A story without conflict….is not a story!
Great storytellers know this formula. They might base the story on a person’s inner or external struggle or combination of both, regardless it needs the conflict to keep us interested.
It does not matter whether you’re developing a brand, or writing a story for the next feature film-conflict is the key ingredient.
That’s exactly what Shakespeare did in most of his plays. He was a master storyteller. His stories have captivated us for centuries. One of Shakespeare’s most famous stories is Romeo and Juliet.
Overview of Story
Romeo from the Montague family is getting over Rosaline who is not returning his affections. He sneaks into a party hosted by the Capulet family knowing that Rosaline is attending. Instead he falls head over heals with Juliet from the rivaling Capulet family who also falls in love with him at first sight.
External Conflict
There is violence between the Capulet and Montague families of Verona. The feud has turned ugly.
Inner Conflict
When they each find out that they come from the rival families, this triggers the inner conflict. The decision of whether to stay loyal to their own family or continue to pursue the relationship is upsetting.
They decide to immediately get married and are married in secret by a priest. The next day Romeo finds himself in another encounter with the Capulet family, several people die. Romeo is banished from the town by the Prince of Verona. He sneaks into Juliet’s room before being banished and leaves town the next day, not knowing if he will ever see her again.
There are a few elements of this story that I’m leaving out because the purpose of this post is not to tell you the whole story but to show Shakespeare’s mastery in inserting conflict throughout this story. Here is a short summary if you are interested learning more details.
Everyone knows that in the end both Romeo and Juliet die tragically. After the two die, the families realize that their feud is futile and agree to end their differences to live in peace. At this point, there is no story to tell because the conflict is over.
I find it interesting that in order to captivate our attention, there needs to be some kind of turmoil.
Your Thoughts and Insights
- Would love your thoughts on why we are so captivated by conflict in our stories?
- Do leaders need to be master storytellers?
Photo Credits, Wallyg
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