Conflict Is at the Heart of Macbeth

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‘CONFLICT IS AT THE HEART OF MACBETH’ Choose two examples of conflict within the play, Macbeth, and explore how each is used to develop Shakespeare’s purpose. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, conflict is definitely at the heart of the main character Macbeth. This is portrayed though the conflicting dynamics of the play, such as ambition, gender, corruption and deception, appearance vs. reality and duality. Shakespeare has implemented a broad array of language conventions, characterisation and structures in order to enhance these ideas. Firstly, ambition is a major internal conflicted … within Macbeth. In the beginning scenes of the play we see this through “stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires”. This effective rhyming scheme is further developed by the dramatic “aside” in the play. It is effective because it shows the beginning of Macbeths ambition as he asks for his deeds to be covered in darkness. The conflict of ambition is also shown in “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only ...... Ambition which o’eleaps itself and falls on t’other”. This metaphor is part of a powerful siloquay showcasing that Macbeth has ambition compelling him to carry out the killing of King Duncan. It is effective because is contrast the “vault into the indefinite” with the consequences of falling hard on the other side. This is also an early use of characterisation which lets the audience know that Macbeth’s character now has a spark of ambition in his mind. Furthermore, we notice that Macbeth generally speaks in “lambic ventonater” which elevates him above the commoner’s “prose”, thusly making, his conflict with himself more important. Through Shakespeare’s development of ambition, he can see how Macbeth is internally conflicted by these powerful thoughts and desires within his heart. Secondly, Gender within the play has been disturbed
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