VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Nothing to fear
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 60%: The unknown - That in which we cannot control - That is where fear thrives. And that darkness outside, it…
The unknown - That in which we cannot control - That is where fear thrives. And that darkness outside, it welcomes such uncertainty with open arms. The cold, blank, unknown is what brings these things to life. manifesting horrors. orchestrating monsters. It is a human condition - to fear everything we cannot influence. We let what we don’t control, control us.
It never rested - the figure enshrouded in that darkness, always present, ever awake, even in the quietest depths of the night. It could not rest, for it feared the light, always weary as it sensed it creep around the corner. At dawn, it flees, vanishing into the shadows, waiting, ready, for that sunless space to return, where it once again could hunt. The creature, An illusion. A reality. a figment of the mind - or an ever ready predator, blighting the unknown.
The trembling had already begun. Why should I have fear, in the warm confines of my home? A sanctuary during the terrors of the night. Why do I have fear?
Yet it is never enough, reasoning does not dare barter with the devil. The fear worsens, clasping what little control I still had over my mind.
The thing lays ready. It senses my presence, just as I feel its. “There is a sort of connection we have, you and I”, I whispered, my voice trembling.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oedipus the King suggests that humans are…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Oedipus the King suggests the humans are powerless against fate. Do you agree? Sophocles Oedipus the King retells…
Oedipus the King suggests the humans are powerless against fate. Do you agree?
Sophocles Oedipus the King retells the legend of Oedipus presenting him as the quintessential tragic hero who elicits profound pity and fear from his Athenian audience through his eventual self inflicted downfall. Sophocles contends that humans have little control over divine will, but how they respond to their predestined fate is a matter of choice. In the Parode the playwright demonstrates how attempts to resist divine will ultimately leads to greater destruction. Sophocles explores how the blind pursuit of the truth enables fate to be revealed and once revealed, leadership is justly enacted.
The playwright cautions against denying divine authority, as doing so will only lead to pain and suffering. In the Prologous, Thebes is plagued by a miasma and the city is suffering immensely with citizens lamenting that "Thebes is dying." Here, the emotive language used by the Chorus reflects the depth of their despair as they refer to their home as the "city of death" and speak of how "black death luxuriates in the raw wailing misery". Moreover, Jocasta's dramatically ironic statement that "the land (is) so sick" speaks to the playwrights determination to signal to his Athenian audience that the loimos is a punishment from the gods, for the Thebans not seeking justice to find the individual responsible for the previous king Laius' regicide. Furthermore, the length to which Jocasta and Laius went to try outwit the gods is seen when Jocasta reveals that their infant son was abandoned on a 'barren trackless mountain' when he 'wasn't three days old'. Here, Jocasta and Laius' attempt to thwart the prophesy that their son 'must make love with (his) own mother' and 'shed (his) fathers blood with (his) own hands' is highlighted. In doing so, Sophocles intends to warn his Athenian audience who may have been questioning the gods during the Peloponnesian war that disregard of divine will only leads to greater devastation and suffering. This is emphasized through the messager's declaration that Oedipus
was "the life that rose up to destroy" Laius. Thus, the playwright demonstrates the inescapability of fate and how attempts to defy the divine authority only leads to greater destruction.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Personal Journey - the map had changed
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 80%: The map had changed This time the sound of the whistle to reassemble us to hear the coaches final words wasn't…
The map had changed
This time the sound of the whistle to reassemble us to hear the coaches final words wasn't welcoming. Normally, after a training session for soccer I was ready to allow my body to relax again; to give it a reward for its strength and ability to improve my status in the team and feel healthy. Yet, this time the map had changed - the sound of the whistle acted like a lightning bolt through my body. Simultaneously the sound of the whistle and my body breaking down forced me to the ground. I had no control. The dampness of the grass and the freezing cold air were no match for the pain that engulfed my body. All I could manage was a primal scream. I knew it felt wrong. I knew I needed assistance immediately. I knew that the bright pitch lights would be shepherding me off the pitch rather than lighting the path for one last pep talk.
The cliché that you don't know what you have until its gone is one that hits home the hardest. Who would have thought that my knee could in fact become the villain of my story? It seemed like any other day right up until the point when my happiness was stripped from me and my map changed. I struggled to draw breath as the fast pace of my heart made me feel as if I were about to explode. For once Melbourne's cold, grey and wet winter weather matched my mood. I knew it was bad but until I managed to take off my tight soccer sock I still had some hope. Like blowing up a red balloon my knee expanded as the sock no longer held back the swelling. The MRI result reported the worst news, the biggest in my journey - my ACL and miniscus were torn, badly.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: The embers glow with secrets untold,…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 67.5%: Sometimes I hear the whispers of my ancestors suffering. The genocide of my people, the Assyrians, was a…
Sometimes I hear the whispers of my ancestors suffering. The genocide of my people, the Assyrians, was a deafening hush kept away from the world, a terrifying chorus that struck a piercing note of betrayal into each of our souls. Yet our story lives on, waiting for the brave to listen.
I reminisce back to my younger years, around the age of 11 attending my first protest, standing firm on the uneven pavement clutching a weathered wooden sign that read “The whispers of the Assyrian genocide is a secret jewel kept away from the world”. I recollect on that sweltering Melbourne afternoon that fellow protestors faces mirrored my own, their eyes drowned in tears of determination, anticipation and tension, and their lips quivering with the weight of history. We all stopped, and from here the earth began to shake from the thunderous roar of Assyrian chants: “Is anyone brave enough to listen?” “Our cries were once reverberated through the air, now just a silent whisper flowing through the ashes”. The roar was a great inferno of remembrance, and finally it felt like the chains of silence were shattered. I remember how after we progressed, from where I stood, 1200 protestors began to drop to their knees, each of us raising a hand to the sky in anamnesis of our ancestors. We were a bond forged with the unyielding spirit of aversion against the hostility targeted towards us. I still feel the jagged edges of the concrete pavement pressing deep into my skin, each scar representing the whispers of cries flowing through the ashes of the 1915 genocide. Those embers’ secrets, once tightly bond, were now carried on the wind’s bold currents, breaking the ancient fetters of silence to echo truth for all to hear.
I think back to my uncle, a survivor of the 1915 genocide, a person that I was emotionally close to, someone that protested through storytelling. His face was weathered with sorrow, each
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Not understanding or accepting our…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Introduction Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground (2020) is a powerful and unsettling exploration of Australia’s…
Introduction
Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground (2020) is a powerful and unsettling exploration of Australia’s colonial history, dramatizing the devastating consequences of cultural misunderstanding and prejudice. Set in Arnhem Land in the early twentieth century, the film portrays the violent clash between European settlers and Indigenous Australians through the intertwined journeys of Travis, a disillusioned former sniper, and Gutjuk, a young Aboriginal man caught between two worlds. Johnson’s narrative reveals that the root of conflict lies not in inherent differences, but in the inability — or unwillingness — of individuals and societies to recognise, respect, and reconcile those differences. Through its depiction of fear, guilt, and mistrust, High Ground asserts that understanding and acceptance are essential to healing both personal and national wounds.
Body Paragraph 1: Colonial arrogance and misunderstanding
At the heart of High Ground lies the colonial belief in cultural superiority — a refusal to understand Indigenous law, land, and identity. The film’s opening massacre sequence immediately establishes this ignorance as the foundation of violence. When Sergeant Moran orders the killing of an Aboriginal clan, it is not a calculated act of war but a catastrophic overreaction born of fear and miscommunication. The settlers’ failure to perceive the clan as fellow human beings transforms misunderstanding into atrocity. The cinematography — wide, panoramic shots of the Northern Territory landscape juxtaposed with the sudden, jarring violence — symbolises the colonisers’ blindness: they see the land’s vastness, but not its people’s humanity. Johnson thus exposes how ignorance becomes institutionalised as power, creating a cycle of domination and revenge.
Body Paragraph 2: Personal conflict — Travis and Gutjuk
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In ‘Born a Crime,’ Noah suggests that…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 67.5%: Treavor Noah’s memoir, ‘Born a Crime’, explores the difficulties and complexities initiated by the apartheid of…
Treavor Noah’s memoir, ‘Born a Crime’, explores the difficulties and complexities initiated by the apartheid of South Africa, through the lenses of being raised as a mixed-race individual at that time. Hurdles are implemented by the oppressor; however, those who leap passed them rather than accepting them, are establishing resistance. Through Patricia’s defiance of apartheids expectations, alongside the ideas of adaptability and humour to withstand oppression. Furthermore, it is Patricias emotional and spiritual strength which is the base of her ability to persist.
Patricia defining her own path, goes against the expectations of the systematic oppression. The development of the apartheid is to keep the racial and social hierarchy in check; being so precise and intricately planned out to where Treavor refers to it as “perfect racism.” However, it does not work on Patricia, “She never let the system tell her what to do.” Patricia refuses to act as a pawn piece to their chessboard. She sees oppression as an inconvenient obstacle, rather than an insurmountable barrier. Thereby she insists on defining the life she wants, rather than accepting the one forced upon her.
Despite the rulings against her, she still proceeds to have a baby with Robert, a European man, simply because she wants to. Granting herself the privilege of choice, which… Her carrying through with having a ‘coloured’ baby, is the epitome of resistance against the apartheid; as the core operation of the system is to segregate the races, therefore, her having a baby which mixes the races is a slap in the face to the apartheid’s segregation. The many obstacles placed for parents of coloured children, convinced them to leave south Africa. However, when Trevor asked his mother she replied, “Because I am not Swiss...this is my country. Why should I leave?” This comparison between Patricia and the other parents shows how the rulings of the apartheid worked on them as it pushed them to leave. However, did not work on Patricia, as
There were many obstacles that came with having him, however throughout the book she…
By persisting through all these obstacles, acting as his maid, keeping him inside the house, jumping out of a car is enforcing the pathway she is taking… by denying the rules they are trying to impose on her, it is a silent protest. As she is not for the rulings, instead doing what she wants, which happens to be against the rulings… resistance.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Section A Prompt: Not understanding or…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: The misunderstanding and unacceptance of differences defines the cause of conflict. The belief of understanding…
The misunderstanding and unacceptance of differences defines the cause of conflict. The belief of understanding differences extends beyond respect; it reflects the support for the past and present community and its culture. Johnson reveals the denial of differences remains the target of conflict in ‘High Ground’. The film High Ground is set in the 1930s in the Arnhem Land region of Northern Australia by Stephen Maxwell Johnson serves as an exploration of the acts of injustice towards Aboriginals. Johnson reveals that cultural differences and a lack of understanding contribute to conflict between people from different backgrounds. Ultimately, Johnson exposes how Australian colonisation was built on racism and cultural erasure. Thus, Johnson highlights the misuse of violence to attempt resolving conflict.
Johnson reveals that cultural differences and a lack of understanding contribute to conflict between people from different backgrounds. In the film, a consult between Moran and Darrpa occur when Moran states ‘In this country...’ following by Darrpa’s instant disruption ‘My Country’ displaying the frustration Darrpa holds, this interaction between Moran and Darrpa reveals that Moran still does not acknowledge that this country belongs to the first nations people, Johnson reveals the lack of acknowledgement towards cultural understanding results to conflict between parties. Throughout the film ‘High Ground’, Eddy is chosen to abuse the use of slurs towards the Indigenous with slurs such as "black bastard" and "coons". These words symbolize the disregard, ignorance and outright mockery some colonists exhibit regarding First Nation cultures, highlighting the lack of understanding for others culture. Later in the film, Gutjuk attempts to pass of tips from Travis to Gulwirri to ‘stay on the high ground’. This triggers Gulwirri saying ‘you think like a white man’ reflecting frustration from Gulwirri as both cultures settle traditions differently, Johnson explores that one is averse towards understanding another’s culture rather than being open to learn from. Ultimately, Johnson demonstrates to the audience that when people disrespect and fail to acknowledge cultural differences, it results towards conflict between different cultures.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How is love perceived as superficial and…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: Written on the cusp of the seventeenth century, William Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night, or What You Will,…
Written on the cusp of the seventeenth century, William Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night, or What You Will, explores the chaotic interplay of love, desire, and human folly in a world of disguise and mistaken identity through his use of dialogue. Within this festive yet deceptive landscape, Shakespeare reveals to his audience how love frequently defies logic, driven by impulsive desire and surface appearances rather than genuine emotion. While Viola embodies measured, rational affection, most other characters succumb to or are motivated by excessive and superficial passions, revealing Shakespeare’s portrayal of love as both irrational and performative, a satirical reflection on human vulnerability in the pursuit of desire.
Set in the whimsical world of Illyria, Shakespeare first reveals love’s superficiality through Count Orsino’s indulgent fantasies, contrasting them with Viola’s rational and sincere devotion. Orsino’s yearning for Olivia is so exaggerated that his “appetite may sicken”, emphasising the performative nature of his emotions. He is infatuated not with Olivia herself but with the idea of being in love, his poetic excess reflecting Illyria’s mood of playful unreality. His self-indulgent melancholy becomes comic to the audience, particularly because his love is unrequited, while Viola, who truly loves him, is ironically sent to “woo” Olivia on his behalf. Viola’s rational self-control highlights the sincerity that Orsino’s passion lacks. Her concealed affection is rational and constant: she serves Orsino loyally despite her own feelings, revealing emotional restraint rather than impulsive infatuation. Her heartfelt declaration, “Make me a willow cabin at your gate,” captures the instinctive sincerity of her love, while her confession, “I am all the daughters of my father’s house, and all the brothers too,” signals both self-awareness and sacrifice. Through this juxtaposition, Shakespeare critiques love’s irrational tendency to elevate fantasy above truth, suggesting that only reasoned affection, as shown by Viola, endures beyond illusion.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: how does charlotte bronte explore moral…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Set against the bleak moors and rigid moral codes of Victorian England, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre transcends the…
Set against the bleak moors and rigid moral codes of Victorian England, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre transcends the bildungsroman form to interrogate how moral integrity and personal autonomy emerge under systemic constraint. Through a fusion of Gothic symbolism and psychological realism, Brontë critiques the patriarchal and social hierarchies that confine women while redefining virtue as an act of self-determination. In tracing Jane’s evolution from subjugation to self-possession, Brontë asserts that ethical choice and interior consciousness constitute the truest forms of freedom. Her Gothic intensity exposes the oppressive weight of hierarchy and the tension between passion and principle that shape moral and emotional growth. Ultimately, Brontë challenges the limitations of her society while affirming the transformative power of conscience, autonomy, and self-realisation.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “By then, I’d started concocting a little…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Set in the 1950s, beneath the glamorous façade of Hollywood, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard exposes the…
Set in the 1950s, beneath the glamorous façade of Hollywood, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard exposes the widespread inauthenticity and moral corruption within the film industry. Wilder presents a world in which individuals frequently abandon their integrity in pursuit of fame or success, highlighting how Hollywood fosters an environment where self-interest thrives at the expense of morality. Many characters cope with this harsh reality through self-deception, which only hastens their downfall. However, while moral decay is pervasive, Wilder does not suggest that morality is entirely absent. Instead, he acknowledges and celebrates the few individuals who manage to uphold their values amidst the corruption. Therefore, while Sunset Boulevard strongly critiques the lack of morality and integrity in Hollywood, Wilder ultimately presents a more nuanced perspective—revealing that although most are consumed by the industry's moral decay, a select few are able to resist it.
Wilder's depiction of the deceptive nature of Hollywood, where exploitation is rife, highlights how individuals often pursue personal gain at the inherent expense of morality. Within this cutthroat industry, the pressure to succeed compels individuals to compromise their values and integrity. When Morino reassures Joe that “the best things are written on an empty stomach” after Joe appeals for a loan, Wilder critiques the industry’s tendency to normalise the mistreatment and commodification of struggling creatives. Similarly, the exclusive golf course setting, reminiscent of Sheldrake’s private office, reinforces Hollywood’s hierarchical structure, exposing how those outside the elite inner circle are routinely exploited—a perspective Wilder offers to challenge the illusion of equal opportunity. As a result, individuals are often forced to abandon honesty in order to progress. This is exemplified in the contrast between Joe’s internal narration, which dismisses Norma’s screenplay as “tripe” filled with “melodramatic plots,” and his outward praise, calling it “great” and “fascinating.” This juxtaposition reveals Joe’s own inauthenticity, driven by his desperation for financial security. The symbolism of the chimpanzee, who “dances for pennies,” further reflects Joe’s role as a performer exploited for survival, reinforcing the transactional nature of success in Hollywood and the cost to personal integrity. Moreover, Max’s choice to perpetuate Norma’s delusions, telling her she is still “the greatest star of them all” because he “made her a
star”, exposes his own ego-driven motivations and descent into moral compromise. This is
intensified by his symbolic playing of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, a piece from a bygone era, and driving of the Isotta Fraschini, which fuel Norma’s illusions of grandeur and detachment from reality. Through these examples, Wilder powerfully conveys how Hollywood's celebrity culture, driven by overwhelming selfish ambition, encourages individuals to abandon their authenticity and embrace moral decay in order to further their own agendas.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: ‘Every voice matters’ Stimulus…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 82.5%: Section B. Every Voice Matters Stimulus 1 Ayubowan, Assalamu Alaikum, Vanakkum, my fellow Sri Lankans. I…
Section B. Every Voice Matters Stimulus 1
Ayubowan, Assalamu Alaikum, Vanakkum, my fellow Sri Lankans.
I stand before you at this farmer's union meeting, not as a politician, but as a fellow hardworking farmer. Much like all of you here today, I wake up at the crack of dawn and toil until the late hours. I work 'til my hands split open and I can plant no longer. But this year, everything changed.
Crops that once fed my village now wilt and wither away. My children go to bed sick and hungry. And my neighbours move one by one to go beg for food on the streets. You experience it too, we all do.
All because of another reckless decision made by the Rajapaksa government, who care more about filling their pockets than our livelihoods.
I look at the faces in front of me and I see the gaze of people that are tired, hungry and especially, unbroken. I see the parts of me that yearn to join the Aragalaya protest in everyone here. And I believe we should let it speak for us.
But before you can fight for yourself a struggle that spans our nation, you must first fight for your own, for I believe our voice as farmers, though often ignored by the government, can still and hold the power to make great change.
Last month, the Rajapaksa government made the reckless decision to ban chemical fertilisers overnight. this left I, and many of you here today, unable to grow our crops. You would think such a government would spare some funding for quality fertilisers, but no; instead, they feast on our tax money whilst we scrape the dirt for what is left.
We plant. We water. We wait.
What do they do?
They lie. They steal.
They take.
So, what do I believe we should do?
Rather than join the Aragalaya protests, where everyone across Sri Lanka plans to storm the Presidential house, I believe we must do a protest of our own. For, the larger effort does not show them how we feel that they stole our livelihoods. How would they know our suffering if our voice is drowned in the sea of millions of others? They cannot. Everyone speaks for our struggles. Only we can, and our voice matters!
We must demand they take back their fertilizer policies.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: “In Oedipus the King, all who deserve it…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 87.5%: Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a tragedy that questions whether justice truly governs the human world or whether…
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a tragedy that questions whether justice truly governs the human world or whether fate renders all human action meaningless. While Oedipus and others appear to receive punishment for their actions, Sophocles ultimately presents a more complex vision of moral order—one in which human blindness, pride, and ignorance lead to suffering that cannot simply be called “just.” Through irony, imagery and dramatic structure, the playwright suggests that divine justice may exist, but it operates according to a standard far beyond human comprehension.
From the opening scenes, Oedipus presents himself as a ruler devoted to justice. He proclaims his determination to “banish” or “kill” the murderer of Laius, promising Thebes that “whoever he be, I shall fight for him as for my own father.” Sophocles uses this public declaration to frame Oedipus as both protector and judge, yet it is this same declaration that seals his downfall. The dramatic irony of his words—that he unknowingly curses himself—reveals Sophocles’ view that human justice is limited by ignorance. Oedipus’ punishment, blinding and exile, therefore cannot be seen as merely “deserved.” Rather, it arises from his failure to perceive his true identity, a failure shared by all mortals trapped within the bounds of fate. The play’s relentless irony exposes the fragility of human reasoning and the impossibility of attaining true justice in a world ruled by divine prophecy.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "This is my law. It comes from the soil.…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 65%: HIGH GROUND "This is my law. It comes from the soil. From Mother Earth. You have come from across the sea." How…
HIGH GROUND
"This is my law. It comes from the soil. From Mother Earth. You have come from across the sea." How does High Ground challenge the concept of British Justice?
Steven Maxwell Johnson's 'High Ground' is a visual apotheosis of the tensions and conflicts between the Indigenous Australians way of life, in Makarrata with Arnhem land, and the European colonial forces vehement belief in the wrongfully placed superiority of the British monarchy, thereby the pursuit of 'justice' in High Ground is founded on opposing polarities of belief, further perpetuating a cycle of violence disrupting the indomitable equilibrium of the land itself. Johnson underscores the contrasting ways of life, in order to interrogate the corrupt version of Australian history which is tainted by the racially prejudiced British colonial forces. Particularly through the characters of Gutjuk and Travis and the leaders Darrpa and Moran, Johnson challenges the erroneously tarnished Australian Indigenous history, by exposing how British law is founded on domination and deceit.
To reveal the violent hypocrisy underlying British law, Johnson's opening sequence immediately establishes the natural order of lore that governs Indigenous life. The wholesome moment of young Gutjuk and Baywara plucking ephermis, with Baywara teaching him about his totem - "Your name is Gutjuk, means hawk" - embodies the harmony between man, soil and spirit of the Yolngu mob. The serene environment and diagetic sounds of birdsong position Indigenous natural law as balanced and just, in harmony with the land. Yet this harmony is shattered by colonial intrusion and violence. The initial massacre becomes the catalyst which permanently fractures lore and law. The settlers swiping away flies and wiping away sweat, symbolising their disconnection from land they claim to rule, reinforces the contrasting ways of life and a justice of British law which is a mechanism for domination, enabling violence while erasing accountability. Through this initial contrasting relationship to the land, Johnson elucidates to Australian audiences how much of the country's history is based in brutal violence of British authorities under the guise of justice.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Sophocles suggests the central exploration…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: In Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, the central exploration of blindness in the face of pride is explored.…
In Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, the central exploration of blindness in the face of pride is explored. Sophocles suggests that pride in the age of preordained fate is ultimately rendered fruitless and can only be the cause of one’s eternal suffering. However, through the female perspective of Jocasta, Sophocles illustrates how one’s downfall and blindness to their own fate can be orchestrated by self-regard and attachment to free will. Ultimately, Sophocles highlights how perhaps it is both fate and pride that can cause even the most honourable and intelligent to be blind to their own shortcomings. As such, Sophocles suggests to his audience that they must resist pride and its consequences, but that ultimately, the gods and their divine will shall prevail, in spite of individual intellect or honour.
Prophecy serves as a central catalyst in Oedipus the King with fate overruling any sense of individual volition within characters, their actions holding no power to overcome destiny. The oracle of Delphi’s pronouncement that Oedipus will “make love with [his] mother and shed [his] own father’s blood” is presented as an immovable force driving the play forward to its inevitable conclusion. Both Laius and Oedipus try to outmanoeuvre this fate, with Oedipus abandoning his assumed home in Corinth in attempt to avoid the prophesied patricide he is destined to commit. Yet, this action ironically sets him on a path closer to his true father, whom he “cut down at a place where three roads meet”. In the symbolism of the triple crossroads, Sophocles may be indicating the convergence of the vain efforts of Laius, Jocasta and Oedipus to avoid fate, their vanity meeting at this fateful place. The irony of this outcome is captured in Oedipus’ righteous determination to avenge Laius’ death, declaring “I will fight for him as if he were my father”. Oedipus, unaware of his true lineage, aligns himself with the very prophecy he seeks to evade, demonstrating the inescapability of fate. The audience, fully aware of Oedipus’ true identity, watches this irony unfold with increasing tension. The dramatic irony not only amplifies the tragic dimensions of Oedipus’ actions, but reinforces Sophocles’ philosophical view, in accordance with ancient Greek values, that destiny is immutable. The chorus, who serve as the voice of cosmic truth and public sentiment, pronounce “no man can escape his destiny” thus, cementing the notion that the gods’ will is inescapable and that hubris can blind even the most intelligent and honourable people.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "This is my law. It comes from the soil.…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 60%: HIGH GROUND "This is my law. It comes from the soil. From Mother Earth. You have come from across the sea." How…
HIGH GROUND
"This is my law. It comes from the soil. From Mother Earth. You have come from across the sea." How does High Ground challenge the concept of British Justice?
Steven Maxwell Johnson's 'High Ground' is a visual apotheosis of the tensions and conflicts between the Indigenous Australians way of life, in Makarrata with Arnhem land, and the European colonial forces vehement belief in the wrongfully placed superiority of the British monarchy, thereby the pursuit of 'justice' in High Ground is founded on opposing polarities of belief, further perpetuating a cycle of violence disrupting the indomitable equilibrium of the land itself. Johnson underscores the contrasting ways of life, in order to interrogate the corrupt version of Australian history which is tainted by the racially prejudiced British colonial forces. Particularly through the characters of Gutjuk and Travis and the leaders Darrpa and Moran, Johnson challenges the erroneously tarnished Australian Indigenous history, by exposing how British law is founded on domination and deceit.
To reveal the violent hypocrisy underlying British law, Johnson's opening sequence immediately establishes the natural order of lore that governs Indigenous life. The wholesome moment of young Gutjuk and Baywara plucking ephermis, with Baywara teaching him about his totem - "Your name is Gutjuk, means hawk" - embodies the harmony between man, soil and spirit of the Yolngu mob. The serene environment and diagetic sounds of birdsong position Indigenous natural law as balanced and just, in harmony with the land. Yet this harmony is shattered by colonial intrusion and violence. The initial massacre becomes the catalyst which permanently fractures lore and law.
The settlers swiping away flies and wiping away sweat, symbolising their disconnection from land they claim to rule, reinforces the contrasting ways of life and a justice of British law which is a mechanism for domination, enabling violence while erasing accountability. Through this initial contrasting relationship to the land, Johnson elucidates to Australian audiences how much of the country's history is based in brutal violence of British authorities under the
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Protest piece prompt is "Every voice…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 87.5%: The echoes of the masses' chants unravelled throughout the city of Chicago, propelling their fists into the…
The echoes of the masses' chants unravelled throughout the city of Chicago, propelling their fists into the air and carrying signs with "Black Lives Matter" spray-painted on them. They defied the law for their sense of justice, heading toward the Chicago American Shopping Centre, where Chadwick stood nervously—his back hunched, shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other police officers. Yet, he felt unsafe and alone. Sweat trickled down his forehead onto his eyebrow, and he jerked his head due to the irritating helmet. He gripped his baton loosely in his left hand, while in his right, he bore his shield, pointed down the street from where the birds had fled. He was there to eradicate the chaos—it was his job—but was it the right thing to do?
Down 36 East Street, Chicago Avenue, glaring gazes from the coffee shop pierced through the scene with disdain and irritation. Nevertheless, the protesters marched with confidence, their chests held high—an army steered toward the shopping centre to protest for their sense of justice.
"They're almost here, the animals, I can't wait to swing at one, I can't lie, you're one of the good ones though, Chadwick," James stated proudly beside Chadwick. He stood his ground, gazing straight forward, ignoring James' comment. The hoard rushed towards them. "Shield up, stand your ground," The commander commanded. James swung his baton excitedly, with a wide, devilish grin on his face. Chadwick, however, could not relate. He was conflicted. Was he really going to fight his own people? The push of hundreds of protestors shoved Chadwick back, pulling him back to reality. He glanced to his right to see James beating a black man. Chadwick’s pupils dilated, his stern facade fell, and a look of revulsion and shock took over his face. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, only silence. Behind the black man stood a woman, tears rolling down her cheeks; she stared into Chadwick's soul with disappointment. Not a word was said, but he knew what she was thinking. He was thinking the same thing.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Title: Agent of change Stimulus: There…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 67.5%: Title: Agent of change Stimulus: There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there…
Title: Agent of change
Stimulus: There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
Framework: Writing about protest
AGENT OF CHANGE
Sceptic turned participant
What if the loudest protest the world ever witnessed made no sound at all?
I was never one to take interest in protests. Instead, I despised them. To me, they were noisy disruptions – excuses for people to clog the streets and shout at the wind. I never saw the point. How could I possibly be an agent of change? What power did I have to push back against injustice?
Yet, despite my strong views, I somehow ended up taking part in the largest protest the world has ever seen. I had always believed protests were confined to streets and parks. I was unaware of the many ways we can be catalysts for change, even when we seem powerless. I discovered that protests aren’t always loud and visible – they can be silent, even invisible. I doubted humankind’s ability to unite against a shared enemy. Nevertheless, my doubts were shattered when something crossed the borders of every nation, drawing me and eight billion others into a protest like no other.
A lurking evil
I remember hearing a news story about an evil on the loose. No one batted an eye. The longer people ignored it, the more it grew. News stories became weekly, then daily. People laughed at this so-called “monster,” sharing memes and jokes. But while we mocked, it multiplied. The media grew frantic, the warnings more urgent – and yet, we remained indifferent. Reports emerged that this invisible force was taking lives, and still we took no action. Perhaps we understood its danger but chose denial over fear.
But ignorance has a limit – denial eventually meets its reckoning.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: "Life is full of pain. Let the pain…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 85%: In Trevor Noah’s non-chronological memoir, ‘Born a Crime’, the adversities that the characters endure, ranging from…
In Trevor Noah’s non-chronological memoir, ‘Born a Crime’, the adversities that the characters endure, ranging from systemic racism to domestic violence, shape their identities and capacity to endure in an apartheid and post-apartheid society in South Africa. While characters, like Trevor and Patricia, use pain as a tool for resilience and hope, others, like Abel, are defined by their pain, emphasising the effects of hardship.
Trevor’s mother, Patricia Noah, demonstrates how hardship can be life-changing, shaping strength and resilience in a patriarchal society designed to oppress, particularly Black, women,. Rather than conforming to the illogical laws of apartheid, Patricia chooses to have Trevor in an act of defiance and love, highlighting how she is able to thrive despite her challenges of being a Xhosa woman in South Africa. Noah frames this act not just as defiance, but also as a form of self-determination against a system that was intended to alienate her. In doing so, Noah highlights how self-determination can resist systemic oppression through emphasising Patricia’s resilient nature and ‘stubbornness’ throughout the memoir. Noah portrays Patricia as a ‘deeply religious woman’, whose strength is rooted in her faith, a belief that ‘if God is with me, who can be against me?’, serves as her primary source of reassurance and hope. Rather than being discouraged by poverty and an abusive marriage, she learns to survive and refuses to be defined by ‘ridiculous ideas of what black people couldn’t or shouldn’t do’, expressing how hardship ‘sharpened’ her, rather than breaking her, inspiring Trevor to succeed as an individual and defy the racial conformities established in an apartheid society.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How do the characters in Oedipus the King…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 80%: Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, explores the distinct strategies individuals undertake to navigate their…
Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, explores the distinct strategies individuals undertake to navigate their harrowing circumstances. Hailed as the saviour of Thebes, Sophocles
exemplifies relentless courage in Oedipus’ pursuit of truth, yet further reveals how his
ostensibly admirable intellectual prowess and self-confidence gradually reveal a hubristic
streak in his pursuit which propels him towards self-destruction. Sophocles juxtaposes Oedipus’ fervent quest for self-knowledge with Creon's calm and rational demeanour in the face of undignified accusations, presenting him as a figure of stability and reason who upholds decorum despite the potential danger facing him. Meanwhile, Sophocles highlights Jocasta’s precarious position as a female ruler in patriarchal Greece, with the destruction of her and her family’s dignity ultimately culminating in her desperate and fatal decision to escape an intolerable fate. Through these divergent responses to crisis, Sophocles not only delineates the strengths and flaws of each character but further invites the audience to reflect on the broader human struggle against fate and its demands.
Faced with the prospect of losing his crown, Sophocles explores how Oedipus’ relentless
pursuit of the truth reveals both his courage and his fatal hubris. Heralded as the saviour
of Thebes, Oedipus’ early dialogue boasts of the ‘flight of [his] own intelligence’, contrasting
his dynamic intellectual capabilities and courage in defeating the Sphinx’s riddle against the
supposedly fruitless augury of prophets. As such, Sophocles frames Oedipus’ readiness to boast of his own accomplishments as a positive, yet precarious attribute, as Sophocles’ contemporary Athenian audience may have viewed self-confidence in one’s own abilities as an unanimously positive trait whilst a modern audience may more readily recognise the potential hubris in his inflated self-confidence. It is this tenuous self-confidence that fuels Oedipus’ courage in pursuing the truth, no matter the consequences, and is, as Sophocles presents, simultaneously the root of his ultimate downfall. As Oedipus draws nearer to his tragic fate, he is only further compelled to uncover the truth in a way that shows a courageous and even dignified commitment to the pursuit of self-knowledge. In spite of his ‘blind’ lack of self-awareness and heated accusations levelled against Tiresias and Creon earlier in the play, Oedipus is even willing to jeopardise his authority to rule if it means discovering the truth, as shown in his attempts to reassure Jocasta of her protection from the fallout of his discoveries: ‘Even if my mother turns out to be a slave, and I a slave, three generations back, you would not seem common’. However, Sophocles’ irony reveals that it is perhaps Oedipus’ single-minded courage that leads him to destroy the lives of those closest to him, with his ‘honourable’ demeanour degraded by his supposedly pragmatic willingness to resort to torture the old shepherd simply to extract useful information. Sophocles thus warns of how how mindless courage in the pursuit of truth may degrade both the dignity of others and oneself, as individuals begin to seem more like obstacles than beings worthy of humanity and calm, rational understanding. Ultimately, however, Sophocles emphasises Oedipus’ remarkable courage and tenacity in the face of rising stakes as the play’s plot develops.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: In Oedipus the king, all who deserve it…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 70%: Athenian tragedy titled ‘Oedipus the king’ written by Sophocles (c.420 BCE) examines the art of punishment for…
Athenian tragedy titled ‘Oedipus the king’ written by Sophocles (c.420 BCE) examines the art of punishment for people’s wrong doings. Sophocles presents the idea that all those deserving of punishment are justly served with it. More specifically, he explores the destruction of Oedipus, the incest committed by a mother with her son and the failure to escape fate. Thus, Sophocles aims to convey the message that all actions are served with consequences.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: Oliver's poetry promotes nature as a way…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 77.5%: Not only does Oliver reveal inherent joy in nature, but also shows that nature can become a way to overcome…
Not only does Oliver reveal inherent joy in nature, but also shows that nature can become a way to overcome despair and hardship in order to seek a happier life. In Wild Geese, the speaker begins with a definitive end-stopped line, “You do not have to be good.”. Through this, the statement is prestated as a firm proclamation, allowing humans to recognise their tendency to chase perfection and thus are encouraged to accept their flaws. Oliver does not disregard the human struggle but rather encourages them to “tell..about despair”, acknowledging the inevitability of despair and thus offering a space of healing. She then again references the innate instinct of humankind by speak of “the soft animal of your body” with the word “soft” evoking feelings of comfort, empathy and self-love. In doing so, Oliver shows
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: ‘I can think whatever I like to think,…
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 65%: Host 1 (Grady): G’day G’day everyone, I’m your host, Grady, and welcome to ‘Inbetween The Lines’, the podcast…
Host 1 (Grady):
G’day G’day everyone, I’m your host, Grady, and welcome to ‘Inbetween The Lines’, the podcast where we delve deeper into the common misconceptions of life! I am today joined by my emotional support animal, and more commonly known as my wife, Keiva!
Host 2 (Keiva):
Hey guys!!
Host 1:
Soooo, Keiva. What is play?
Host 2:
Woahhh, that's a bit vague don’t you think? What is play… pfffttt. That’s like asking what the meaning of life is. Where do we go after we die? Who painted the Mona Lisa. What’d you mean by this??
Host 1:
Is it too complex for your teeny weeny wittle brain of yours?
Host 2:
Oh, um, ah.
Host 1:
I’m jokinggg sweety. That’s what makes it complex. Play’s a vague topic. I can play sports. I can play by the rules. I can play you. Not in a weird way for all our underage listeners! The reason I’m bringing this up is why play is purely limited as a childish concept.
Host 2:
I meannn, look how you handled that. Sounded a bit childish for my liking but keep on going.
Host 1:
I feel like as we grow older we get less and less allowed to sort of be ourselves. Like I should be allowed to think what I want to think and play what I want to play.
Host 2:
That’s actually so true. When I graduated from high school I felt like I had to abide by societal norms. I’m forced to pay bills and run errands but in reality, I just want to play barbies all day. And I feel like this… thought is more fueled by society and nothing else.
VCE · Text Response
Text Response: How does Shakespeare explore the tension…
VCE Text Response essay scoring 75%: Duty is an individual’s ability to fulfill a certain responsibility and the possible consequences that it may pose.…
Duty is an individual’s ability to fulfill a certain responsibility and the possible consequences that it may pose. In William Shakespeares “Twelfth Night”, individuals are placed in roles where they are required to fulfill their duties whilst they are confronted with desires that may impede with their ability to carry out their role. Whether this is determined through the bypassing of social obligations, disguise or social advancement. Ultimately, Shakespeare reveals that desire disrupts an individual’s ability to carry out their duty by shaping their identity in unpredictable ways.
VCE · Creative Response
Creative Response: Connections
VCE Creative Response essay scoring 80%: To be connected, what does it really mean? I mean sometimes I feel a spark, whether it’s the nerves furiously…
To be connected, what does it really mean?
I mean sometimes I feel a spark, whether it’s the nerves furiously cycling in my stomach or an extreme thud created by my heart where it felt like I couldn’t breathe and was going blind at the same time. My brain, my head I can’t tell which is which anymore. The voice in my head is getting fainter and fainter the more, I think. It’s like the synapses and my neurotransmitters are disconnected. I feel separated, between my brain and my mind, between my heart and my soul. Between who I am and who I was.
I can’t remember anything, it feels like a workout trying to squeeze a memory out of my head. Memory, a thing I wish I had more of. I can’t remember the past, but I can see the present. A room, a nice big room with white walls, a green like blanket on my lap, slightly covering the red chair I am sitting in. The red chair reminds me of a certain smell. The most distinct smell of all…
I can’t remember. I see a picture, a painting on the great white wall. It had a man, with a top hat and a handlebar moustache. He had dark brown eyes and a nicely polished leather jacket. Beside the man there was a young boy, he too had dark brown eyes. He was wearing a nicely ironed shirt with braces; a red beret and he had a big nose. Behind them was a river, surrounded by a city of some sort. It was like they were connected with the water, like the water was a part of their home. This too reminds me of a certain smell, another smell just as distinct as the other one…