- ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
SHAKESPEARE
AND THE GREAT
WAR
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••john lee
- The Disciplines of the Wars. Cf., as in other places, Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’. Trench
life brought that work pretty constantly to the mind.^1
To be reminded of Shakespeare is to experience the Great War. That belief plays a
significant role in David Jones’sIn Parenthesis. The re-creation of the experience
of thinking of the present through a Shakespearean analogue is one of the poem’s
aims; the poem re-creates the poet’s experience of the war by re-creating what were,
for him, the war’s literary allusions. One phrase above all characterizes this process
and, through its recurrence, gives the Shakespearean and distinctively trench life
experience at its fullest: ‘the disciplines ofthe wars’. Lance-Corporal Aneirin Lewis,
marching towards the Front, sings ‘in a low voice...because of the disciplines
of the wars’ (IP, 42). John Ball, the quasi-protagonist of the poem, overhears
soldiers warming to the discussion of ‘tactics and strategy and|the disciplines of the
wars—like so many Alexanders’ (IP, 78). ‘Old Sweat Mulligan’ worries, like the High
Command, over what will happen to Fred Karno’s new conscript army, when and
if it attempts a war of movement: ‘where’s the discipline|requisite to an offensive
action?’ (IP, 117). During the final attack of the poem, ‘For the better discipline
of the living’, a green-gilled corporal speaks like a textbook, but with bravery, and
(^1) David Jones,In Parenthesis(London: Faber, 1963; 1st pub. 1937), 196; subsequently abbreviated
toIPin the text.