Deception in Hamlet Most people would have relied on traditional remedies made out of what they could pick in the forest or grow themselves. Ill touch my point/With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly/It may be death.. Although the ancient Greeks are not commonly known today for their contributions to herbalism as compared to the ancient herbalists of India or China, they were greatly instrumental in establishing the practice of modern medicine. After being refused by Ophelia, Polonius explains that Hamlet: Fell into a sadness, then into a fast, Arikha, N. (2007). x-axis (vertical): Introversion - Extraversion scale. (W.H.S. Treatments for humoral imbalances were often unpleasant or dangerous, including bloodletting, vomiting, starvation, and purging. The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot Hamlet's Relationship with the Ghost Shakespeare incorporated humoral theory into his work because it was a prevailing medical theory at the time. | Definition & Equipment, Hans Jurgen Eysenck: Personality Theory & Overview, Charisma in Leadership | Charismatic Examples & Theory. Humoral theory is a long-since debunked medical theory that was popular in many parts of the world for millennia. Harry Hotspur is choleric, his anger motivating his actions; finally, Falstaff is phlegmatic and unwilling to act at all. Crawford, Alexander W. Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear. 109 0 obj <> endobj Loeb Classical Library. The temperament is choleric, meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. Besides Falstaff, who has the largest number of lines inHenry IV, they usually function in the subplot of the comedies, like the duos Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Sir Toby Belch inTwelfth Nightor Stephano and Trinculo inThe Tempest. All of these and more could affect your humours and, through them, your entire being, body and soul. English Review, November, 1916. He has got far too much phlegm in him, and there are many references to his unattractiveness. Centaury. Where be his quiddits now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? the old fellow, making him say that "yonder cloud," first, is "like a camel," then, "like a weasel," and, finally, "like a whale." moment again that "it is very sultry and hot." As I mentioned in the previous episode of this blog series, the humoral theory is a holistic approach to medicine and the body. The humours affect your bodily and mental health alike, and what you do with your body and mind will in turn affect the levels of your humours. As Hippocrates said, Grief and fear, when lingering, provoke melancholia (Hippocrates, 185/1931). In Shakespeares day, only very wealthy people could afford a doctor and the medicines or treatments he would recommend. The Herbal Academy makes neither medical claim, nor intends to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Water was thought to be cold and wet, so it was associated with phlegm. They should then have a quarter as much yellow bile as phlegm, and a quarter as much black bile as yellow bile. Galen taught Elizabethan doctors about fire, water, earth, and air. The influence of the humors changed with the seasons and times of day and with the human life span. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. , The Four Humours are Blood, Black Bile, Yellow Bile, and Phlegm. Shall I be frighted when a madman stares? (Arikha, 2007). Article in The your songs? All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. In all alike he is sane and thoughtful. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press. Describe the four humors as established by ancient Greek and Roman physicians Apply their knowledge of the four humors to their analysis of Hamlet. Nothing can deter him from what he knows he must do to avenge his father. FOOTNOTE 1: Humor in Tragedy, by Sir Herbert Tree. Blood. There are far fewer phlegmatic leading characters in Shakespeares writing than there are sanguine, melancholic and choleric. In Shakespeares time, the understanding of medicine and the human body was based on the theory of the four bodily humours. | Melancholy Temperament. Woodcut of two men drinking, over-consuming and vomiting. Speaking of the king, Hamlet's humor Because humoral theory was the prevailing medical treatment for a number of conditions throughout Europe for centuries, it is no surprise that humors made their way into the literature and entertainment of the day. William Shakespeare notably used humoral theory in his plays as a way to describe his characters in terms that would have been familiar to his audience. Links to external sites are for informational purposes only. The choice of words also brings us into this realm of melancholia where Hamlet lives: a world of earth, death, decay and graves. Retrieved from. Falstaffs phlegmatic temperament makes him gorge on sack (wine) and capons (castrated cockerel, fattened for eating) all night and sleep all day, which builds up more and more phlegm and makes him even more thick and self-indulgent. This It was classified among other types of mental illness of its time, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal possession. Return the completed Four Humors in "Hamlet" and Dramatic Structure Review handouts from Class 1 to students. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. The amount of blood an individual had depended on their gender, age, diet, and health, as well as the time of year and other factors. (2019). Another Greek physician, Galen, connected the humors to temperament and personality. Today, the well-recognized ancient traditions of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine remain instrumental as effective herbal practices. English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) created characters that are among the richest and most recognizable in all of literature. As he describes it himself: I have of late but wherefore I know not lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises, and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air look you, this brave oerhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.. When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but In addition to age, gender, diet, and a host of other factors, humors were even thought to be connected to appearance. +44 (0)20 7611 2222info@wellcomecollection.org, Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence, show credit information for image 'William Shakespeare: profile. Liddell, H.G., Scott, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. (1940). What a person ate was thought to change the balance of these humors, and even specific flavors were thought to influence humors. Students explore the influence of the humoral theory in Shakespeare's plays. Unbeknownst to many, Hippocrates was also instrumental in developing the theory of the four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Theres a daisy. is caustic and satirical. %PDF-1.7 % Hippocrates (460-370. We may call it herb of grace o Sundays. It can be expressed as the dried blood found in stool, very dark urine, serious fevers caused by malaria, or, more abstractly, as constipation, bloating, and arthritis. ii. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. Soliloquy Analysis: How all occasions do inform against me (4.4.35-69) At the beginning of the play, Falstaff and Prince Hal are great friends. Osborn, D. (2015). Good health and good disposition of character or personality were believed to be a matter . Black bile was considered cold and dry, and was related to . . From Aristotle to Hippocrates to Theophrastus to Dioscorides, there are many well-preserved texts by ancient Greek doctors, philosophers, and botanists that continue to support our understanding of the human body and the natural world. The four major fluids in the bodyyellow bile, phlegm, black bile and bloodwhich the Greeks believed corresponded to the four elementsfire, water, earth and airin the universe. We use a third party provider, dotdigital, to deliver our newsletters. Directly after the warm greetings between the friends the following conversation takes place: Again, on the occasion when Polonius comes to summon him to the queen's presence, Hamlet pokes fun at It could destroy your appetite and keep you awake at night and cause you to doubt and suspect everything and everyone around you. Hamlet: Problem Play and Revenge Tragedy Hamlet Sir Herbert Tree says: "In Hamlet, for instance, the firmament of tragedy is made blacker by the jewels of humor with which it is bestarred. One of the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent humor. Soliloquy Analysis: Now might I do it pat (3.3.77-100) Having an excess of one humour could be a bit of a vicious cycle: it both causes and is caused by your behaviour. Last Modified Date: February 20, 2023. (2019). Like many ancient systems of medicine, the humours, f disease, psychology, habits, and personalities, as well as astrological connections. There were four humours. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html >. Analysis: To be, or not to be (3.1.64-98) (Original work published ca. Research the structure and function of thehuman body through our anatomy archive, Immerse yourself in the medieval past and explore what we have in common with the Middle Ages, Architecture affects our health in profound ways. Blood, the element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. Phlegm was another important component of humorism. Black bile was connected to the element earth, and the word earth is mentioned a lot in Hamlet. Hamlet was written in the early 17th century around 1600 or 1601 and first performed in 1602. Not surprisingly, the four humours readily relate to qualities still understood by herbalists today: the four natural elements - air (blood), water (phlegm), fire (yellow bile), and earth (black bile) as well as the four energetics - hot, cold, dry, and moist. Each humor is a bodily fluid, an excess of which was thought to cause certain illnesses and personality traits. Hamlet ends as he began, in humor's minor key. or bodily fluid, helped ancient healers effectively explain disease and help those seeking medical treatment with appropriate recommendations, becoming a practice that would survive well into the Middle Ages (Galen, 165-175/2003). What were the humours according to the Theory of the Four Humours? The Elizabethans believed in The Four Humours, A traditional theory of physiology in which health, mind and character was dependant upon the balance of four fluids in your body, and four elements. Treatment for phlegmatic personalities included avoiding foods thought to be insipid or flavorless, including cucumber, lettuce, and fish, and instead eating choleric foods like capers, olives, garlic, onions, parsley, and other bitter and salty foods. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 ", With Osric he gives way to a bantering and jeering humor very similar to that with Polonius. In the graveyard over the skulls he is sardonic and pathetic, and over Yorick's he is melancholy. Much yellow bile as yellow bile, yellow bile is not flushed out properly fear! Is mentioned a lot in Hamlet most people would have relied on traditional made... Holistic approach to medicine and the human life span and copyrights are the property their. 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