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Boston Bombing Reaction

I'm sure most of you have heard about the bombings in Boston by now. If you haven't, just flip on your tv to the nearest news station or look it up online, it's getting a lot of media attention. I know this doesn't relate to Macbeth or anything we've discussed in class, but I need a fourth post and this recent event has caught my attention. The way I see it is that there are two types of reactions by the public to this atrocity. The first type and more commonly seen among teenagers is shock and sympathy. My Twitter newsfeed is filled with tweets saying #prayforboston because obviously people are in shock with the recent events that have transpired today. Not only that, but you can't help but feel sorry for the victims of this horrific event, and people living in the area. I completely support this trending topic on Twitter because I hate to learn news of such sadness, and I only want the best for those who have been affected. Moving on to the next type of reaction, and that's disgust or annoyance. Believe it or not, there are many people who get irritated by those who tweet things like #prayforboston because they personally think that it's unfair to acknowledge tragedies in North America but not other countries. To an extent I can understand where these people are coming from, because it's true that society will react more to news that is widely publicized, opposed to events that happen in countries where the events are not always reported. Like the first type of reaction, I support this type as well because I feel as though people can be completely oblivious to the world around them. I'm definitely on the fence about this one, because a part of me feels sorrow for the people affected by the Boston Bombing, but another part of me is reminding me that acts of terrorism like this occur ALL the time in other countries, they just don't get the same recognition as Canada and the U.S. Anyways, I'm not trying to label people by how they reacted to this devastation, I just want to know where you guys stand. These two "types" of reactions are simply examples of a majority of teenagers' responses.


What ran through your head when you heard about the Boston Bombings?

Shakespeare

A majority of students don't enjoy reading Shakespeare in class, but can you really blame them? His plays are lengthy, boring, and irrelevant to modern society for the most part. All of these things make you wonder why we continue to include Shakespeare in the English curriculum, because it seems really pointless. Having said that, I can contradict myself by saying that Shakespeare is actually beneficial to students' learning skills. I believe that because of the early english styled writing, it forces students to think beyond the text and really analyze what's going on in the play. Enjoyable? Not at all. But it trains your brain to think more deeply, and acquire new knowledge from the text. Sometimes we have to endure units in class that we don't enjoy, but we gain knowledge and new skills along the way without even realizing it at times. So in conclusion, Shakespeare is not the most exciting part of high school, but just remember that it can help you in the long run, as you pick up new literature skills and writing styles.

Temptation

Despite the fact that Macbeth is set in the 1600's, I believe that there are many themes within the play that can relate to modern day. Temptation is a theme that everyone can genuinely sympathize about with Macbeth's character because we have all given into temptations during the course of our lives at least once. Macbeth succumbs to temptation when Lady Macbeth pressures him to murder Duncan. Macbeth says to Lady Macbeth,"We will proceed no further in this business" (Act 1 scene 7), but then Lady Macbeth suggests that he is cowardly to back out of their plot to kill, ultimately making Macbeth  give into her peer pressure. It's quite evident that temptation can sway the decisions of others, because Macbeth changed his mind after a temptation to kill Duncan was presented to him. Temptation in this play proves to be a very powerful desire that is enjoyed at first, but often regretted later at some point.

Perspective of Evil

Dexter

I believe that we are surrounded by evil people, and it is within those whom we may least expect. There is a degree of evil in which people cannot control, they are simply natured that way. Take Dexter, (from this video clip) for example. He is driven by a unique sense of evil, because he claims to kill for the better of society. He kills people who have not yet been captured by the police, and more importantly, people who have committed horrific acts of crime themselves (murder, rape, etc.). After watching every season of this amazing series, it has come to my realization that evil is not always visible to us, and looks can be deceiving. The question after watching this show really becomes whether or not it is acceptable to kill others who potentially "deserve it." It's like fighting fire with fire, but I believe that Dexter isn't doing anything wrong. What's your thoughts on this controversy?