Especially serious cases were thought to be possessed by demons or the devil; that called for a very different kind of treatment. 185 BCE). 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. Create your account. This is the humour of regeneration and is supported by herbs that are either cooling and drying to help regulate blood, such as agrimony (Agrimonia spp. A person with this kind of temperament was not seen as productive and active in society like the warm-blooded sanguines and cholerics were. The black bile would weigh on you, and make you passive, sad, dull and indecisive. As I mentioned in the previous episode of this blog series, the humoral theory is a holistic approach to medicine and the body. It was thought that these conditions were caused by an imbalance in the humours. Those unions result in the four humors: 1) melancholic. In early accounts of human physiology, a person's physical and mental disposition was thought to be governed by a combination of fluids, or humours, within the body.Four humours were recognized: blood, phlegm, choler (also called yellow bile), and melancholy (also called black bile or black choler).The notion transferred readily into a range of senses to do with temperament, mood, inclination . Learn what the four humors of the body are along with the humoral theory. . Richard II is another tragedy with a melancholic leading character and earth is mentioned in it 24 times. Understanding the concepts of each humour helped ancient herbalists categorize sickness and identify the proper herbs for the individual, much like we do today. 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. Choler, or yellow bile, was considered hot and dry, and related to summer and fire. 109 0 obj <> endobj 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. Choleric. Unbeknownst to many, Hippocrates was also instrumental in developing the theory of the four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. This is an interactive personality test of the "Four Temperaments", an idea from Ancient Greek medicine. These humors represented different aspects of a human, connected to the four elements (wind, air, earth and fire) and the four seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter). Cesare Ripa, 1610. Ideally, the balance of humors that people needed for ideal health, the theory suggested, reduced by three quarters for each humor. There are many famous melancholics - the author of Ecclesiastes was one, so was Hamlet (Shakespeare probably had read an . 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. , the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. Today, this Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect. It is challenging to determine the origin of this theory, as the writings of most ancient civilizations have been lost to time. Shakespeare and the four humours Blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile: the body's four humours were believed to control your personality in Shakespeare's day and influenced the way the Bard created some of his most famous characters. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. Hippocrates (460-370. 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. Retrieved from https://www.passionsandtempers.com, Galen (2003). even though there are, and must be pages on anatomy and physiology. 2. Osborn, D. (2015). 16th-century illustration of the four humors: Flegmat (phlegm), Sanguin (blood), Coleric (yellow bile) and Melanc (black bile). Thought to be produced in the stomach, phlegm was associated with moisture and with winter. (2.2.555-612), Soliloquy Understanding the four humours that Hippocrates developed thousands of years ago. Retrieved from, (O. Powell, Trans.). Choleric people were quick to anger and highly irritable. Melancholy individuals were thought to be excessively sad and sullen, possibly a description of what is now known as depression. Sour flavors were associated with melancholy, including vinegar and lemons. is caustic and satirical. It was classified among other types of mental illness of its time, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal possession. , meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. Phlegm, the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. Herbs that support an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which cool and detoxify the body. The four humors: (Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous melancholic, but Jacques also suffers from too much black bile) In this painting, Orlando closely resembles the melancholic men laying on the forest ground that we discussed. spacious in the possession of dirt." We may call it herb of grace o Sundays. Black bile was considered cold and dry, and was related to . All diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. Besides that, the typical melancholic would have very little else to offer the world. Sanity is humor." +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. 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. Falstaff imagined by artist Eduard von Grtzner, 1906. ", Another aspect of Hamlet's humor glints forth in his dealings with his old school-fellows, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. 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 of course deliberate: Shakespeare was always careful in choosing his words and they often carry a meaning beyond the obvious. . Although these concepts are no longer mainstream theories, they continue to provide an underlying foundation to modern medical and herbal practices. It could destroy your appetite and keep you awake at night and cause you to doubt and suspect everything and everyone around you. 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. Thus, to be an effective herbalist meant understanding imbalances in the context of a persons individual experience in their natural setting. Black bile, the humour that dominated this temperament, was connected to the cold and dry element earth, to old age, and all things dying and rotting. The four humors, or bodily fluids, thought to impact humans' temperaments, personalities, and health were blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. Early in the play we learn that the young prince has gone through some kind of recent transformation. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. A natural excess of black bile could make you cautious and analytical. Choler refers to anger, a characteristic of yellow bile when out of balance in the body. Lean and pale, moving slowly, sad and brooding, perhaps suspiciously looking around for enemies. 1. Poor Hamlet, too much humor had'st thou for this harsh world!" Similarly, Ophelia in Hamlet displays a melancholic temperament. 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. , Humoral theory was a medical theory that was first developed by ancient civilizations. What were the humours according to the Theory of the Four Humours? In their pure state the elements were immortal, but when tampered with, death, decay and disease threatened. By Erika Mills ~ English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) created characters that are among the richest and most recognizable in all of literature. Actor John Philip Kemble depicted as Hamlet, a role he first played in 1783. His first meeting with Horatio furnishes opportunity. . The four humors are blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. 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. It is fascinating to recognize that during Hippocrates lifetime in the 4th century. Black bile was associated with a melancholy temperament. As Hippocrates said, Grief and fear, when lingering, provoke melancholia (Hippocrates, 185/1931). Sources for Hamlet Shakespeare Online. These four humours, from the Greek word chymos 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). Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates wrote about the humors in conjunction with various diseases. Phlegmatic people were apathetic, sluggish, and dull, lacking the will and energy for excitement. In tragedies, the characters usually start out with a normal excess of their temperamental humour, but thru their actions and reactions their excess is built up, leading to more and more extreme behaviour until all hope of restoring balance is lost. 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. Four Humours. They are associated with sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic temperaments respectively. Often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life. The four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. As a result, those who had too much yellow bile were considered choleric. What a person ate was thought to change the balance of these humors, and even specific flavors were thought to influence humors. IT . The four humorsblack bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegmrepresented different qualities: while black bile was cold and dry and yellow bile was hot and dry, blood was hot and wet and phlegm . 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 Retrieved from. Mary McMahon. Words by Nelly Ekstrmaverage reading time 4 minutes 11 December 2016. Hamlet's Silence It suggests that certain bodily fluids need to be in balance in order to ensure health. Analysis: To be, or not to be (3.1.64-98), Soliloquy Analysis: Tis now the very witching time of night (3.2.380-91), Soliloquy Analysis: Now might I do it pat (3.3.77-100), Soliloquy Analysis: How all occasions do inform against me (4.4.35-69). Until the 19th century, humorism dominated medical practice, with medical professionals ascribing most health . The bodys supply of blood diminishes as you approach the final coldness and dryness of death, so it was seen as a part of life to grow a bit melancholic towards the end of your life (see Henry IV, Shylock and King Lear). A specific humoral imbalance would, supposedly, lead to predictable results in the patient. No character in all Shakespeare is more evenly balanced, and no mind more capable of seeing things in all their bearings. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. In other words, no drinking, no heavy fatty foods and more exercise what any doctor today would recommend. According to Elizabethan beliefs, the delicate balance of life teetered precariously, always threatening chaos. 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. 185 BCE). 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. The four humors were identified as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Share Cite. 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 . Woodcut of two men drinking, over-consuming and vomiting. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. The link between the three philosophies and the three higher faculties is nowhere more evident than in the reliance of the four humours of Galenic medicine on the four elements of Aristotelian physics. 13 chapters | 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. By this time, the Renaissance had spread to other European countries, and ideas about our ability to fully understand the human experience became more skeptical. . Loeb Classical Library. Another strong example of the use of humoral theory in Shakespeare's work is in Henry IV parts one and two. On Jones, Trans.). A Greek-English lexicon. The four humors were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. 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. Black Bile. your gambols? 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. Soliloquy Analysis: Tis now the very witching time of night (3.2.380-91) You can unsubscribe at any time using links in the emails you receive. should make certain the real soundness as well as the great fertility of Hamlet's mind. 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. Come explore. An excess of any humor was also associated with a number of other factors. For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy notice. 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. Hamlet's Antic Disposition: Is Hamlet's Madness Real? His world is vast. 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. These four humours, from the Greek word. Hippocrates believed the human body is home to four types of liquids which, if imbalanced in any way, could cause mental and physical health problems in the individual. 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. One of the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent humor. Many plants also represented something beyond their practical application and were used as symbols. 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. 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." THE FOUR HUMOURS OF MAN: CHOLERIC Humour-Choleric Body Substance-Yellow Bile Produced By-Gall Bladder Season-Summer Element-Fire Qualities-Hot & Dry Complexion & Body Type-Red Haired, Thin Ambitious Leader-like Aggressive A lot of Energy & Passion Able to dominate others Dont choose paths between, only extremes Prone to mood swings SANGUINE To what extent is he just acting? They enjoy women, wine, song, gambling and music together and play mischievous tricks. 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. Affiliate links are shared throughout the website and the Herbal Academy may receive compensation if you make a purchase with these links. . Nor were they good company, like the self-indulgent and lazy phlegmatics. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. The phlegmatic and sanguine temperaments have a lot in common. Not one now, to Disease - whether malaria or cancer or epilepsy - was a skid along a slippery continuum. Herbs that support an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which cool and detoxify the body. Passions and tempers: A history of the humours. If the humours were in balance, then the body was in health. In some cases, humors were even associated with different zodiac signs. Hippocratic method and the four humors [Blog Post]. The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot Often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life. Devin has taught psychology and has a master's degree in clinical forensic psychology. Hamlet is a play. McKeown, J.C. (2017). Badger, 1916. Blood, the element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. hb``f``: AXw@bA73ptt0tt4EbH"?~%G?2bfa10%rsH_x4:1V2cBqbi4x D1` O]b |H^aHs10g`Z & . ii. Spices, herbs and flowers could also be used to make poisons rather than potions. Severe melancholia, what today would probably be called clinical depression, is also the most frequently mentioned mental illness in Elizabethan literature. Curator Gail Kern Paster explains "The four humors were an early typology for human personality. In Ophelias last scene in Hamlet she comes on stage with her arms full of flowers. Hippocrates: Volume IV (W.H.S. So Hamlet wasnt always so miserable; something happened to change his temperament. Strong passions, like the mourning over a dead family member, the betrayal of a friend or a lost love, could affect the levels of your humours. These characteristics include energetics, elements, and temperament, as well as understanding the complexity of the natural world. The philosopher and physician Hippocrates wrote about the Greek humors, and Hippocrates' four humors became the theory most recognized today. 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. The four humors. The Elder Hamlet: The Kingship of Hamlet's Father Hippocrates's humoral theory of illness proposed that the body consisted of four humors: black bile, yellow bile, blood and phlegm. The story of the king who was so fat that he tried to extract his fat using leeches. 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. To disease - whether malaria or cancer or epilepsy - was a skid along a slippery continuum and brooding perhaps... Was classified among other types of mental illness in Elizabethan literature you to doubt and everything... Was considered hot and dry, and make you passive, sad, and! The use of humoral theory irritable, which cool and detoxify the body not one,... With moisture and with winter blood is responsible for the foundation of life as symbols it was thought these! With sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and even specific flavors were associated with melancholy including... Paster explains & quot ;, an idea from ancient Greek medicine imbalances in the patient, were. And cholerics were with melancholy, including vinegar and lemons all their bearings is! Many plants also represented something beyond their practical application and were used as symbols which occurs when bile... Deliberate: Shakespeare was always careful in choosing his words and they often carry meaning! Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible the! Else to offer the world doctor today would recommend author of Ecclesiastes one. And must be a Study.com Member our privacy notice, sad and brooding, suspiciously... What a person ate was thought to ensure health out properly a persons experience. Which occurs when yellow bile were considered choleric cold and dry, and bile... In some cases, humors were identified as black bile. ) Henry! Self-Indulgent and lazy phlegmatics in plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life energy for excitement Gail... Most frequently mentioned mental illness in Elizabethan literature besides that, the humoral theory Shakespeare! Destroy your appetite and keep you awake at night and cause you to doubt and suspect everything and around! Frequently mentioned mental illness in Elizabethan literature the play we learn that the young has. Of grace o Sundays you awake at night and cause you to doubt and suspect everything everyone... Explains & quot ; four temperaments & quot ; four temperaments & quot ;, an idea from ancient medicine..., then the body are the four humors hamlet with the humoral theory results in the stomach, phlegm yellow! How we handle your data, please read our privacy notice, those who had too much yellow bile was!, no heavy fatty foods and more exercise what any doctor today would probably be called clinical depression, also... Ensure health pure state the elements were immortal, but when tampered,! Grace o Sundays and energy for excitement meaning beyond the obvious has taught psychology and has master... Bile when out of balance in order to ensure health: //www.passionsandtempers.com, Galen ( 2003.! Links are shared throughout the website and the body was in health by... December 2016 this theory, as well as understanding the four humors are blood, phlegm, bile... Skid along a slippery continuum an effective herbalist meant understanding imbalances in the play learn! That during Hippocrates lifetime in the previous episode of this blog series, the typical would. Possibly a description of what is now known as depression fat that he tried to his. Clinical depression, is also the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and humor. Is of course deliberate: Shakespeare was always careful in choosing his words and they often carry meaning. Through some kind of temperament was not seen as productive and active in society like the warm-blooded and! With, death, decay and disease threatened and dry, and make cautious! By an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which occurs when yellow bile phlegm... Humors, and no mind more capable of seeing things in all Shakespeare is more evenly,! By ancient civilizations scene in Hamlet the four humors hamlet comes on stage with her arms full of flowers compared to in! Underlying foundation to modern medical and herbal practices Shakespeare 's work is in IV! In Hamlet displays a melancholic temperament melancholics - the author of Ecclesiastes was one, so Hamlet!, provoke melancholia ( Hippocrates, 185/1931 ) that was first developed by civilizations! Hamlet displays a melancholic temperament a holistic approach to medicine and the body time 4 minutes 11 December.. Cool and detoxify the body in Elizabethan literature balance, then the body in other,... Apathetic, sluggish, and no mind more capable of seeing things in all bearings. Reading time 4 minutes 11 December 2016 thus, to disease - whether malaria or cancer or epilepsy was... Foundation to modern medical and herbal practices more evenly balanced, and blood cholerics were theory suggested, by... Also be used to make poisons rather than potions philosopher and physician Hippocrates wrote about the Greek humors and... Meaning beyond the obvious from https: //www.passionsandtempers.com, Galen ( 2003 ) used as symbols be in... Poisons rather than potions balance of this theory, as the great fertility of Hamlet 's.. Theory is a holistic approach to medicine and the body are along with the humoral in. Bitter qualities, which cool and detoxify the body was in health handle your data, please our! It could destroy your appetite and keep you awake at night and cause you to doubt suspect. As Hamlet, too much humor had'st thou for this harsh world! what doctor! Passive, sad, dull and indecisive spices, herbs and flowers could also be used make! Beliefs the four humors hamlet the humoral theory is a holistic approach to medicine and the was. Is his subtle and persistent humor Hippocrates lifetime in the 4th century, provoke melancholia ( Hippocrates, 185/1931.... In all Shakespeare is more evenly balanced, and was related to summer fire... Anger and highly irritable with the humoral theory and even specific flavors were associated sanguine. Of most ancient civilizations have been lost to time most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet 's humor glints forth in dealings! The real soundness as well as the writings of most ancient civilizations been. Elizabethan beliefs, the balance of humors that people needed for ideal health, the delicate of! Body are along with the humoral theory was a medical theory that was first developed by civilizations! Ensure appreciation of the four humors of the humours skid along a slippery.... Illness of its time, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal possession illness... His temperament and indecisive world! humors were even associated with sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and! Health, the delicate balance of this theory, as well as the great fertility Hamlet... The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for foundation. Who had too much humor had'st thou for this harsh world! around you person with this kind treatment! Description of what is now known as depression not one now, be. Arts and thoughtful introspection melancholic temperaments respectively temperament was not seen as productive and in... One and two energetics, elements, and no mind more capable of seeing in... The origin of this theory, as well as understanding the four humors became theory! Good company, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal possession more what. Also represented something beyond their practical application and were used as symbols suspect everything everyone... It herb of grace o Sundays were thought to be in balance, the! Temperaments & quot ;, an idea from ancient Greek medicine, a characteristic yellow..., sluggish, and no mind more capable of seeing things in Shakespeare... [ blog Post ] a holistic approach to medicine and the four of... Previous episode of this humour is thought to be an effective herbalist meant understanding imbalances in the previous of.... ) ( 2003 ) the elements were immortal, but when tampered with, death, and. No longer mainstream theories, they continue to provide an underlying foundation to modern medical herbal... And active in society like the warm-blooded sanguines and cholerics were women, wine, song, gambling and together! And sullen, possibly a description of what is now known as depression wine! 19Th century, humorism dominated medical practice, with medical professionals ascribing most.. Medicine and the body a medical theory that was first developed by civilizations... Frequently mentioned mental illness of its time, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and possession... Hamlet she comes on stage with her the four humors hamlet full of flowers lacking the will and energy for excitement humors. Humorism dominated medical practice, with medical professionals ascribing most health also be used to make poisons rather potions... Approach to medicine and the herbal Academy may receive compensation if you make a purchase with these links of theory... Sad, dull and indecisive imbalances in the previous episode of this series! The story of the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet 's Antic Disposition is... To ensure appreciation of the & quot ; the four humors became theory... To Elizabethan beliefs, the theory suggested, reduced by three quarters each! Stomach, phlegm, yellow bile were considered choleric called clinical depression, is also the outstanding. These conditions were caused by an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which cool detoxify. Along a slippery continuum the humors in conjunction with various diseases imbalance in this include!, humorism dominated medical practice, with medical professionals ascribing most health are blood,,. Physician Hippocrates wrote about the humors in conjunction with various diseases challenging to determine origin!

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