Macbeth, you really taught us all something (no humour

A type of literature I was never, well fond of – poetry. But I realised, that poetry is such a powerful medium, despite its mere length. I found that the poem, “I Was Only 19”, by John Schumann was such a powerful piece of poetry, where the unit alone gave me an insight on how the language and text choices within poems can either perpetuate the dominant attitudes and values of Australian cultural and social identity or depict the ideals of marginalised groups. This poem served to identify the ANZAC legend, where it effectively highlighted through my de-construction that within the context of war, were the values such as mateship which come to permeate Australian poetry. Australia is host to a multitude of representations that are manifested through the lens of society in various avenues, but stereotypes are only limited to the manipulation of information. For instance, the media may manipulate the view by deliberately omitting or distorting facts, all responsible for stereotypes v reality. Personally, I found that this unit was a foundation to my understanding of literature in this current day in age, as previously I stood well clear of poetry, as I didn’t have a desire for it, but I have found that I have succumb to a degree to this genre. Through my understanding of cultural assumptions that have gradually been embedded into society, I have found that the multitude of perspectives on events is