Grade 11 learners’ engagement with issues of power in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Abstract

In South African schools, there is a need for discussions on how to integrate literacy meaningfully into learners' lives. This integration could foster critical thinking and address issues of social justice. Despite a democratic dispensation in South Africa, the problems of oppression persist in various forms. In this dissertation, I argue that the English Home Language classroom has the potential to be a cornerstone for social transformation. Drawing on data from 55 Grade 11 English Home Language learners in a public high school in Verulam (Durban), this interpretive, qualitative study sought to understand their recognition and understanding of issues of power in the play, Macbeth. Additionally, it sought to explore how learners connected issues of power in the play to those in their own lives. The study delved into how events and characters in the play contributed to the construction of learners’ beliefs about power. A phenomenological research design, underpinned by a theoretical framework of two theories – critical pedagogy and critical literature pedagogy – provided the foundation for this study and facilitated the exploration and understanding of the lived experiences of learners studying this play. Utilising thematic analysis to analyse the data, generated from an open-ended questionnaire, a visual task, and semi-structured interviews, the findings indicate that the teaching of the play, Macbeth, within a critical framework, may be used as a catalyst to raise learners' awareness of issues of power in their lives. The findings also showed that by working beyond the traditional methods of teaching the play and using aspects of critical reading, learners seized knowledge with enthusiasm and critically reflected on issues of power in their lives, despite facing language barriers when reading Shakespeare’s text. Notably, the learners were able to draw on their experiences through critically engaging with the play to construct their beliefs about power in various ways. Overall, the data indicated learners’ increased awareness of issues of power and the emergence of a nascent sense of agency. This newfound agency suggests the potential initiation of a process aimed at addressing issues of power in their lives, communities, and the broader world.