Conflict in Macbeth

“When the battle’s lost and won”

Conflict is a major theme in Macbeth. The play opens with the Weird Sisters and their supernatural influence sets the atmosphere as confusing and contradictory with their opening statements and the use of antithesis.

“Fair is foul and foul is fair”

Even their appearance is contradictory,

“You should be women

And yet your beards forbid me to interpret

That you are so”

Their presence shows that treason is unnatural, and even evil. However they are not responsible for Macbeth’s actions. Shakespeare makes them appear to both Banquo and to Macbeth, and Banquo did not succumb to temptation. In doing this Shakespeare sets up a contrast between Macbeth and Banquo and makes it clear that traitors cannot simply blame an evil influence, they must accept the blame themselves.

The historical context of Macbeth obviously has great impact upon its development and understanding as a piece of literature. It was quite a complex time, Queen Elizabeth I had died and had been succeeded by James I. It is very clear that it was a time of great uncertainty. Queen Elizabeth had no natural heir, James her successor was in fact her nephew. His mother had been executed for her part in a rebellion.

It is interesting then, to note that in Macbeth one of the opening scenes is a report of conflict in which the character of Macbeth is established as “brave” “worthy” and “valiant” while the rebel Mcdonald is described as “rebel’s whore”. So while Macbeth is defending the legitimate King Duncan he is painted very positively and those who oppose the established order are depicted very negatively. Could this be because of the historical context? James and Elizabeth would both have been keen to emphasis the necessity of maintaining the current established order. Elizabeth herself was an indirect heir, her older sister Mary having died without children.

The theme of inheritance, lineage and progeny appear repeatedly in Macbeth and are central to the conflict depicted in the plot. Macbeth is concerned about Banquo’s offspring, having no children of his own. He worries that his regicide will benefit someone else.

“Upon my head they plac’d a fruitless crown,

And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,

Thus to be wrench’d by an unlineal head,

No son of mine succeeding. If it be so

For them the gracious Duncan have I murthered”

This leads to the murder