Existing comment:
Shakespeare and War:
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, ..."
-- Henry V: 3.1
After the Civil War, America's military involvement turned outward. During the 20th and 21st centuries, we have participated in the First and Second World Wars, followed by the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflicts. During all this time, Shakespeare has had a continuing relationship with the military. His plays have been co-opted as nationalistic propaganda in support of the war effort, while those opposed to military engagement have also used the plays as rallying devices for their anti-war messages.
Shakespeare's Henry V often comes to mind when we think of his attitude to war, but interpretations differ. During World War II, Laurence Olivier presented the play as fiercely nationalistic in his 1944 film, while Kenneth Branagh's post-Vietnam film in 1989 returned some of the brutality of war to the play. The United States military issued Armed Services editions of Henry V just before the Iraq War, while political commentator Arianna Huffington used the play to criticize America's engagement in Iraq.
With war, as with other issues, Shakespeare has enabled a divided and deeply conflicted conversation to occur. |