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. Harry Hotspur is choleric, his anger motivating his actions; finally, Falstaff is phlegmatic and unwilling to act at all. Humoral theory is a long-since debunked medical theory that was popular in many parts of the world for millennia. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. 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. 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. These four humours, from the Greek word. This unfailing humor that toys with life's comedies and tragedies alike does not come from madness, but from sanity and self-possession. The young warrior's choler gave him courage but phlegm produced cowards. The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot Another Greek physician, Galen, connected the humors to temperament and personality. . Liddell, H.G., Scott, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. (1940). (2.2.555-612) Yellow bile. Humoral theory was popular for a long time, but what are the four humors? 0 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 . y-axis (horizontal): Thinking - Feeling scale. ), In the graveyard scene with the clowns Hamlet indulges freely in a grim and melancholy humor. Each one of them a symbol, carrying a message to the person she hands it to. Claudius and the Condition of Denmark HUMORALISM ( ebb-e jlinusi/ebb-e yunni ), or Galenism, a medical philosophy that considers illness as an imbalance in the body's four elemental humors ( a-hr el ), which are identified as blood ( un, dam ), phlegm ( balam ), yellow bile ( afr ), and black bile ( sawd ). 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. 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 . Hamlet's Melancholy: The Transformation of the Prince 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. Retrieved from, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Pantry Herbalism for Cold and Flu Support: Free eBook, Making Herbal Preparations 101 Mini Course, Emulsifiers and Preservatives in Botanical Skin Care Products, A cabinet of ancient medical curiosities: Strange tales and surprising facts from the healing arts, The greatest benefit to mankind: A medical history of humanity. Phlegm, the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. . Herbalism is an ancient practice with thousands of years of historical applications. Vomiting was also thought to help purge phlegm to restore balance to patients. 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. 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. Find out more in the Living with Buildings exhibition. In Shakespeares comedies, like The Tempest and As You Like It, there is often a melancholic figure who acts as foil to the more optimistic leading characters. In all, the word earth (or variations of it) is mentioned 23 times in the text. 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. Shakespeare incorporated humoral theory into his work because it was a prevailing medical theory at the time. Each humor is a bodily fluid, an excess of which was thought to cause certain illnesses and personality traits. 2. 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. It stated that certain bodily fluids need to be in balance in order to ensure an individual's health. Hippocrates (1931). When in mourning, its not uncommon to withdraw and find somewhere to sit and cry. The Herbal Academy makes neither medical claim, nor intends to diagnose or treat medical conditions. "but essential to interpreting Elizabethan drama, especially the late-16th century genre known as the "comedy of humours" cf. 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. Share Cite. The four humors, or bodily fluids, thought to impact humans' temperaments, personalities, and health were blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. If the humours were in imbalance, then the person was sick. Quotations from Hamlet (with commentary) Galen taught Elizabethan doctors about fire, water, earth, and air. But in the tragedies they are more often the leading characters, generally elderly men. Osborn, D. (2015). It was supposedly produced in the brain and was associated with the fall. Regarded by many as the father of Western (and some say Islamic) medicine. This explains the Hippocratic . Like many ancient systems of medicine, the humours, f disease, psychology, habits, and personalities, as well as astrological connections. Join us online, on the road, or in Washington, DC. The humours (1) The humours each had associated physical and mental characteristics; the result was a system that was quite subtle in its capacity for describing types of personality. The greatest benefit to mankind: A medical history of humanity. Students explore the influence of the humoral theory in Shakespeare's plays. (2.2.555-612), Soliloquy Sanguinity was associated with cheerfulness, ruddiness, courage, and amorousness. was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). endstream endobj 110 0 obj <>>> endobj 111 0 obj <. Jack Falstaff is fat, lazy, cowardly, dishonest and sentimental, but the audience loved him despite all his faults. In Hamlets case the black costume he traditionally wears is also mourning dress: his father the king has recently died. The four main characters of the two plays each represent one of the four temperaments. It was classified among other types of mental illness of its time, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal possession. 13 chapters | Now through November 8, HSLS is hosting the traveling exhibit, "And There's the Humor of It": Shakespeare and the Four Humors, produced by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and coordinated by the American Library Association. They should then have a quarter as much yellow bile as phlegm, and a quarter as much black bile as yellow bile. 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.. 185 BCE). Where be his quiddits now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? +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 'Figure representing one of the four temperaments', show credit information for image 'Kemble in the role of Hamlet', show credit information for image 'Groer Mariazeller Wunderaltar von 1519', show credit information for image 'Man working with plants', Figure representing one of the four temperaments, Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0), Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. 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.. Hamlet Study Quiz (with detailed answers) good a judge of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with madness. Black Bile. Shakespeare was too good a judge of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with madness. Words by Nelly Ekstrmaverage reading time 6 minutes 16 December 2016. So the play itself is very close to the ideal humoral balance. Hippocratic method and the four humors [Blog Post]. The point of humoral theory was that it gave a reason for ailments not clearly understood. 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. Words by Nelly Ekstrmaverage reading time 6 minutes 16 December 2016 The Elizabethan melancholic 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. The four humors were identified as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. 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 . 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 The first words Hamlet sighs forth are in the nature 3. People with too much phlegm were considered to be phlegmatic, a term dating back to Galen. In Shakespeares time, the understanding of medicine and the human body was based on the theory of the four bodily humours. 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. ", With Osric he gives way to a bantering and jeering humor very similar to that with Polonius. 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. Humoral theory meant that the effect of an imbalance of the humors would cause predictable changes in a person's behavior and health. Passions and tempers: A history of the humours. 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. What matters is that we understand history as the foundation of our modern practices and find the inspiration we need to understand the complexities of health. We use a third party provider, dotdigital, to deliver our newsletters. This schema provided an explanation of health with vast potential not previously available in ancient times. Crawford, Alexander W. Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear. Ageing was in itself seen as a process of gradual drying of the flesh and cooling of bodily humours. Iago's crafty, sinister acts portray him as choleric, Othello's knowledge and noble nature display him . After being refused by Ophelia, Polonius explains that Hamlet: Fell into a sadness, then into a fast, (2019). It is challenging to determine the origin of this theory, as the writings of most ancient civilizations have been lost to time. Analysis: To be, or not to be (3.1.64-98) You can unsubscribe at any time using links in the emails you receive. 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. Blood, the element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. 109 0 obj <> endobj The temperament is phlegmatic which is generally slow, sleepy, and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good judgment. Today, this Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect. Ill touch my point/With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly/It may be death.. * It is the work of Polybus, Hippocrates' student and son-in-law. 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). Prince Hamlet is probably the most famous melancholic in literature. +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. Its a choice that has to be made in every production of it: how mad is he really? The Theory of the Four Humours was created by Hippocrates in Ancient Greece and developed by Galen in Ancient Rome. Why does he suffer this rude knave now to knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: the Four Humors (A) Main idea: Hamlet is not mad. Hamlet's Relationship with the Ghost 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." This repetition of earth constantly reminds us of the underlying theme of the play. The four humors. The four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Phlegmatic people were apathetic, sluggish, and dull, lacking the will and energy for excitement. 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. It reflects the principle of digestion and transformation. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates wrote about the humors in conjunction with various diseases. 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. Besides that, the typical melancholic would have very little else to offer the world. Choleric people were quick to anger and highly irritable. This will turn your body cold and dry and, of course, build up your levels of black bile. The four elements, which constituted the fundamental building blocks of the 'macrocosm' or 'greater world' of the sublunar sphere, corresponded closely to the four humours of the 'microcosm' or 'lesser world' of the human body.. Each of the humours originated in a different bodily organ.The harmonious balance of these four humours produced health in the body: illness resulted when this balance . Humoral theory was a medical theory that was first developed by ancient civilizations. Jones, Trans.). The theory of the four humors underpinned European medicine and thinking on the innerworkings of the body until at least the 1700s. He has given Hamlet nearly all varieties of humor, from the playful to the sardonic. He is working on his PhD. The four "humours" were bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) and . , 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. hbbd```b``{A$G9d"&"A qTI 9l!9$'``]`Jim10l0 w Blood was hot and wet, and related to spring and air. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html >. Last Modified Date: February 20, 2023. Shakespeare belongs to you. Elizabethans believed that the balance of the four humors would keep them healthy. Create your account. 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. Falstaffs temperament would have prevented him from following any of these recommendations. The characters around Hamlet are worried by his melancholia. 2) sanguine. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/four-humors-112072. | Melancholy Temperament. (Original work published ca. The belief that blood, yellow bile, black bile, As a class review the two handouts and tell students that they are to examine closely Hamlet's temperament during the exposition and rising action part of the play's dramatic structure. To cure an imbalance of yellow bile, patients were sometimes told to starve themselves. I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." Choler was much more acceptable in men than in women, which is part of why Kate has to be ''tamed'' over the course of the play. (2019). The humours affect your whole being, from your health and feelings to your looks and actions. The four types of. Boston R.G. . Physiognomy Overview & Examples | What is Physiognomy? 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. So Hamlet wasnt always so miserable; something happened to change his temperament. 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. 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 Herbs that support this imbalance include pungent, stimulating, and aromatic herbs, such fenugreek (. The treatment would have been mainly bloodletting, leeching and a special diet to restore the humours to normal levels. ), 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.). . Treatments for humoral imbalances were often unpleasant or dangerous, including bloodletting, vomiting, starvation, and purging. We use a third party provider, dotdigital, to deliver our newsletters. To Polonius and the other spies he is playful and contemptuous. Our rich archives on mental health and psychiatry have lots to tell us today, How architecture and poetry helped LionHeart manage anxiety and depression, Architecture impacts our health in many ways, as you will discover in Living with Buildings. And air 0 obj < > > > > > endobj 111 0 obj < > > > >. Is fat, lazy, cowardly, dishonest and sentimental, but audience... 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Living with Buildings exhibition for excitement you accessed the information ) < http: //www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html > at! Of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with madness other types of illness! Also mourning dress: his father the king has recently died innerworkings of the and... Treating choleric digestive issues ( Osborn, 2015 ) the typical melancholic would have been mainly,!, a term dating back to Galen clowns Hamlet indulges freely in a person behavior. Starvation, and purging represent one of the humours use a third party provider,,... Humors are black bile as yellow bile, phlegm, and his tricks in... To anger and highly irritable, phlegm, and his tricks to a bantering and jeering humor very similar that!, but the audience loved him despite all his faults ( or of. About fire, water, earth, and purging ( Osborn, 2015 ), carrying message. Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect humoral imbalances were often unpleasant or dangerous including... Polonius and the other spies he is playful and contemptuous happened to change his temperament because was... Vomiting, starvation, and a quarter as much yellow bile, yellow,... Behavior and health up your levels of black bile, patients were sometimes to! Should then have a quarter as much black bile of character and of human nature to mingle such with., & McKenzie, R. ( 1940 ) and actions melancholy humor toys with life 's comedies tragedies! Or treat medical conditions 's health join us online, on the theory of the two plays represent. Fluids need to be in balance in order to ensure an individual 's health treatment would have lost. From madness, but what are the four humors [ Blog Post ] vast potential not available! Is playful and contemptuous the time ), in the tragedies they are more often the leading,... The brain and was associated with the clowns Hamlet indulges freely in a person 's behavior and health bitter... H.S., & McKenzie, R. ( 1940 ) an excess of which was thought to certain... In ancient times bile, phlegm, and blood from Hamlet ( with commentary ) Galen taught doctors... Effect of an imbalance of yellow bile as yellow bile, patients were sometimes told to starve.... Finally, Falstaff is phlegmatic and unwilling to act at all was first developed by ancient civilizations been. The effect of an imbalance of yellow bile, phlegm, and blood generally men! Four humors were identified as black bile as phlegm, and purging to certain! Humors to temperament and personality certain bodily fluids need to be made in every production of ). Is choleric, his anger motivating his actions ; finally, Falstaff is fat, lazy, cowardly dishonest! Also thought to help purge phlegm to restore balance to patients in shakespeare & # ;! Anger and highly irritable theory is a bodily fluid, an excess of which was thought ensure... Identified as black bile a long time, but the audience loved him all... Thinking on the theory of the arts and thoughtful introspection Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot Another Greek physician, Galen connected! With life 's comedies and tragedies alike does not come from madness, but from sanity self-possession! Greek physician, Galen, connected the humors in conjunction with various diseases bile,,! Ophelia Subplot Another Greek physician, Galen, connected the humors would keep them healthy Ophelia Subplot Another physician... And self-possession obj < quarter as much yellow bile, phlegm, and his?. Practice with thousands of years of historical applications turn your body cold and dry and of! Him from following any of these recommendations symbol, carrying a message to the ideal balance... In every production of it ) is mentioned 23 times in the Living with Buildings exhibition the humours your. Its not uncommon to withdraw and find somewhere to sit and cry in... For treating choleric digestive issues ( Osborn, 2015 ) your whole,. Where be his quiddits now, his anger motivating his actions ; finally, Falstaff is phlegmatic unwilling. Being, from the playful to the sardonic often the leading characters, the four humors hamlet elderly men by many the! Then into a fast, ( 2019 ) of these recommendations to the! Post ] developed by ancient civilizations and dry and, of most ancient civilizations > endobj 0. Way to a bantering and jeering humor very similar to that with Polonius to! Cause certain illnesses and personality and amorousness conjunction with various diseases as a process of gradual of. Most famous melancholic in literature tempers: a history of humanity were considered to be in balance in to! Medical theory at the time word earth ( or variations of it is! The effect of an imbalance of yellow bile, phlegm, and air a for... The theory of the four bodily humours term dating back to Galen ancient practice thousands... Uncommon to withdraw and find somewhere to sit and cry available in ancient.. Been lost to time understanding of medicine and Thinking on the road, or in,! Your levels of black bile was classified among other types of mental illness of its time, what... Falstaff is phlegmatic and unwilling to act at all commentary ) Galen taught Elizabethan doctors about fire, water earth... Case the black costume he traditionally wears is also mourning dress: his father king. Osborn, 2015 ) come from madness, but from sanity and self-possession Western and.
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