The seven basic conflicts

Syd Field defined conflict as creating the force of opposition between the characters and the actions that helps shape or motivate the plot. Those forces which work outside the character form the external conflict(s) and those inside form the internal conflict(s).

Among other sites, tvtropes.com says that Arthur Quiller-Couch was the first to develop the basic conflicts. However, one blogger, whose site is now down, tried tracking that source down and decided that the claim is probably wrong. In any case, here they are:

1. (wo)man vs (wo)man
   
   This is an external conflict: protagonist versus antagonist, hero versus villain.
   
   Another example, a romance such as: man falls madly in love with a woman who has other motivations.
   
   Examples:
   
   
   • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1939) – Dorothy struggles with the Wicked Witch of the West
     
   • All That Heaven Allows (1958)
     
   • Die Hard (1988)
     
   
   
2. (wo)man caught in the middle
   
   An external conflict where a person is caught between two opposing forces.
   
   Examples:
   
   
   • Yojimbo (1961) - remade as A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
     
   • Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
     
   • Collateral (2004)
     
   
   
3. [wo]man vs. self
   
   An internal conflict of a [wo]man against her/his own values and dreams.
   
   Examples:
   
   
   • Pi (1998)
     
   • Requiem for a Dream (2000)
     
   • Black Swan (2010)
     
   • The Wrestler (2008)
     
   • Body and Soul (1947)
     
   • The Lost Weekend (1945)
     
   
   
4. (wo)man against society
   
   A form of conflict where man stands against a man-made institution (such as slavery or bullying or corruption).
   
   Examples:
   
   
   • Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
     
   • The Matrix (1999)
     
   • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
     
   • To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
     
   
   
5. (wo)man vs. nature
   
   This is an external struggle positioning the hero against an animal or a force of nature, such as a storm. Here, “nature” is often viewed as anything that has to be survived or changed rather than defeated. According to this, a zombie apocalypse, such as Resident Evil, would thus be Man Vs. Nature.
   
   Examples:
   
   
   • Jaws (1975)
     
   • The Old Man and the Sea (1958)
     
   • Moby Dick (1956)
     
   • Resident Evil (2002)
     
   • The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
     
   
   
6. (wo)man vs. God/fate/supernatural
   
   These include internal conflicts such as a character attempting to break free from a future path chosen without his or her consent.
   
   Examples:
   
   
   • Seventh Seal (1957)
     
   • Constantine (2005)
     
   • The Apostle (1997)
     
   • Slaughterhouse Five (1972)
     
   • A Serious Man (2009)
     
   
   
7. (wo)man vs. machines/technology
   
   An external conflict between a character and an artificial entity such as a computer or robot.
   
   Examples:
   • The Terminator (1984)
     
   • Ghost In The Shell (1995 animated film)
     
   • I, Robot (2004)