Macbeth, Internal Conflicts Essay, Research Paper

Everyday people deal with conflicts with their peers. In the play Macbeth there are both examples of external and internal conflicts. Three main conflicts were when Lady Macbeth pressured Macbeth into murdering Duncan, after Macbeth murdered Duncan and also after he murdered Banquo.

An external conflict in the play was when Macbeth had decided he no longer wished to murder Duncan as seen in Act I sc. 7 ln 35, We will proceed no further in this business, following this statement, Lady Macbeth became irritated with her husband and proceeded to attack his manhood by saying, woulds t thou have that which thou esteem st the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem (Act I sc. 7 lns 46-48). She then went on to say in lines 56-58, when you durst do it, then you were a man and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man… . The resolution of this conflict was Macbeth trying to prove his manhood to his wife and therefore killed Duncan.

An internal conflict that raged within Macbeth occurred after he murdered Duncan. He was so distraught and guilt-stricken that he began to hear voices and felt he could not be forgiven. This scene takes place in Act II scene ii lines 51-52, Me thought I heard a voice cry Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep the innocent sleep and lines 40-44 one cried God bless us! and Amen! the other, as they had seen me with these hangman s hands, list ning their fear. I could not say amen! When they did say God bless us!

Another internal conflict within Macbeth occurred after he had Banquo murdered. This is shown in Act III scene iiii lines 116-120. Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with! In this scene Macbeth feels such remorse that he has begun to hallucinate and thinks that he sees Banquo s bloody body at his dinner table.

People are constantly dealing with both internal and external conflicts. In Macbeth three main conflicts are an external conflict between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth about murdering Duncan. An internal conflict also raged within Macbeth after he kills Duncan, and he later deals with another internal conflict after he had Banquo murdered.