“The written word is the strongest source of power in the entire universe”

Compose an imaginative, discursive or persuasive piece which explores this idea (20)

Ding!
Bttz!
Burr!

Let me guess, you just unlocked your phone for the 60th time today only to open a snap that said “streaks”
with a blank screen and the time on it. I want to welcome you to the world of today, completely drowned within
the entangling grasps of technology.

The “Technology Buffet” available to us today through social media has stripped us all of our power to write
and express ourselves. It has given birth to abbreviations and slang which value laziness over emotional
integrity and can't even be understood by all. Now we throw around “ILY” like confetti, making it lose its
sincerity. Gone are the days of mailing letters which ended with “P.s. I Love You, Love____” which brought joy
to others wherever they were in the world.

Written words are the source of empowerment that gives us all strength and lifts our human spirit. Let's take
those arms that fight for our country as an example. Endless days on the frontline, halfway across the globe
from their families, separated for months. Days passed and at the end of each one you are thankful that you
didn’t get a bullet to the back of the head. Now just imagine receiving a letter from home in a place you feel
completely alone, in a cyclical fight for your life. How would you feel? For them, it gave them a purpose.
Something to fight for. A reason to survive. To return home to those who mattered most, reiterating Anui
Somany who once said: “words embody power to inspire or motivate us”. If that isn't power, what is?

Shakespeare. Jane Austen. George Orwell. What do all of them share in common? To many, their literary
legacy still continues because they told everlasting stories that will be passed on for centuries. We all know the
story of Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice because they are timeless pieces of literature that have changed the
course of history by moulding the way we think and act. I remember coming home and my dad asking me what
I learnt at school and I told him we were studying ‘Animal Farm” by George Orwell and my dad said “I studied
that too when I was in year 10 back in New Zealand” and I was flabbergasted. 40 years apart and yet the book
is still valued as a work of fine art today, which made me realise that they are not just appreciated stories
whose words endure over time, they are social constructs disguised as compelling fiction. This is unlike the
devastating erasure of the power of the written word through contemporary society’s immersion in suffocating
10 seconds words and moments through snapchat and Instagram stories, gone within 24 hrs.

I once read the story of ‘Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes’ which is based on a true story from the
perspective of a young girl who experienced the bombing of Hiroshima and I became completely immersed in
her world and experiences. It was as if I could see my house crumbling like the buildings or being separated
from my family amidst the rubble and ash. This would not be possible without language and words which
encapsulate experiences in a tight bubble, frozen and preserving timeless memories and recreating history as
Joseph Canrad once said: “the power of the written word is to make you hear, to make you feel/to make you
see” what we will never experience ourselves. Today, there is a memorial in Hiroshima to unite us around the
globe to fold paper cranes and contribute to the loss of a brave, helpless young girl.

Consider this, written words hold memories. Sounds bizarre right? I vividly remember the time my mother
asked me to clean the garage and sort through the old cardboard boxes and one box was labelled “old diaries
and children's books” and it spoke to me. To my surprise I found a diary from when I was 14 and I decided to
break open the rusty, silver lock and flick through the discoloured pages. As I was reading the written words on
the page from my 14 year old self, vignettes of my past flashed into my mind. Recollections of days that were
the “best days of my life” to times I was losing myself and turned to this diary for escapism. I could feel the little
girl inside me rising to the surface once more. Her joy...her frustrations… her sadness. I felt like I was
reconnecting with my past self that I had left behind so long ago. Without the power of writing we would not be
able to express ourselves or give into our creative freedom. The written word has become more powerful than
ever in disentangling us from the intoxicating rise of technology in our society which has stolen our identities
and thus it is through writing that we can look back at who we once were and realise how far we have come
since. That is the power of words.
So I invite you to close your eyes and imagine where you will be and who you would be today if you just
switched that “bttz” to silence and embrace the power of written words.
Quotes and Analysis
Textual Evidence
Quotes/Techniques
"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and
shalt be
What thou art promised. Yet do I
fear thy nature;
It is too full o' th' milk of human
kindness
To catch the nearest way."
"Hey, Macbeth, you're going
places! You're gonna be the
Thane of Glamis, the Thane of
Cawdor, and even the king
someday!" - Act 1, Scene 3
(Foreshadowing)
"Thou art too like the spirit of
Banquo. Down! Thy crown does
sear mine eyeballs." (Act 3, Scene
4)
Technique: Personification
Character and there personal
traits
Character: Lady Macbeth
Personal Trait: Manipulation
Character: Three Witches
Persondriving test bookingal
Trait: Deceitful
Character: Banquo
Personal Trait: Fear/Guilt
Analysis
Macbeth changes his mind about
the murder of King Duncan
primarily due to the persuasive
influence of his wife, Lady
Macbeth. When Macbeth
expresses his doubts and moral
reservations, Lady Macbeth
challenges his masculinity and
questions his love for her,
manipulating his emotions and
appealing to his ambition. Her
relentless and cunning persuasion
stokes Macbeth's desire for power
and greatness, eventually
convincing him to abandon his
initial hesitancy and commit the
heinous act of regicide.
The Three Witches' high praise
towards Macbeth plants a sense of
hope that he will become king in
the future which drives his deep
ambition to forgo the prophecy.
The witches' prophecy of Macbeth
claiming the title Thane Of Cawdor,
first awakens his inner ambition to
truly believe that prophecy is true.
The witches deceitful praise
foreshadows his future when he is
blinded with an urge for power
which then strives him to kill King
Duncan.
Banquo is seen as a ghost towards
Macbeth as he blasted with guilt
when he killed his best friend. H
is ambition and manipulation
towards
Discursive Theme - “Power is often the reason for our own downfall.”

Types of Power and its consequences that lead to Macbeth’s Downfall

Ambition and Greed: Macbeth's downfall is driven by his overwhelming ambition and greed for power.
He starts as a loyal and valiant soldier but is easily swayed by the prophecies of the three witches,
which ignite his desire to become king.

Manipulation and Influence: Lady Macbeth plays a crucial role in Macbeth's downfall. She
manipulates him into committing regicide by questioning his masculinity and using emotional
manipulation. Her ambition and thirst for power match, if not surpass, Macbeth's.

Unchecked Ambition: Macbeth's unchecked ambition blinds him to the moral consequences of his
actions. He becomes increasingly ruthless, ordering the murders of Banquo and Macduff's family,
which alienates him from his peers and subjects.

Paranoia and Guilt: As Macbeth ascends to power, his guilt and paranoia consume him. He becomes
tormented by hallucinations, seeing Banquo's ghost and imagining bloodstains. This mental
deterioration further contributes to his downfall.

Isolation: Macbeth's thirst for power isolates him from others. He distances himself from his friends
and allies, making him vulnerable to manipulation and weakening his support network.

Fate vs. Free Will: Macbeth grapples with the concept of fate and free will. The prophecies from the
witches initially spark his ambition, but his choices and actions ultimately lead to his downfall. This
raises questions about whether his fate was preordained or if he could have altered his course.

Loss of Moral Compass: Macbeth's pursuit of power leads him to abandon his moral compass. He
sacrifices his integrity and commits heinous acts that ultimately lead to his downfall.

Hubris: Macbeth's hubris, or excessive pride, leads him to believe he is invincible due to the witches'
prophecies. This overconfidence blinds him to the dangers around him, contributing to his downfall.

The Supernatural: The influence of the supernatural in Macbeth's life is undeniable. The witches'
prophecies and supernatural occurrences like the floating dagger further drive his actions, blurring
the lines between reality and illusion.

Tragic Hero: Macbeth fits the mould of a tragic hero, a character with noble qualities who experiences
a downfall due to a tragic flaw. In his case, his ambition and willingness to pursue power at any cost
lead to his tragic demise.

Real life Examples of Downfalls - A range of perspectives

Characters Description
Adolf Hitler Hitler's unchecked ambition for power and his
 desire for world domination led to his downfall.
His aggressive expansionist policies and
atrocities during World War II eventually resulted
in defeat for Nazi Germany and his own death.

Roman Empire The Roman emperors' quest for power, coupled

with corruption, internal strife, and military
overextension, contributed to the decline and
eventual fall of the mighty Roman Empire.

Vladimir Putin While still in power, Putin's authoritarian

tendencies and efforts to centralise power have
led to criticisms both domestically and
internationally, potentially affecting Russia's
stability and global relationships.

Pol Pot The leader of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia,

Pol Pot's quest for absolute power resulted in
the genocide of nearly 2 million people and the
devastation of his country.

King Louis XVI of France Louis XVI's absolute power and disregard for the
suffering of the French people contributed to the
French Revolution. His reign led to economic
hardships and inequality, fueling public outrage
that ultimately led to his execution.

Logos: logic - using factual information/stats/expert opinions etc

Pathos: emotions- use emotive language
Ethos: try to build trust with your audience eg inclusive language

"From Ascension to Abyss: The Tragic Allure of Power's Pitfalls"

"Fatal Fascination: How Power's Siren Song Leads to Self-Destruction"
"Tales of Hubris: When Power Becomes the Catalyst for Catastrophe"