Recap
Conflict is tension between competing values: internal (within a character) or external (between a character and outside forces). A text may have several conflicts that intersect, and an additional conflict can heighten a primary one. Inconsistencies (words against actions, clashing accounts) can create contrasts that represent conflicts of values or perspectives.
Key relationships
| Idea | What it means | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Internal conflict | Competing values within a character | Soliloquy, hesitation, unsent letter |
| External conflict | A character against outside forces | Argument, deadline, rule, society |
| Intersecting conflicts | Two conflicts press on one another | A pressure that makes a doubt worse |
| Competing values | What each side holds important | “Loyalty against ambition” |
| Inconsistency | Words against action, or clashing views | “Don’t mind me” and refused dinners |
| Heightening | An added conflict raises the stakes | A deadline on a dilemma |
What you may assume
- Conflict does not need to involve open fighting.
- Two characters may use the same word to mean different values.
- A conflict may be left open at the end.
Mistakes to avoid
- Naming the people in conflict without naming the values.
- Treating all conflict as external.
- Ignoring how conflicts intersect.
- Overlooking contradictions as evidence.
- Saying who is right instead of what each side values.
Key terms
- Internal conflict: competing values within a character.
- External conflict: a character against outside forces.
- Intersecting conflicts: conflicts that press on one another.
- Competing values: things held important that cannot all be satisfied.
Sentence frames
- “The conflict is between [value] and [value].”
- “[Character]’s [action or contradiction] shows an internal conflict between ….”
- “The pressure from … heightens ….”
- “[Two characters] use the word ‘…’ to mean different things: for one it means …, for the other ….”
Mini-example
Words: “Don’t mind me.” Behaviour: a week of refused dinners. Values in tension: not burdening her daughter against needing care. Effect: it heightens the daughter’s internal conflict.
How questions ask about this
- “The conflict in this passage is best described as …”: name the values in tension and the kind of conflict.
- “Which detail shows the character’s internal conflict?”: look for hesitation, action in place of speech or contradiction.
- “The exchange heightens the conflict by …”: say how a second conflict presses on the first.
- Constructed response: identify two conflicts, name the values and explain how they intersect.
Quick self-check
- What is internal conflict?
- What two values are in tension in Macbeth’s “We will proceed no further”?
- How does an inconsistency such as “Don’t mind me” while refusing dinner show conflict?
Answers.
- Tension between competing values within a character.
- Loyalty and good name against ambition.
- The contradiction between words and behaviour shows two values pulling against each other in the speaker.
Full explanations are in the study guide. Try the practice questions next.