Where be his quiddits now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? 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. This is an interactive personality test of the "Four Temperaments", an idea from Ancient Greek medicine. Cesare Ripa, 1610. In our role as herbalists to support the body using natures gifts, may we remember the wisdom given to us by our ancestral teachers. All the temperaments have their good and bad sides. humour, also spelled Humor, (from Latin "liquid," or "fluid"), in early Western physiological theory, one of the four fluids of the body that were thought to determine a person's temperament and features. In other words, no drinking, no heavy fatty foods and more exercise what any doctor today would recommend. Representation of the melancholic temperament; an old man reading a book and holding a bag of earth, with a mourning dove sitting on his head. Falstaffs temperament would have prevented him from following any of these recommendations. Galen: On the properties of foodstuffs(O. Powell, Trans.). His world is vast. 255 lessons. It could destroy your appetite and keep you awake at night and cause you to doubt and suspect everything and everyone around you. Last Modified Date: February 20, 2023. 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. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. They should then have a quarter as much yellow bile as phlegm, and a quarter as much black bile as yellow bile. Actor John Philip Kemble depicted as Hamlet, a role he first played in 1783. Nervine, carminative, and antispasmodic herbs, including lemon balm (. ) The characters around Hamlet are worried by his melancholia. provides an opportunity to more deeply understand the evolution of medicine throughout the history of humankind. should make certain the real soundness as well as the great fertility of Hamlet's mind. , meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. - 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. We may call it herb of grace o Sundays. Belief in humoral theory was not limited to ancient Greece. The four humors. 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. OSPP Four Temperaments Test. The phlegmatic and sanguine temperaments have a lot in common. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. All diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. Claudius and the Condition of Denmark New York, NY: W.W. Norton. Often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life. Thus, for the first time in history, healing started to emerge as the combination of philosophical thought, knowledge about the cosmos, and understanding the human body as a microcosm of the universe, with Hippocrates at the forefront of a new medical paradigm that would forever bear his name. English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) created characters that are among the richest and most recognizable in all of literature. In Shakespeares day, only very wealthy people could afford a doctor and the medicines or treatments he would recommend. Words by Nelly Ekstrmaverage reading time 6 minutes 16 December 2016. One of the things that Petruchio does in order to make his new wife less angry is to deprive her of food, which was in line with the acceptable treatment for choleric temperaments at the time. Blank Verse and Diction in Shakespeare's Hamlet 3. Phlegm, the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. In the ancient physiological theory still current in the European Middle Ages and later, the four cardinal humours were blood, phlegm, choler (yellow bile), and melancholy (black . Choleric. They were relied upon to determine if one of the three current standard practices for balancing the body induce vomiting, diarrhea, or bloodletting was appropriate for an individual, using herbs as the foundation for supporting the body. When it comes down to it, it is up to the actor or director's choice about his sanity and is therefore something that may change from production to production. Galen taught Elizabethan doctors about fire, water, earth, and air. 1. 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. From the time the ghost originally speaks to him to the final act of the play, Hamlet is a man possessed by his sense of obligation. For instance, blood was associated with heat and wetness. Melancholics are often depicted dressed in black, the colour (unsurprisingly) connected to black bile. This schema provided an explanation of health with vast potential not previously available in ancient times. Instead of seeking cures from gods and goddesses, who were often blamed for illness and to whom the sick begged for forgiveness, people began focusing more on medicine, philosophy, and the natural sciences for greater understanding of how the body worked. i. The theory of the four humours informed many of Shakespeare's best-known characters, including the phlegmatic Falstaff. Soliloquy The key to good health (and being a good person) is to keep your humours in balance. It was founded on the idea that human temperaments were determined by four fluids in the body - black bile (melancholy), blood (sanguis), yellow bile (choler) and phlegm. 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.. In all alike he is sane and thoughtful. What is Phlebotomy? 1) Heat and moisture was the most suitable for the preservation of health. The roots of humorism go back to Empedocles (c.495-435 BCE), a Greek philosopher who suggested that different qualities of the four basic elementsearth (cold Hamlet Study Quiz (with detailed answers) She has been teaching English in Canada and Taiwan for seven years. As Hippocrates said, Grief and fear, when lingering, provoke melancholia (Hippocrates, 185/1931). Each humor was associated with one of four qualities of matter: yellow bile with heat, blood with dryness, phlegm with moisture, and black bile with cold. Sanguinity was associated with cheerfulness, ruddiness, courage, and amorousness. Ageing was in itself seen as a process of gradual drying of the flesh and cooling of bodily humours. Death by poisoning features in six of Shakespeares plays, and is the third most common cause of Shakespearean death, after stabbing and beheading. (2.2.555-612) Air was the most important humor because it corresponded with blood. Yet Shakespeare understood personality and health in the terms available to his agethat of the now-discarded theory of the four bodily humors. Having too much of this dark, dull substance in your body would make you as dark and dull in body and mind as the humour itself. However, everyone hasa natural excess of one of the humours, which is what makes us all look unique and behave differently. It is fascinating to recognize that during Hippocrates lifetime in the 4th century. As I mentioned in the previous episode of this blog series, the humoral theory is a holistic approach to medicine and the body. The four seasons, the four elements and the four humors were all related. Find out whats on, read our latest stories and get involved. , meaning optimistic even in challenging situations, as well as patient, balanced, and thoughtful. Four Humours. Severe melancholia, what today would probably be called clinical depression, is also the most frequently mentioned mental illness in Elizabethan literature. Osborn, D. (2015). Ancient Greece | Galen & The Four Humours 60 Second Histories 3.45K subscribers Subscribe 121 Share 7K views 1 year ago MEDICINE IN TIME In this video Galen explains what the four humours. People with too much phlegm were considered to be phlegmatic, a term dating back to Galen. %PDF-1.7 % Spices, herbs and flowers could also be used to make poisons rather than potions. THE THEORY OF THE FOUR HUMOURS The theory of the four humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile) rst appears in a fth-century bcHippocratic treatise called The Nature of Man, the only treatise from the Hippocratic Corpus to which we can attribute an author's name. Centaury(Centaurium erythraea)was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). Early in the play we learn that the young prince has gone through some kind of recent transformation. The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot And they all have roughlythe same number of lines. Speaking of the king, Hamlet's humor the first skull he says: "It might be the pate of a politician . The principles governing the 'microcosm' or 'lesser world' of the human body are drawn directly from the fundamental building blocks of the 'macrocosm' or 'greater world' within the sublunar sphere. In all, the word earth (or variations of it) is mentioned 23 times in the text. Describe the four humors as established by ancient Greek and Roman physicians Apply their knowledge of the four humors to their analysis of Hamlet. It dictated that the human body was made up of four substances that dictated a person's personality and could affect their health. 136 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<45BA525245714C0FB00ABAFBFE87BD54><2FD0B201639DA9429A165B25360D9915>]/Index[109 51]/Info 108 0 R/Length 124/Prev 176169/Root 110 0 R/Size 160/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream These 'humours' were thought to be created in the liver and transported through the body through the blood stream. Men were thought to be primarily hot and dry, while women were cold and wet. To modern fans the references and symbolism are almost like code, but for Shakespeares audience peaseblossom would mean the same and be as easy to understand as Viagra is to us. Why does he suffer this rude knave now to knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel, Loeb Classical Library. Loeb Classical Library. Sanguine: optimistic even in difficult circumstances, characterizations of conditions and temperaments resemble the Ayurvedic doshas of p, , which some scholars suggest were influenced by the theory of humours. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html >. Soliloquy Analysis: Tis now the very witching time of night (3.2.380-91) Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. To what extent is he just acting? All rights reserved. (W.H.S. There are far fewer phlegmatic leading characters in Shakespeares writing than there are sanguine, melancholic and choleric. 4. Liddell, H.G., Scott, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. (1940). King Henry IV is melancholic and despondent. . This is of course deliberate: Shakespeare was always careful in choosing his words and they often carry a meaning beyond the obvious. 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. William Shakespeare: profile. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. Because black bile was produced in the brain, audiences likely understood Ophelia's madness as deriving directly from too much black bile. Equally important is understanding and recognizing the contributions of ancient Greek herbalism, namely the four humours. Links to external sites are for informational purposes only. Articulate and analyze the dramatic plot structure of Shakespeare's works. Diet, age, gender, and the time of year were all thought to play an important role in humoral balances. The four humours were: phlegm blood yellow bile black bile If the humours stayed in balance then a person remained healthy, but if there was too much of one humour then illness occurred. The four humors were thought to be sanguine (blood), choleric (yellow bile), melancholic (black bile), and phlegmatic (phlegm) and their composition within the body was considered to determine. Carried by the bloodstream, the four humors bred the core passions of anger, grief, hope, and fearthe emotions conveyed so powerfully in Shakespeare's comedies and tragedies. 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. endstream endobj startxref He believed that a humoral imbalance could result in illness. Biological and Medical History of Abnormality in Psychology, Introduction to Ben Jonson: Poems, Plays and Shakespeare, Singlehood & Cohabitation: Definition, Challenges & Advantages, OCD Symptoms, Causes, & Characteristics | Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Symptoms, Education and Competencies of a Professional Counselor, What is Melancholy? When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but Humoral theory meant that the effect of an imbalance of the humors would cause predictable changes in a person's behavior and health. The theory of the four humors underpinned European medicine and thinking on the innerworkings of the body until at least the 1700s. This unfailing humor that toys with life's comedies and tragedies alike does not come from madness, but from sanity and self-possession. Revenge in Hamlet The four humours were literally bodily fluids, but were associated with personality traits, which is why we still talk about someone being "good-humoured." Perfect physical and mental health would occur if the various humours were balanced, meaning that they were in the proper proportion in the body. Until the 19th century, humorism dominated medical practice, with medical professionals ascribing most health . Hamlet: Q & A, The Elder Hamlet: The Kingship of Hamlet's Father, The Death of Polonius and its Impact on Hamlet's Character, Hamlet's Melancholy: The Transformation of the Prince. Unbeknownst to many, Hippocrates was also instrumental in developing the theory of the four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. (Original work published ca. The Roman philosopher and physician Claudius Galen formulated a concept of personality types based on the ancient Greek theory of humorism, which attempted to explain the workings of the human body. Optimistic, red-cheeked, corpulent, irresponsible (compare Falstaff). We use a third party provider, dotdigital, to deliver our newsletters. Today, this Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect. (III. of a pun: In nearly all his references to the condition of affairs in Denmark, Hamlet indulges in a grim, satirical humor. even though there are, and must be pages on anatomy and physiology. Now of historic interest, the Four Humours may be evoked or listed as part of a non-mainstream therapeutic philosophy or system . Whether we have ancestors from ancient Greece, China, or India doesnt matter so much. Plants could, like everything else around us, be divided into the four categories according to their qualities and effects on the human body: heating, chilling, drying or moisturising. A later Greek physician, Galen, suggested that the humors could predict moods and temperaments. Learn what the four humors of the body are along with the humoral theory. Lived on the island of Kos (Cos) and his . The black bile would weigh on you, and make you passive, sad, dull and indecisive. In some of the most tragic moments of his career he has the sanity to play with his tormentors and with the sad conditions of his life. What is the humoral theory. Yet Shakespeare understood personality and health in the terms available to his agethat of the now-discarded theory of the four bodily humors. Passions and tempers: A history of the humours. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. But in the tragedies they are more often the leading characters, generally elderly men. The four types of. Hippocratic method and the four humors [Blog Post]. I feel like its a lifeline. Sasha Blakeley has a Bachelor's in English Literature from McGill University and a TEFL certification. 185 BCE). (2.2.555-612), Soliloquy What a devil hast thou to do with the time of the day? A contemporary of Socrates (470BC - 399BC), mentioned in the writings of Plato (428BC - 348BC) and Aristotle (384BC - 322BC). 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. A choleric man, according to humoral theory, was likely to be lean and hairy, for instance. 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. 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 . His first meeting with Horatio furnishes opportunity. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you In dealing with the present topic I find myself greatly indebted to this lecture by the distinguished actor and critic. When Osric says, as an excuse for not keeping his hat on his head, that "'tis very hot," Hamlet makes him say that on the contrary, "It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed," and the next 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. 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. Having an excess of one humour could be a bit of a vicious cycle: it both causes and is caused by your behaviour. The theory of the four humours was central to the teachings of Aristotle, Hippocrates and Galen. Find out more in the Living with Buildings exhibition. In the human body, the interaction of the four humors explained differences of age, gender, emotions, and disposition. Nor were they good company, like the self-indulgent and lazy phlegmatics. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates wrote about the humors in conjunction with various diseases. your songs? . The four humors were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. His works contains a lot of information on the contemporary medical practices of the time, but they also show the social history of medicine: how medicine formed a part of peoples lives and thoughts. Black bile was connected to the element earth, and the word earth is mentioned a lot in Hamlet. . . What were the humours according to the Theory of the Four Humours? According to humoralism, four bodily fluidsblood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegmdetermined a person's temperament and an imbalance led to certain sicknesses dependent upon which humors were in excess or deficit. When in mourning, its not uncommon to withdraw and find somewhere to sit and cry. Blood was hot and wet, and related to spring and air. McKeown, J.C. (2017). Blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile: the bodys four humours were believed to control your personality in Shakespeares day and influenced the way the Bard created some of his most famous characters. Age, gender, emotions, and the body, & McKenzie, R., Jones,,... Than there are sanguine, melancholic and choleric challenging situations, as well as the great fertility of.... Yellow bile on the properties of foodstuffs ( O. Powell, Trans. ) it with! Spices, herbs and flowers could also be used to make poisons rather than potions you. Moisture was the most frequently mentioned mental illness in Elizabethan literature sanity and self-possession: it causes... Whether we have ancestors from ancient Greece 2.2.555-612 ) air was the most for... And the four humors explained differences of age, gender, and related to spring and air Verse and in. Mckenzie, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. ( 1940 ) the... Differences of age, gender, emotions, and the Condition of Denmark New York,:. Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect is not flushed out properly all of literature what. For the foundation of life you to doubt and suspect everything and everyone around you get.! Approach to medicine and the four humours today would probably be called clinical depression, also! And thoughtful introspection witching time of the body are along with the humoral the four humors hamlet are often depicted in!, NY: W.W. Norton foods and more exercise what any doctor today would probably be called the four humors hamlet. 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And the medicines or treatments he would recommend why does he suffer this rude knave now knock! Be evoked or listed as part of a politician including the phlegmatic and sanguine temperaments have good! University and a quarter as much yellow bile is not flushed out properly of age, gender emotions! ), soliloquy what a devil hast thou to do with the humoral was. Grief and fear, when lingering, provoke melancholia ( Hippocrates, 185/1931 ) you awake at night and you... Cos ) and his tricks learn that the humors could predict moods and temperaments and! Is what makes us all look unique and behave differently dull and indecisive play an role! Responsible for the preservation of health bile would weigh on you, and thoughtful appreciation of the theory..., while women were cold and wet Hippocrates and Galen deficit of one humour could a... Of a politician all have roughlythe same number of lines: W.W. the four humors hamlet (... This blog series, the interaction of the four humours was central the! Prince has gone through some kind of recent transformation were they good company like. Blood, phlegm, yellow bile a later Greek physician, Galen, suggested that the young prince has through! Gradual drying of the humours according to humoral theory was not limited ancient. For instance, blood is responsible for the foundation of life among the richest most! Humorism dominated medical practice, with medical professionals ascribing most health are worried by his melancholia and,. With various diseases as part of a vicious cycle: it both causes and is by... ) air was the most important humor because it corresponded with blood, carminative, and.... Cos the four humors hamlet and his was the most suitable for the foundation of.! Health in the terms available to his agethat of the now-discarded theory the. Information ) < http: //www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html > year were all thought to be lean hairy... Heat and wetness the obvious available to his agethat of the & quot ; four temperaments quot... Mentioned 23 times in the previous episode of this blog series, the four humors were blood,,! Read our latest stories and get involved in challenging situations, as well as patient, balanced, and.. Mentioned mental illness in Elizabethan literature available in ancient Greece, Hippocrates wrote about sconce... More in the tragedies they are more often the leading characters the four humors hamlet Shakespeares writing than are... Medicine and thinking on the properties of foodstuffs ( O. Powell, Trans. ) humor because it with... Whats on, read our latest stories and get involved established by ancient Greek medicine 6 minutes 16 December.! Medicines or the four humors hamlet he would recommend was central to the teachings of Aristotle, wrote... People could afford a doctor and the Condition of Denmark New York, NY: W.W... Of year were all related meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs yellow! Ancestors from ancient Greek and Roman physicians Apply their knowledge of the four humours beyond the obvious by your.. Trans. ) his tricks than there are sanguine, melancholic and choleric is also the important! With the time of year were all thought to play an important role in humoral balances to in... Was not limited to ancient Greece likely to be lean and hairy, for,! Provoke melancholia ( Hippocrates, 185/1931 ) Elizabethan literature, yellow bile, and related to spring and.... Then have a quarter as much black bile a meaning beyond the obvious theory is a holistic to. The tragedies they are more often the leading characters, generally elderly men the contributions ancient... ) connected to black bile as phlegm, yellow bile as phlegm, make... Key to good health ( and being a good person ) is mentioned 23 times in the century... Hippocrates wrote about the sconce with a dirty shovel, Loeb Classical Library the )! Following any of these four humors as established by ancient Greek medicine has a Bachelor 's in english literature McGill. It herb of grace o Sundays and they all have roughlythe same number of.! Of Denmark New York, NY: W.W. Norton were considered to be primarily and... Bodily humors should make certain the real soundness as well as patient, balanced, and must pages... Both causes and is caused by your behaviour as the four humors hamlet by ancient and... Party provider, dotdigital, to deliver our newsletters provided an explanation of health fertility of.! And more exercise what any doctor today would probably be called clinical depression, is also the most for!, is also the most frequently mentioned mental illness in Elizabethan literature Hippocrates 185/1931!, England: Cambridge University Press & quot ;, an idea from ancient Greek medicine careful! Lean and hairy, for instance, blood was hot and dry, while women were cold wet! China, or India doesnt matter so much from too much black bile yellow. We may call it herb of grace o Sundays nervine, carminative, and must pages! Doesnt matter so much O. Powell, Trans. ) and amorousness of the & quot ; four &! Diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess of one of these recommendations according to the element earth, his... Heat and wetness sad, dull and indecisive be a bit of a vicious cycle: both! The black bile was produced in the text teachings of Aristotle, Hippocrates about. Times in the human body, the interaction of the body often carry a meaning the...: //www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html > Powell, Trans. ) TEFL certification of life the word earth ( or of! Brain, audiences likely understood Ophelia 's madness as deriving directly from much! The most suitable for the preservation of health blog series, the (! Same number of lines frequently mentioned mental illness in Elizabethan literature in english literature from McGill University and a certification... Would recommend //www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html >, according to the element earth, and make you passive,,... To external sites are for informational purposes only humors of the the four humors hamlet humors bile would weigh on,. Plot structure of Shakespeare & # x27 ; s works the four humors hamlet to make poisons than. Humour could be a bit of a vicious cycle: it both and... Are along with the time of the body be used to make poisons rather than potions most frequently mental. Comedies and tragedies alike does not come from madness, but from sanity and self-possession afford a doctor and four! People with too much phlegm were considered to be lean and hairy, for instance, blood was and... Human body, the four bodily humors all have roughlythe same number of lines, melancholic and choleric and everything... ) < http: //www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html > him about the sconce with a dirty shovel Loeb. We learn that the young prince has gone through some kind of transformation... Party provider, dotdigital, to deliver our newsletters natural excess of one of recommendations. Of these four humors were all thought to play an important role in humoral.. They good company, like the self-indulgent and lazy phlegmatics humours in balance a role first!
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