'Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war': Applied Shakespeare as therapy for military veterans.
Green, JF
Date: 3 June 2024
Thesis or dissertation
Publisher
University of Exeter
Degree Title
Doctor of Philosphy
Abstract
My PhD thesis focuses on the therapeutic use of applied Shakespeare for combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and for those who struggle to adapt to civilian life when leaving the military. I analyse how Shakespeare is used as a well-being exercise, focusing on plays, passages and characters. I analyse the overall value ...
My PhD thesis focuses on the therapeutic use of applied Shakespeare for combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and for those who struggle to adapt to civilian life when leaving the military. I analyse how Shakespeare is used as a well-being exercise, focusing on plays, passages and characters. I analyse the overall value of applied Shakespeare for veterans’ well-being.
I identify and examine work that takes place in the UK, the US and Ukraine, often collaborative, with veterans and Shakespeare. I include workshops using Shakespearean monologues, and performances at venues such as Shakespeare’s Globe, London and the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. I principally work with two veterans’ organisations. Soldiers’ Arts Academy in the UK has produced Shakespeare plays with veterans and assists them with accessing post-military careers in theatre. It also has links with American and Ukrainian veterans. DE-CRUIT in the US uses mimesis as a healing tool in Shakespeare-based therapeutic workshops. My case studies analyse group work by these organisations, and the post-trauma growth of individual veterans who participated in them.
My research suggests that Shakespeare can be used as an applied theatre practice to help veterans in a number of ways. Firstly, veterans relate to Shakespeare’s military characters, some of whom portray combat-related trauma or difficulty with transitioning to a post-military life. Kate Percy’s speech in l Henry lV includes every symptom of combat PTSD; DE-CRUIT coordinator Stephan Wolfert describes her words as the best description of PTSD in the English language (Wolfert, 2017). Secondly, the language and rhythm of Shakespeare’s verse can help veterans to evaluate, reconcile and accept their experiences as part of the therapeutic process. The language is recognisably English, but a step removed from everyday speech. This distance provides veterans with a safe space to express emotions and experiences which could have happened to someone else. Thirdly, participating in theatre-making can replicate the ‘band of brothers’ familiarity of a military unit, which many veterans miss when leaving the armed forces.
I conclude that applied Shakespeare has a valuable role to play in helping veterans to cope with trauma and psychological issues. While my research represents an original contribution to knowledge about the use of applied Shakespeare to address mental health issues in a specific and discrete group, it may also subsequently help in the future further design and implementation of Shakespeare-based therapy which could alleviate combat PTSD in some sufferers in other sections of society.
Doctoral Theses
Doctoral College
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