The Charge of the Light Brigade

Conflict is a key theme in William Shakespeare's Macbeth. It is evident throughout the play from the initial dialogue which is an example of nature in disharmony 'thunder, lightning and rain' to the end mof the play where Macduff is jubilant about his execution of Macbeth 'Hail, king! For so thou art: behold, where the usurpers cursed head stands: the time is free'The witches are the source on the majority of the conflict throughout Macbeth. They are unnatural creatures who are constantly associated with negative imagery 'upon the heath' 'thunder, lighting and rain'. They introduce the physical aspect of conflict in the play by saying 'When the hurly-burly's done, When the battle's lost and won'. When Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches in Act One, Scene Three, Banquo describes them as 'So wither'd and so wild in their attire' and that they 'look not like the inhabitants o' the earth' they deceive the stereotypical women as again Banquo says 'Upon her skinny lips: you should be women, And yet your beards forbid me,

Macbeth is another of Shakespeare’s plays that demonstrates a character deeply conflicted by waring responsibilities. Despite his brutal and calculated deeds, it is difficult to view Macbeth as purely evil, which makes him an intriguing character not easily defined. Indeed the first glimpses of Macbeth portray him as a triumphant warrior, brave, loyal and respected: “brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name – disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel”. Only when he is denied the authority he desires does he begin to indulge in his plotting, encouraged by his wife and the witches. The respect and loyalty that Macbeth commands at the beginning of the play is lost as his ambition pushes him further and further from his comrades. What this indicates is a friction within Macbeth between his two best qualities, as excessive ambition denies what loyalty requires.
This conflict between goods is also demonstrated in Lady Macbeth, as she must shed her