Mary McMahon. . Black bile, the element of earth (cold and dry), although not easily translatable from ancient Greek texts, has a retentive and solidifying force on metabolism and bone building. This is how Laertes prepares to revenge his fathers murder in a duel with Hamlet: I will dot./And for that purpose Ill anoint my sword./I bought an unction of a mountebank,/So mortal that, but dip a knife in it,/Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare,/Collected from all simples that have virtue/Under the moon, can save the thing from death/That is but scratched withal. | Melancholy Temperament. A natural excess of black bile could make you cautious and analytical. They should then have a quarter as much yellow bile as phlegm, and a quarter as much black bile as yellow bile. 13 chapters | In our role as herbalists to support the body using natures gifts, may we remember the wisdom given to us by our ancestral teachers. This explains the Hippocratic . The phrase "melancholy Dane" has become a cliche when it comes to describing our prince, Hamlet. 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. The melancholic character was easy to recognise on an Elizabethan stage. Shakespeareswriting is one of the most important sources for the knowledge we have about medicine in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. ), stinging nettle (Urtica dioicia), and yarrow (Achillea Millefoliium), or herbs that are warming and moistening to nourish and increase blood flow, such as linden (Tilia), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), and hawthorn (Crataegus spp.). One indication that the humours were well-known in the Middle Ages can be seen in a quote from Shakespeare`s, (IV, 3) when Brutus exclaims to Cassius: Must I give way and room to your rash, ? To Polonius and the other spies he is playful and contemptuous. Retrieved from https://www.passionsandtempers.com, Galen (2003). To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. , the element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. 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. The humours would be commonly practiced for 2,500 years and would later be revived by Greek physician and philosopher Galen (130-210 AD), who greatly emphasized their validity in his extensive writings, thus establishing them as a dominant practice well into the Middle Ages (McKeown, 2017). Humorism, the humoral theory, or humoralism, was a system of medicine detailing a supposed makeup and workings of the human body, adopted by Ancient Greek and Roman physicians and philosophers . Essentially, it posited that certain bodily fluids must remain in balance within an individual, and that an imbalance of these fluids could cause illness or other problems. person with balanced humors is not "a pipe for Fortune's finger," nor is he "passion's slave." This Humoral theory was popular for a long time, but what are the four humors? 159 0 obj <>stream Often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life. And they all have roughlythe same number of lines. The Norway (Fortinbras) Subplot The four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. 359-365.) For example, in a 1964 episode of Bewitched, Samantha tells her husband, "Vanity, they name is human." In the animated TV show The Simpsons, Bart exclaims, "Comedy, thy name is Krusty." Theres rue for you, and heres some for me. The point of humoral theory was that it gave a reason for ailments not clearly understood. She is desperately sad as she grieves her brother and father, grief which is compounded as Hamlet withdraws from her. 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. the old fellow, making him say that "yonder cloud," first, is "like a camel," then, "like a weasel," and, finally, "like a whale." This idea dates back to ancient Greece, where the body was seen more or less as a shell containing four different humours, or fluids: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. (V. Four Humours. (Original work published 165-175 CE), Gill, N.S. Hamlet addresses frailty as though speaking to a human being. of a pun: In nearly all his references to the condition of affairs in Denmark, Hamlet indulges in a grim, satirical humor. your songs? Last Modified Date: February 20, 2023. It could destroy your appetite and keep you awake at night and cause you to doubt and suspect everything and everyone around you. 185 BCE). All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) created characters that are among the richest and most recognizable in all of literature. Humoral theory meant that the effect of an imbalance of the humors would cause predictable changes in a person's behavior and health. On The Four Humors: from Hippocrates to Shakespeare is a 5-8 grade class resource that uses primary and secondary sources for students to learn about Hippocrates, Galen, and the medical theory of the four humorsbodily fluids, whose balance was thought to determine one's physical and mental dispositions. , the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. Passions and tempers: A history of the humours. mock your grinning? Shakespeare knew the use and meaning of plants as well as anyone and his writing contains a great number of references to plants, flowers, herbs and spices. Hamlet's stubbornness is one of the survival tactics he has developed to counter his own reluctance to kill Claudius. However, everyone hasa natural excess of one of the humours, which is what makes us all look unique and behave differently. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. The temperament is phlegmatic which is generally slow, sleepy, and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good judgment. I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." y-axis (horizontal): Thinking - Feeling scale. It is challenging to determine the origin of this theory, as the writings of most ancient civilizations have been lost to time. From Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear by Alexander W. Crawford. Analysis of the Characters in Hamlet (2019). Yellow bile, the element of fire (hot and dry), flushes out impurities and deeply nourishes the body. "but essential to interpreting Elizabethan drama, especially the late-16th century genre known as the "comedy of humours" cf. Another strong example of the use of humoral theory in Shakespeare's work is in Henry IV parts one and two. | Definition & Equipment, Hans Jurgen Eysenck: Personality Theory & Overview, Charisma in Leadership | Charismatic Examples & Theory. It stated that certain bodily fluids need to be in balance in order to ensure an individual's health. Information offered on Herbal Academy websites is for educational purposes only. The Theory of the Four Humours was that these four liquids in your body could affect your physical and mental health through imbalance. Hamlet Study Quiz (with detailed answers) A quick glance at Google's Ngram application shows the first usages of the phrase come from the 1830's; then there's a dormancy period, followed by a slightly larger spike in the 1850's, with the phrase really taking off in the 1870's and hitting twin peaks in 1909 and 1922 with a . This is how Prince Hal greets him early on: Thou art so fat-witted, with drinking of old sac, and unbuttoning thee after supper, and sleeping upon benches after noon, that thou hast forgotten to demand that truly which thou wouldst truly know. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. Hippocrates' temperamental approach draws striking similarities to the Kiersey temperaments, Jungian types, DISC, as well as Socionics. This is an interactive personality test of the "Four Temperaments", an idea from Ancient Greek medicine. InHenry IV, parts one and two, there are four main characters, one of each temperament. Shakespeare belongs to you. Hippocrates: Volume IV (W.H.S. Just as we now believe that mental illnesses may in part be due to an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, Elizabethan doctors similarly believed that certain personality traits stemmed . , a major cultural shift was taking place in ancient Greece. Although these concepts are no longer mainstream theories, they continue to provide an underlying foundation to modern medical and herbal practices. Join us online, on the road, or in Washington, DC. New York, NY: W.W. Norton. Nelly Ekstrm is a Visitor Experience Assistant, bringing the galleries and exhibitions to life. Nor were they good company, like the self-indulgent and lazy phlegmatics. Slightly phlegmatic people are kind, content and fair, which Falstaff is not. Blood should be primary, and people should have around a quarter as much phlegm as they had blood. Those unions result in the four humors: 1) melancholic. 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. Choleric. (Original work published 165-175 CE), Gill, N.S. They enjoy women, wine, song, gambling and music together and play mischievous tricks. One of the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent humor. Love might have the same effect: passion heats the body and causes the moisture inside to vaporise and all this hot, moist air escapes your body through lovesick sighs. In comedies, the characters learn from the ordeals they are put through, subsequently develop and are then more or less in humoral balance at the happy ending of the play. William Shakespeare: profile. Centaury. Boston R.G. Sources for Hamlet Then to the skull he says: "Where be your gibes now? When in mourning, its not uncommon to withdraw and find somewhere to sit and cry. It crops out at every turn, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind. 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. This unfailing humor that toys with life's comedies and tragedies alike does not come from madness, but from sanity and self-possession. Theres a daisy. In tragedies they may appear in short scenes of comic relief, like the porter inMacbethwho messes things up by being drunk on duty. Badger, 1916. These characteristics include energetics, elements, and temperament, as well as understanding the complexity of the natural world. A visualization of the characteristics of each of the humours demonstrates its complexity: These characterizations of conditions and temperaments resemble the Ayurvedic doshas of pitta, vata, and kapha, which some scholars suggest were influenced by the theory of humours (Osborn, 2015). ), In the graveyard scene with the clowns Hamlet indulges freely in a grim and melancholy humor. 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. In Shakespeares day, only very wealthy people could afford a doctor and the medicines or treatments he would recommend. All of these and more could affect your humours and, through them, your entire being, body and soul. Sickness was no longer the result of a mortal transgression but was the result of imbalances in the body from a variety of factors, including diet, social class, environmental cleanliness, and the state of ones mental health. In all alike he is sane and thoughtful. . Medical practitioners in Shakespeare's England generally accepted the ancient belief that four body fluids called humors (British spelling: humours) governed the emotional and physical health of a person. All diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. 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. Jones, Trans.). (III. If you have just a little too much of any of the humours, the positive aspects will shape your temperament, but if you have far too much then the bad sides will take over. Treatments for humoral imbalances were often unpleasant or dangerous, including bloodletting, vomiting, starvation, and purging. 109 0 obj <> endobj It reflects the principle of digestion and transformation. Humoral theory was a medical theory that was first developed by ancient civilizations. Diet, age, gender, and the time of year were all thought to play an important role in humoral balances. The four humors I have recently started reading up on Shakespeare as I have read and enjoyed romeo and juliet when i was in high school and I feel like my lack of knowledge of these famous works of literature is something that should be fixed, I recently finished A Midsummer Night's Dream, and now I am on Hamlet and I came across something I don't quite understand. By now its probably clear that melancholia was the least valued of the four temperaments. Articulate and analyze the dramatic plot structure of Shakespeare's works. However, should one fluid overpower the others, the body becomes out of balance and causes medical and psychological illness. It reflects the principle of digestion and transformation. Pray you, love, remember. Words by Nelly EkstrmAverage reading time 4 minutes 11 December 2016 Article Yet Shakespeare understood personality and health in the terms available to his agethat of the now-discarded theory of the four bodily humors. His clothing is grey and black, and very drab, while Rosalind and Celia are in contrasting bright colors and textures. In the human body, the interaction of the four humors explained differences of age, gender, emotions, and disposition. Essentially, this theory held that the human body was filled with four basic substances, called four humors, which are in balance when a person is healthy. The people of Shakespeare's time did not think about physical or mental health the way modern doctors and scientists do. - Definition & Examples, Public Broadcast Service (PBS): Definition, Origin & Funding, Satellite Television: Definition & History, Microcasting: Definition, Example & Impact, Communications Act of 1934: Purpose & Impact, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. It was thought that these conditions were caused by an imbalance in the humours. , wine, song, gambling and music together and play mischievous tricks trademarks and copyrights are property. # x27 ; temperamental approach draws striking similarities to the Kiersey temperaments, Jungian types DISC... Of his mind Shakespeare & # x27 ; temperamental approach draws striking similarities to the temperaments... Make you cautious and analytical people could afford a doctor and the other spies he is playful and.! Similarities to the Kiersey temperaments, Jungian types, DISC, as the of. 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And music together and play mischievous tricks a major cultural shift was taking in... Becomes out of balance and causes medical and Herbal practices compared to sap in plants, is. In short scenes of comic relief, like the self-indulgent and lazy phlegmatics at turn... Sad as she grieves her brother and father, grief which is compounded as Hamlet withdraws from her jest... Thought to ensure appreciation of the use of humoral theory was a medical theory that was first by! Body and soul melancholy humor Rosalind and Celia are in contrasting bright and! Your physical and mental health through imbalance the arts and thoughtful introspection,. Human being, Hamlet and self-possession medical theory that was first developed ancient... Most important sources for the foundation of life clothing is grey and black, and people should have a... Continue to provide an underlying foundation to modern medical and psychological illness elements, and very drab, Rosalind. The graveyard scene with the clowns Hamlet indulges freely in a person 's behavior and.. Road, or in Washington, DC brother and father, grief which what... Is responsible for the knowledge we have about medicine in Elizabethan and Jacobean England year were all to. Age, gender, and disposition that melancholia was the least valued of four! Kind, content and fair, which Falstaff is not for educational purposes only playful and contemptuous should fluid! Be a Study.com Member the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent.... Meant that the effect of an imbalance of the use of humoral theory was a theory! Lesson you must be a Study.com Member grief which is what makes us all look unique and differently!

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