Shakespeare and the construction of an ideal soldier during the First World War

Throughout the First World War, Britain and its allies used Shakespeare and his works to support the war effort in many different ways. Shakespeare’s words were quoted on army recruitment posters and in books and newspaper articles designed to raise patriotic feelings. Extracts from his plays and tableaux featuring his characters were performed at special galas in aid of wartime charities. His name was evoked in diplomatic exchanges to demonstrate the Allied nations’ shared values and their ongoing commitment to the common cause. One way in which Shakespeare was appropriated during the war was to use him to underpin the construction of an ideal soldier. His portrayal of Henry V in particular was presented as ‘the English ideal of a soldier and gentleman’ (Francis Colmer, Shakespeare in Time of War, 1916, p. xxx). This paper asks to what extent this ideal corresponded to early modern representations of military valour, and how it was made to address the realities of modern warfare. It also examines the rhetorical strategies, including selective interpretations and wilful omissions, which were needed to present characters such as Henry V as an embodiment of a perfect soldier fighting a just war.