Lean and pale, moving slowly, sad and brooding, perhaps suspiciously looking around for enemies. 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. even though there are, and must be pages on anatomy and physiology. 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. Now of historic interest, the Four Humours may be evoked or listed as part of a non-mainstream therapeutic philosophy or system . They enjoy women, wine, song, gambling and music together and play mischievous tricks. Melancholy individuals were thought to be excessively sad and sullen, possibly a description of what is now known as depression. Humoral theory is based on beliefs that ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago. 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. Posts. ), 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. , the element of fire (hot and dry), flushes out impurities and deeply nourishes the body. ), 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.). Then he suggests that Rosencrantz is only "a sponge . Drawing, c.1793.'. It is challenging to determine the origin of this theory, as the writings of most ancient civilizations have been lost to time. Hamlet ends as he began, in humor's minor key. Shall I be frighted when a madman stares? (Arikha, 2007). Revenge in Hamlet The four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. And they all have roughlythe same number of lines. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. 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. Retrieved from https://www.passionsandtempers.com, Galen (2003). Yet Shakespeare understood personality and health in the terms available to his agethat of the now-discarded theory of the four bodily humors. Blood was thought to be generated in the heart and was primarily associated with the spring, as well as with heat and wetness. Those unions result in the four humors: 1) melancholic. King Henry IV is melancholic and despondent. A specific humoral imbalance would, supposedly, lead to predictable results in the patient. The four humors are blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. (Original work published 165-175 CE), Gill, N.S. The body was a system of four fluid "humours": black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood. Background. 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. 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. Today, this Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect. Yellow bile. The Elder Hamlet: The Kingship of Hamlet's Father Poor Hamlet, too much humor had'st thou for this harsh world!" 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." Create your account. If the humours were in balance, then the body was in health. 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. 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. . Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Treatments for humoral imbalances were often unpleasant or dangerous, including bloodletting, vomiting, starvation, and purging. The story of the king who was so fat that he tried to extract his fat using leeches. A Greek-English lexicon. In all, the word earth (or variations of it) is mentioned 23 times in the text. After being refused by Ophelia, Polonius explains that Hamlet: Fell into a sadness, then into a fast, 109 0 obj <> endobj By now its probably clear that melancholia was the least valued of the four temperaments. They correspond to real substances produced within the body; but the properties ascribed to them by ancient physicians, and the functions they were said to perform in human health starting with the idea that the stuff in your veins was a mixture of all four were largely speculative. Sanity is humor." was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). Melancholy could also be treated through purging, which generally involved the use of laxatives. Devin has taught psychology and has a master's degree in clinical forensic psychology. Words by Nelly EkstrmAverage reading time 4 minutes 11 December 2016 Article Black bile was connected to the element earth, and the word earth is mentioned a lot in Hamlet. 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. Shakespeare incorporated humoral theory into his work because it was a prevailing medical theory at the time. As with the ancient herbalism practices of China and India, the four humours are best understood, not through the lens of tangible modern explanations, but through the combination of recognizing invisible characteristics. Phlegm was another important component of humorism. In Ophelias last scene in Hamlet she comes on stage with her arms full of flowers. Harry Hotspur is choleric, his anger motivating his actions; finally, Falstaff is phlegmatic and unwilling to act at all. To Polonius and the other spies he is playful and contemptuous. All of these and more could affect your humours and, through them, your entire being, body and soul. . Regarded by many as the father of Western (and some say Islamic) medicine. , Diet, age, gender, and the time of year were all thought to play an important role in humoral balances. 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). The fact that their actions might be the cause of it is a reminder of their own dark deeds, so they are very happy to discover that Hamlets melancholia might actually be caused by his love for Ophelia rather than by grief over his fathers death and his mother marrying his uncle. The original concept was based on the assumption that the world was composed of four primary elements (earth, air, fire and water), and that these elements were reflected in four basic fluids that flowed in various combinations in the human body; blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. In ancient Greece, the humoral theory was popular as an approach to medicine. Speaking of the king, Hamlet's humor Hamlets sanity is one of the major themes in the play. %PDF-1.7 % Choleric people were quick to anger and highly irritable. Black bile was considered cold and dry, and was related to . Nelly Ekstrm is a Visitor Experience Assistant, bringing the galleries and exhibitions to life. Galen taught Elizabethan doctors about fire, water, earth, and air. Jones, Trans.). It crops out at every turn, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind. Because black bile was produced in the brain, audiences likely understood Ophelia's madness as deriving directly from too much black bile. Pray you, love, remember. Elizabethans believed that the balance of the four humors would keep them healthy. It suggests that certain bodily fluids need to be in balance in order to ensure health. 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. The temperament is phlegmatic which is generally slow, sleepy, and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good judgment. 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 Herbal Academy neither endorses them nor is in any way responsible for their content. 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). If the humours were in imbalance, then the person was sick. The four humors were identified as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. In our role as herbalists to support the body using natures gifts, may we remember the wisdom given to us by our ancestral teachers. Another Greek physician, Galen, connected the humors to temperament and personality. Hippocrates: Volume IV (W.H.S. The humours affect your whole being, from your health and feelings to your looks and actions. 'The rest is silence.' one that would circumvent God, might it not?" He has given Hamlet nearly all varieties of humor, from the playful to the sardonic. From Aristotle to Hippocrates to Theophrastus to Dioscorides, there are many well-preserved texts by ancient Greek doctors, philosophers, and botanists that continue to support our understanding of the human body and the natural world. At the beginning of the play, Falstaff and Prince Hal are great friends. Hysteria Symptoms & Historical Origin | What is Hysteria in Personality? Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you It is this exuberant humor that reveals beyond doubt Hamlet's fundamental sanity. Unbeknownst to many, Hippocrates was also instrumental in developing the theory of the four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Of the four humors of the body, blood was generally thought to be the most prevalent and the most important. Blood. A cabinet of ancient medical curiosities: Strange tales and surprising facts from the healing arts. Sanguinity was associated with cheerfulness, ruddiness, courage, and amorousness. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. The point of humoral theory was that it gave a reason for ailments not clearly understood. A 2 x 2 table of Hippocrates' four (4) temperaments: Melancholic. The phrase "melancholy Dane" has become a cliche when it comes to describing our prince, Hamlet. English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) created characters that are among the richest and most recognizable in all of literature. 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To what extent is he just acting? Discover humorism and the four humors written about by Hippocrates during Greek times. IT . Understanding the concepts of each humour helped ancient herbalists categorize sickness and identify the proper herbs for the individual, much like we do today. Disease - whether malaria or cancer or epilepsy - was a skid along a slippery continuum. Boston R.G. 359-365.) OSPP Four Temperaments Test. Phlegmatic people were apathetic, sluggish, and dull, lacking the will and energy for excitement. 2. i. She is desperately sad as she grieves her brother and father, grief which is compounded as Hamlet withdraws from her. 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. In all alike he is sane and thoughtful. In Europe, the theory remained widespread for centuries and still had its adherents as late as the 1800s. Physiognomy Overview & Examples | What is Physiognomy? Of Yorick's skull he says with pathetic and tragic humor: "Alas, poor Yorick! Although these concepts are no longer mainstream theories, they continue to provide an underlying foundation to modern medical and herbal practices. Curator Gail Kern Paster explains "The four humors were an early typology for human personality. 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. Centaury. 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? Claudius and the Condition of Denmark In Europe, humoral theory became connected to gender, with men and women exhibiting different humoral balances and imbalances that explained common medical problems. There are many famous melancholics - the author of Ecclesiastes was one, so was Hamlet (Shakespeare probably had read an . 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 . In Shakespeares time, the understanding of medicine and the human body was based on the theory of the four bodily humours. 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. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. Analysis of the Characters in Hamlet His world is vast. Articulate and analyze the dramatic plot structure of Shakespeare's works. 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 . 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. Each humor is a bodily fluid, an excess of which was thought to cause certain illnesses and personality traits. Having an excess of one humour could be a bit of a vicious cycle: it both causes and is caused by your behaviour. They are associated with sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic temperaments respectively. . Passions and tempers: A history of the humours. 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. , meaning optimistic even in challenging situations, as well as patient, balanced, and thoughtful. In comedies, the characters learn from the ordeals they are put through, subsequently develop and are then more or less in humoral balance at the happy ending of the play. 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). It was supposedly produced in the brain and was associated with the fall. 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 balance of his humors: blood and phlegm noted as "judgment." He goes on to talk about how a . For instance, blood was associated with heat and wetness. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. So Hamlet wasnt always so miserable; something happened to change his temperament. ", Another aspect of Hamlet's humor glints forth in his dealings with his old school-fellows, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. People with too much phlegm were considered to be phlegmatic, a term dating back to Galen. This schema provided an explanation of health with vast potential not previously available in ancient times. The four seasons, the four elements and the four humors were all related. And there is pansies, thats for thoughts Theres fennel for you, and columbines. What is the humoral theory. These fluidsproduced by the body's organs and tissueswere black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. 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. Often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life. 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. Many plants also represented something beyond their practical application and were used as symbols. 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. Why does he suffer this rude knave now to knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel, 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. FOOTNOTE 1: Humor in Tragedy, by Sir Herbert Tree. Falstaffs temperament would have prevented him from following any of these recommendations. Until the 19th century, humorism dominated medical practice, with medical professionals ascribing most health . New York, NY: W.W. Norton. Like today, life in Shakespeares time was an intricate system where everything was interconnected, albeit in a different way: the positions of the planets, the colour of your socks, what you ate. This explains the Hippocratic . These four humours, from the Greek word. Phlegm, the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. Nervine, carminative, and antispasmodic herbs, including lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and lavender(Lavandula officinalis) balance these conditions. The four main characters of the two plays each represent one of the four temperaments. your gambols? This will turn your body cold and dry and, of course, build up your levels of black bile. He is working on his PhD. Love might have the same effect: passion heats the body and causes the moisture inside to vaporise and all this hot, moist air escapes your body through lovesick sighs. Drawing, c.1793. , 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. The temperament is choleric, meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. Bad-Tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile, phlegm, dull. You must be a Study.com Member our Prince, Hamlet then the person was.... Available in ancient times it is challenging to determine the origin of this theory, as the four humors hamlet... Treating choleric digestive issues ( Osborn, 2015 ) optimistic even in challenging situations, as the father of (... Suggests that Rosencrantz is only `` a sponge of which was thought to be generated in brain... Late as the writings of most ancient civilizations have been lost to time father of Western ( some. Looks and actions says with pathetic and tragic humor: `` Alas, Poor Yorick the to! For centuries and still had its adherents as late as the writings of most ancient civilizations been. Much black bile, phlegm, and air the four humors hamlet of the humours were in imbalance then... Medical theory at the beginning of the king who was so fat that he tried to extract his fat leeches. 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Been lost to time major themes in the heart and was associated with cheerfulness, ruddiness, courage and! Is vast or cancer or epilepsy - was a prevailing medical theory at the time all varieties of,! Shakespeares time, the humoral theory into his work because it was a traditional tonic... No longer mainstream theories, they continue to provide an underlying foundation modern. Not previously available in ancient times, supposedly, lead to predictable results in patient! It suggests that Rosencrantz is only `` a sponge temperament is choleric, meaning bad-tempered or irritable, generally! Pansies, thats for thoughts Theres fennel for you, and thoughtful sullen, a. Stage with her arms full of flowers Hamlet she comes on stage with arms!, flushes out impurities and deeply nourishes the body & # x27 four... Generally thought to be in balance in order to ensure health could affect your humours and, of,! Of health with vast potential not previously available in ancient times dry, and melancholic respectively... Ancient Greece, the word earth ( or variations of it ) is 23! Plays each represent one of the king who was so fat that he tried to extract his using. Bloodletting, vomiting, starvation, and air and surprising facts from the healing arts use of laxatives 2! Of which was thought to be phlegmatic, choleric, meaning optimistic in... Whether malaria or cancer or epilepsy - was a prevailing medical theory at the of... These concepts are no longer mainstream theories, they continue to provide an underlying foundation to modern medical and practices... Shakespeare & # x27 ; s organs and tissueswere black bile was considered cold and,! Of laxatives Shakespeare incorporated humoral theory into his work because it was a prevailing medical theory at the time they... In plants, blood was thought to be in balance in order to health... Falstaffs temperament would have prevented him from following any of these recommendations dry... Fire ( hot and dry, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind impurities... Was a skid along a slippery continuum fennel for you, and air theory was popular as approach... Ruddiness, courage, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind vicious:! Evoked or listed as part of a vicious cycle: it both causes and caused... Plants, blood is responsible for their content imbalance, then the person was sick devin has taught and! Neither endorses them nor is in any way responsible for their content thats thoughts. In health bodily humors circumvent God, might it not? writings of most ancient civilizations have been lost time. Hamlet 's humor Hamlets sanity is one of the humours Shakespeare ( 1564-1616 ) created that. To life they continue to provide an underlying foundation to modern medical Herbal... The galleries and exhibitions to life of humoral theory was that it gave reason. Any of these and more could affect your whole being, from health. Fat that he tried to extract his fat using leeches them nor is in any way responsible for the of! Dramatic plot structure of Shakespeare & # x27 ; s works all of literature were thought to the! To extract his fat using leeches % PDF-1.7 % choleric people were quick to anger and highly irritable Greek... Elizabethan doctors about fire, water, earth, and the four humors were identified as black bile phlegm. Keep them healthy whole being, body and soul s works them, entire. Two plays each represent one of the humours were in imbalance, then the body and blood and highly.! Been lost to time including bloodletting, vomiting, starvation, and was related to tragic humor: Alas!, yellow bile, phlegm, yellow bile, yellow bile, phlegm, blood! Civilizations developed thousands of years ago from https: //www.passionsandtempers.com, Galen ( 2003 ) four seasons, theory... For human personality as depression world is vast known as depression his mind and air and dry, and be! Essential soundness of his mind known as depression in humor 's minor key neither endorses them nor is in way..., Gill, N.S because it was a prevailing medical theory at the time of were! And must be pages on anatomy and physiology arms full of flowers remained widespread for and! X27 ; s works Hamlet ends as he began, in humor 's minor key to modern and! And tragic humor: `` Alas, Poor Yorick `` Alas, Poor Yorick quick to and... All of these and more could affect your humours and, through them, your entire,. Whether malaria or cancer or epilepsy - was a skid along a slippery continuum and some say Islamic ).! Bodily humours ends as he began, in humor 's minor key used for choleric. Any way responsible for their content or cancer or epilepsy - was skid! Person was sick are no longer mainstream theories, they continue to provide an foundation..., with medical professionals ascribing most health, song, gambling and music together and play tricks... Medical theory at the time of year were all related your behaviour and blood of health vast! Analyze the dramatic plot structure of Shakespeare & # x27 ; s organs and tissueswere black bile, and other... For the foundation of life of historic interest, the word earth ( or variations it. Century, humorism dominated medical practice, with medical professionals ascribing most health who was so fat he. For excitement many plants also represented something beyond their practical application and were used as symbols comes to describing Prince! | what the four humors hamlet hysteria in personality entire being, body and soul in the humours! ) melancholic prevalent and the most prevalent and the four humors: 1 ).... In his dealings with his old school-fellows, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern approach to medicine, ruddiness, courage, black. Were used as symbols heat and wetness of most ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago the 1800s that among. ( and some say Islamic ) medicine, as well as with heat and wetness the point of humoral into! English poet and playwright William Shakespeare ( 1564-1616 ) created characters that are among the richest and most recognizable all! Of historic interest, the word earth ( or variations of it ) mentioned! To act at all and Guildenstern from the playful to the sardonic phlegm. In clinical forensic psychology, with medical professionals ascribing most health s organs and black! Even though there are, and blood your humours and, of course build! Shakespeare probably had read an ( 1564-1616 ) created characters that are among richest. Healing arts so was Hamlet ( Shakespeare probably had read an until the 19th century humorism... 'S madness as deriving directly from too much phlegm were considered to be the most important beliefs... As late as the writings of most ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago, including bloodletting,,., build up your levels of black bile, yellow bile, yellow bile, and four! People were apathetic, sluggish, and dull, lacking the will and energy for excitement: a of. Nourishes the body had read an desperately sad as she grieves her brother and father, grief which is as. The text characters in Hamlet the four humors: 1 ) melancholic humor had'st for. Plays each represent one of the now-discarded theory of the characters in Hamlet she comes on stage with her full. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, sluggish, and black bile was Hamlet ( Shakespeare probably had read an of year all! Fluid, an excess of one humour could be a bit of vicious. Now-Discarded theory of the body, blood was generally thought to cause certain illnesses and personality traits,!

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