Animal Farm

Explore the ways George Orwell and William Shakespeare present conflict in Animal Farm/Macbeth?

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It's a broad question but to begin to start it, I'd talk about how conflict in both works comes from ambition. In Animal Farm, the best intentions of the animals go awry because the leaders are corrupted by the possibility of power. The idealists are overthrown. In Macbeth, the whole problem is born of ambition. Macbeth is celebrated for his abilities, but he lets that celebration go to his head and begins to believe he is owed more. Because of pride and ambition, the most virtuous qualities get corrupted and conflict ensues - internally, virtue vs. pride, externally, with those the characters have to kill or chase away in order to achieve their goals.

Animal Farm is a political allagory of Russia or any other Communist utopia that has eventually crumbled. Macbeth is a guy who becomes obsessed with power. He does not begin with vision of a Scotland for all thanes and peasants. We can draw parallels between Macbeth (the guy) and Napoleon. Both seek power in absolute terms and both become absolutely corrupt. Their obsession becomes mixed with a paranoid killing spree of anyone that they feel threatened by. Animal farm is very much a symbol of the manipulation and breakdown of society while Macbeth is restricted to one man's insecurities and obsessions.