This document discusses the four main types of conflict in literature: man vs man, man vs nature, man vs society, and man vs himself. It provides examples of each and examines internal conflicts faced by characters in Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, such as Romeo struggling with avenging Mercutio, Juliet torn between her love for Romeo and family allegiance, Hamlet hesitating to avenge his father, and Ophelia conflicted between obeying her father and loving Hamlet. The document concludes that these conflicts create tension, propel the plot, and add complexity to stories.

1. FINAL LITERATURE
LESSON

2. Examples of essay questions:
• List two instances of tension and explain how
they are presented in Romeo and Juliet.
• List two moments that portray the theme of
love and explain how they are presented in
Hamlet.
• List two examples of conflict between Romeo
and Tybalt and explain how they are
presented in Romeo and Juliet.

3. What is conflict?
In literature, conflict is a device that involves a
struggle between two opposing forces.

5. These four conflicts are divided
into two categories:
External and Internal

6. An external conflict is between a
character and an outside force.

7. An internal conflict is between a
character and himself / herself.

8. Let’s look at each conflict
carefully.

10. Man vs. Man
• A character struggles with another character
• The most common example would be the
Protagonist vs. the Antagonist
• It is a classic “good guy” vs. “bad guy”
situation
• Example:
– Harry Potter vs. Lord Voldemort

12. Man vs. Nature
• A character struggles with a force of nature
• Examples:
– Natural disasters (e.g. floods, earthquakes)
– Disease outbreaks (e.g. SARS, H1N1, cholera)
– Isolated locations (e.g. deserted islands, remote
mountains)
• Usually, the character is struggling to survive

14. Man vs. Society
• A character or group of characters fight
against the society they live in
• The character fights against social traditions or
rules
• Examples:
– Fight for freedom, rights, a good cause
• This type of conflict is usually used to
comment on positive or negative aspects of
society in reality

16. Man vs. Himself
• The character’s struggle takes place in his /
her own mind
• Usually has to do with a choice (choosing
between right and wrong) or with overcoming
emotions or mixed feelings

17. Let’s look at some examples of
internal conflicts

18. One of Romeo’s internal conflicts
• Romeo faces an internal conflict after Tybalt
kills Mercutio.
• He does not wish to harm Tybalt (who is now
his cousin by marriage) but he wants to
avenge Mercutio.
• Romeo cries out that he is “fortune’s fool” as
he struggles with what to do, as if fate is
making a fool out of him.

19. One of Juliet’s internal conflicts
• In the balcony scene, Juliet struggles with the
fact that she is a Capulet and the boy she
loves is a Montague.
• She says, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art
thou Romeo? / Deny thy father and refuse
they name!”
• Here, Juliet asks why Romeo has to be a
Montague and if necessary, she would give up
her name (Capulet) to be with him.

20. One of Hamlet’s internal conflicts
• Hamlet struggles internally with his hesitation
to avenge his father’s death.
• On one hand, he wishes to take revenge on
King Claudius, but on the other, he questions
whether or not the Ghost is real / the Ghost is
telling the truth.
• Hamlet is constantly torn between his
obligation to his dead father and his self-
doubt, which results in his failure to make a
move in the first half of the play.

21. One of Ophelia’s internal conflicts
• Ophelia struggles between her love for Hamlet
and her father’s disapproval of her
relationship with Hamlet.
• Being a docile girl, she is inclined to obey her
father’s wishes, but it is still difficult for her to
deny her feelings for Hamlet.

22. Conclusion
• There are four types of conflicts sorted into
two categories (external and internal)
• These conflicts are important in giving the
story tension and moving the plot towards
the climax
• There is often more than one conflict in every
story to give them more depth and complexity