What is it about?
The article compares two productions of Percy MacKaye's masque "Caliban by the Yellow Sands" - one staged before the US entered the First World War (1916) and one after (1917). It demonstrates a significant difference in emphasis between the two - the first one pacifist, the second one pro-war.
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Why is it important?
The article brings to light neglected archival material, adding to our understanding of American attitudes to war at the beginning of the 20th century. It also shows how Shakespeare can be used by the same people for diametrically opposed purposes.
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This page is a summary of: Conscripting Caliban: Shakespeare, America, and the First World War, Shakespeare, June 2011, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/17450918.2011.573090.
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