", With Osric he gives way to a bantering and jeering humor very similar to that with Polonius. 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. The exhibit uses materials from the historical collections of NLM to explore the prevailing belief of the . good a judge of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with madness. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. of a pun: In nearly all his references to the condition of affairs in Denmark, Hamlet indulges in a grim, satirical humor. They should then have a quarter as much yellow bile as phlegm, and a quarter as much black bile as yellow bile. A contemporary of Socrates (470BC - 399BC), mentioned in the writings of Plato (428BC - 348BC) and Aristotle (384BC - 322BC). His first meeting with Horatio furnishes opportunity. Affiliate links are shared throughout the website and the Herbal Academy may receive compensation if you make a purchase with these links. The way doctors would rid you of your excess humours would probably not be recommended today though: enemas, vomiting and especially bloodletting were common treatments for a wide range of conditions. When these unconscionable spies come to him to inquire what he had done with the dead body of Polonius, he first answers: "Compounded it with dust, whereto 't is kin." Black bile was associated with a melancholy temperament. 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. The body was a system of four fluid "humours": black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood. Hed probably agree with fellow phlegmatic Sir Toby Belch: I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. The choice of words also brings us into this realm of melancholia where Hamlet lives: a world of earth, death, decay and graves. Students explore the influence of the humoral theory in Shakespeare's plays. In all alike he is sane and thoughtful. 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. Especially serious cases were thought to be possessed by demons or the devil; that called for a very different kind of treatment. which is generally slow, sleepy, and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good judgment. 2) sanguine. It stated that certain bodily fluids need to be in balance in order to ensure an individual's health. Sasha Blakeley has a Bachelor's in English Literature from McGill University and a TEFL certification. At the beginning of a play, the heroes and heroines all have an excess, in differing amounts, of one of the humours. Blood should be primary, and people should have around a quarter as much phlegm as they had blood. Shakespeare was too good a judge of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with madness. The temperament is sanguine, meaning optimistic even in challenging situations, as well as patient, balanced, and thoughtful. 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. (Original work published ca. that soaks up the king's countenance, his rewards, his authorities. This is the humour of regeneration and is supported by herbs that are either cooling and drying to help regulate blood, such as agrimony (, ), or herbs that are warming and moistening to nourish and increase blood flow, such as linden (. 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. endstream endobj 110 0 obj <>>> endobj 111 0 obj <. ii. Herbs that support this imbalance include pungent, stimulating, and aromatic herbs, such fenugreek (. was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). The same eminent critic asserts that, "If the quality of humor is important in comedy, it is, I venture to say, yet more important, in tragedy, whether it be in the tragedy of life or in the tragedy of the theatre." It could make you prone to solitary study, nightly walks in churchyards and the reading of sad poetry, and the more time you spend alone and feeling this way, the more your excess of black bile will grow. Article in The It is fascinating to recognize that during Hippocrates lifetime in the 4th century BCE, a major cultural shift was taking place in ancient Greece. Four Humours. Posts. Woodcut of two men drinking, over-consuming and vomiting. Centaury. Devin has taught psychology and has a master's degree in clinical forensic psychology. , 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. Jones, Trans.). 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 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. On When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but Deception in Hamlet Ill touch my point/With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly/It may be death.. The humours affect your whole being, from your health and feelings to your looks and actions. 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. The medieval humors drew from the Greek humoral theory and understandings of the humors contributed directly to how patients were treated. 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. Richard II is another tragedy with a melancholic leading character and earth is mentioned in it 24 times. FOOTNOTE 1: Humor in Tragedy, by Sir Herbert Tree. Hamlet, the melancholic Prince of Denmark Hamlet is arguably the most famous literary melancholic, demonstrating an excess of black bile - one of the four humours thought to govern bodies in Shakespeare's time. show credit information for image 'Astrological man, 1503', show credit information for image 'Woodcut of drinking and vomiting', show credit information for image 'Falstaff, Eduard von Grtzner, 1906', show credit information for image 'Image from Histoires Prodigieuses, by Pierre Boaistuau', Image from Histoires Prodigieuses, by Pierre Boaistuau, Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0), Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. There were also herbals: books with collected descriptions and drawings of medical plants. InHenry IV, parts one and two, there are four main characters, one of each temperament. One of the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent humor. Poor Hamlet, too much humor had'st thou for this harsh world!" 4. . Sour flavors were associated with melancholy, including vinegar and lemons. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. One play really stands out when it comes to the subject of humours. 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. Many plants also represented something beyond their practical application and were used as symbols. 1) Heat and moisture was the most suitable for the preservation of health. Readers must do their own research concerning the safety and usage of any herbs or supplements. Liddell, H.G., Scott, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. (1940). To cure an imbalance of yellow bile, patients were sometimes told to starve themselves. And there is pansies, thats for thoughts Theres fennel for you, and columbines. As I mentioned in the previous episode of this blog series, the humoral theory is a holistic approach to medicine and the body. Porter, R.(1997). ", Another aspect of Hamlet's humor glints forth in his dealings with his old school-fellows, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Join us online, on the road, or in Washington, DC. Phlegmatic people were apathetic, sluggish, and dull, lacking the will and energy for excitement. 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. Centaury(Centaurium erythraea)was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). His clothing is grey and black, and very drab, while Rosalind and Celia are in contrasting bright colors and textures. Hamlet's Melancholy: The Transformation of the Prince Not one now, to Sanguinity was associated with cheerfulness, ruddiness, courage, and amorousness. (2019). Melancholics are often depicted dressed in black, the colour (unsurprisingly) connected to black bile. 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. 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. Short-tempered, red-haired, thin, ambitious (compare Hotspur). A person with this kind of temperament was not seen as productive and active in society like the warm-blooded sanguines and cholerics were. In Act V, Hamlet, Claudius, Laertes and Queen Gertrude are all poisoned, and Hamlets father is, of course, murdered by the dripping of poison in his ear before the play even begins. is caustic and satirical. Nervine, carminative, and antispasmodic herbs, including lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and lavender(Lavandula officinalis) balance these conditions. . Nelly Ekstrm is a Visitor Experience Assistant, bringing the galleries and exhibitions to life. (Original work published 165-175 CE), Gill, N.S. | Melancholy Temperament. All of these and more could affect your humours and, through them, your entire being, body and soul. 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. 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. Badger, 1916. English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) created characters that are among the richest and most recognizable in all of literature. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. (2.2.555-612), Soliloquy Badger, 1916. ), who greatly emphasized their validity in his extensive writings, thus establishing them as a dominant practice well into the Middle Ages (McKeown, 2017). 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. He believed that a humoral imbalance could result in illness. Develop an analytical argument in which they assess the significance of Hamlet's melancholy. One indication that the humours were well-known in the Middle Ages can be seen in a quote from Shakespeare`sJulius Caesar(IV, 3) when Brutus exclaims to Cassius: Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Then he suggests that Rosencrantz is only "a sponge . Retrieved from. , the element of fire (hot and dry), flushes out impurities and deeply nourishes the body. Osborn, D. (2015). Find out whats on, read our latest stories and get involved. 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. 185 BCE). Phlegm was cold and wet, and related to winter and water. Soliloquy Analysis: Now might I do it pat (3.3.77-100) The four humors were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Choler was primarily associated with summer. succeed. 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. Besides that, the typical melancholic would have very little else to offer the world. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html >. Theres rosemary, thats for remembrance. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates wrote about the humors in conjunction with various diseases. In dealing with the present topic I find myself greatly indebted to this lecture by the distinguished actor and critic. Early in the play we learn that the young prince has gone through some kind of recent transformation. 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). , the element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. Most people would have relied on traditional remedies made out of what they could pick in the forest or grow themselves. The physic garden or patch, would be as important to the household as the kitchen garden, and it was common knowledge how these plants and herbs were used. Water was thought to be cold and wet, so it was associated with phlegm. 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. Ben Jonson. For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy notice. The four seasons, the four elements and the four humors were all related. If Hamlet does not really go mad under his unparalleled griefs and burdens it is because under all circumstances his grim and tragic humor holds evenly the balance of his mind. Hippocrates (460-370 BCE), known as the father of modern medicine and whose Hippocratic Oath continues to bind modern-day physicians to first do no harm, continues to serve as an iconic figure to the medical practitioner. and will not tell him of his action of battery?" It reflects the principle of digestion and transformation. In Europe, the theory remained widespread for centuries and still had its adherents as late as the 1800s. In other words, no drinking, no heavy fatty foods and more exercise what any doctor today would recommend. The philosopher and physician Hippocrates wrote about the Greek humors, and Hippocrates' four humors became the theory most recognized today. Hippocrates (1931). A Greek-English lexicon. hb``f``: AXw@bA73ptt0tt4EbH"?~%G?2bfa10%rsH_x4:1V2cBqbi4x D1` O]b |H^aHs10g`Z & If blood dominates, you will have a sanguine temperament; yellow bile makes you choleric; black bile melancholic; and phlegm leads you to being phlegmatic. Hamlet's Antic Disposition: Is Hamlet's Madness Real? However, everyone hasa natural excess of one of the humours, which is what makes us all look unique and behave differently. 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. 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. What is Phlebotomy? Herbs that support an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which cool and detoxify the body. These humours were thought to be connected to different organs inside the body; to the four elements of earth, water, fire and air; and even to the movements of the stars in the sky. The word is quite rare in Shakespeares writing otherwise: in The Taming of the Shrew, a play without melancholics, the word is only used once. It was classified among other types of mental illness of its time, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal possession. Hippocrates - Greek physician (c460BC - 370BC). Introduction to Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Raymond Cattell: Personality Theory & Biography, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Humors of the Body in Shakespeare's Works, History and Approaches: Tutoring Solution, Biological Bases of Behavior: Tutoring Solution, Sensation and Perception: Tutoring Solution, States of Consciousness: Tutoring Solution, Motivation and Emotion: Tutoring Solution, Developmental Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Types of Studies in Behavioral Genetics: Twin, Family & Adoption, Freud's Theory of the Id, Ego & Superego: Definitions & Examples, Freudian Defense Mechanisms: Definition, Levels & Examples, Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development, Humanistic Psychology & Carl Rogers' Theory of Personality, Historical Personality Assessment: Humorism, Phrenology & Physiognomy, Trait Assessment Testing: Fundamental Attribution Error & OCEAN, Agreeableness in Personality: Definition & Overview, Introverted Personality: Definition & Characteristics, Social Personality Type: Traits & Overview, Theories of Social Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Psychological Disorders and Health: Tutoring Solution, Psychological Treatments: Tutoring Solution, Statistics, Tests and Measurement: Tutoring Solution, UExcel Introduction to Psychology: Study Guide & Test Prep, Intro to Psychology Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, AP Psychology Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Human Growth & Development Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Gerontology for Teachers: Professional Development, OSAT Psychology/Sociology (CEOE) (032): Practice & Study Guide, Maintenance & Generalization of Skills Across Learning Environments, Teaching Human Sexuality, Family Life & Parenting to Special Populations, Addressing Parental Concerns About Students with Emotional Impairments, Parental Resources for Students with Emotional Impairments, Legal Standards & Issues in the Education of Students with Emotional Impairments, What is a Television Network? , Similarly, the four humours loosely correspond to the wheel of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Blood. People with too much phlegm were considered to be phlegmatic, a term dating back to Galen. The four seasons spring, summer, autumn and winter paralleled the four humors blood/sanguine, yellow bile/choleric, phlegm/phlegmatic and black bile/melancholic, which in turn paralleled the four elements air, fire, water and earth. King Henry IV himself is melancholic, Prince Hal sanguine, Sir Harry Hotspur choleric and the knight Sir John Falstaff is phlegmatic. 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.

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