Shakespeare, Shipwrecks, and the Great War: Shakespeare's Reception in Wartime and Post-War Britain

Abstract

Early twentieth-century writing abundantly employs the combined metaphor of tempests and shipwrecks at sea, which is often applied to the Great War. Of special interest are those instances where the metaphor occurs in conjunction with Shakespeare, his work, and his afterlife. On the one hand, this practice reveals the ease with which Shakespeare's work could be applied to the unprecedented events of world history. On the other hand, the storm and shipwreck metaphor also brings into focus the challenge to Shakespeare's reputation during the wartime years. However, innovations in teaching and the modernist tendency to quote from the early modern canon ultimately guarantee the continued popularity of the playwright and poet.