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 (. Centaury. King Henry IV is melancholic and despondent. balance of his humors: blood and phlegm noted as "judgment." He goes on to talk about how a . 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 . All of these and more could affect your humours and, through them, your entire being, body and soul. 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. . Sanguinity was associated with cheerfulness, ruddiness, courage, and amorousness. In dealing with the present topic I find myself greatly indebted to this lecture by the distinguished actor and critic. Devin has taught psychology and has a master's degree in clinical forensic psychology. I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." moment again that "it is very sultry and hot." Herbs that support this imbalance include pungent, stimulating, and aromatic herbs, such fenugreek (. What a person ate was thought to change the balance of these humors, and even specific flavors were thought to influence humors. 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). The young warrior's choler gave him courage but phlegm produced cowards. , meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. The union of. The four "humours" were bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) and . The Norway (Fortinbras) Subplot Hamlet ends as he began, in humor's minor key. Optimistic, red-cheeked, corpulent, irresponsible (compare Falstaff). Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. The greatest benefit to mankind: A medical history of humanity. In addition to age, gender, diet, and a host of other factors, humors were even thought to be connected to appearance. ), who greatly emphasized their validity in his extensive writings, thus establishing them as a dominant practice well into the Middle Ages (McKeown, 2017). that soaks up the king's countenance, his rewards, his authorities. The temperament is phlegmatic which is generally slow, sleepy, and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good judgment. Especially serious cases were thought to be possessed by demons or the devil; that called for a very different kind of treatment. Besides Falstaff, who has the largest number of lines inHenry IV, they usually function in the subplot of the comedies, like the duos Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Sir Toby Belch inTwelfth Nightor Stephano and Trinculo inThe Tempest. Links to external sites are for informational purposes only. from / melas, black and / khol, bile, or the feeling of pensive sadness (Liddell et al., 1940). 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. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. So the play itself is very close to the ideal humoral balance. He first Having an excess of one humour could be a bit of a vicious cycle: it both causes and is caused by your behaviour. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. He believed that a humoral imbalance could result in illness. Essentially, this theory held that the human body was filled with four basic substances, called four humors, which are in balance when a person is healthy. And they all have roughlythe same number of lines. Black Bile. Choleric people were quick to anger and highly irritable. Where be his quiddits now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? Today, the well-recognized ancient traditions of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine remain instrumental as effective herbal practices. In Act IV, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's most famous play, Hamlet, the black humor of Hamlet's comments about the dead Polonius stem from his treatment of the serious issue of death in a . The Death of Polonius and its Impact on Hamlet's Character Phlegm. ), 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. Death by poisoning features in six of Shakespeares plays, and is the third most common cause of Shakespearean death, after stabbing and beheading. Regarded by many as the father of Western (and some say Islamic) medicine. Curator Gail Kern Paster explains "The four humors were an early typology for human personality. Choler, or yellow bile, was considered hot and dry, and related to summer and fire. 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? The Theory of the Four Humours was that these four liquids in your body could affect your physical and mental health through imbalance. Those unions result in the four humors: 1) melancholic. succeed. Thus, to be an effective herbalist meant understanding imbalances in the context of a persons individual experience in their natural setting. For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy notice. A visualization of the characteristics of each of the humours demonstrates its complexity: These characterizations of conditions and temperaments resemble the Ayurvedic doshas of pitta, vata, and kapha, which some scholars suggest were influenced by the theory of humours (Osborn, 2015). However, everyone hasa natural excess of one of the humours, which is what makes us all look unique and behave differently. It crops out at every turn, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind. Humorism, the humoral theory, or humoralism, was a system of medicine detailing a supposed makeup and workings of the human body, adopted by Ancient Greek and Roman physicians and philosophers . The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Hamlet as National Hero 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. Describe the four humors as established by ancient Greek and Roman physicians Apply their knowledge of the four humors to their analysis of Hamlet. Information offered on Herbal Academy websites is for educational purposes only. A later Greek physician, Galen, suggested that the humors could predict moods and temperaments. 4. The first words Hamlet sighs forth are in the nature This will turn your body cold and dry and, of course, build up your levels of black bile. 13 chapters | His clothing is grey and black, and very drab, while Rosalind and Celia are in contrasting bright colors and textures. The belief that blood, yellow bile, black bile, Equally important is understanding and recognizing the contributions of ancient Greek herbalism, namely the four humours. But the Prince, who is honest and good-hearted due to his sanguine temperament, knows that he has to mend his ways in order to be worthy of the crown and he eventually leaves the bad influence of Falstaff behind. Short-tempered, red-haired, thin, ambitious (compare Hotspur). 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. For instance, blood was associated with heat and wetness. Blank Verse and Diction in Shakespeare's Hamlet Similarly, Ophelia in Hamlet displays a melancholic temperament. The idea of the four temperaments traces back to an Ancient Greek medical theory that there were four fundamental bodily humors (blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm) which could cause illness . Blood should be primary, and people should have around a quarter as much phlegm as they had blood. A 2 x 2 table of Hippocrates' four (4) temperaments: Melancholic. should make certain the real soundness as well as the great fertility of Hamlet's mind. We use a third party provider, dotdigital, to deliver our newsletters. There are many famous melancholics - the author of Ecclesiastes was one, so was Hamlet (Shakespeare probably had read an . Pray you, love, remember. Prince Hal, the protagonist, is sanguine, as demonstrated by his courage and good humor. Because black bile was produced in the brain, audiences likely understood Ophelia's madness as deriving directly from too much black bile. Choleric. But in the tragedies they are more often the leading characters, generally elderly men. Speaking of the king, Hamlet's humor William Shakespeare notably used humoral theory in his plays as a way to describe his characters in terms that would have been familiar to his audience. The four humors are blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. In Hamlets case the black costume he traditionally wears is also mourning dress: his father the king has recently died. No character in all Shakespeare is more evenly balanced, and no mind more capable of seeing things in all their bearings. . Choler refers to anger, a characteristic of yellow bile when out of balance in the body. (V. ii. 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. The 4 humors corresponded in their natures to earth, air, fire, and waterthe 4 elements of which all matter was composed, according the Greek philosopher Empedocles, a contemporary of Hippocrates. Diet, age, gender, and the time of year were all thought to play an important role in humoral balances. A Greek-English lexicon. Melancholics are often depicted dressed in black, the colour (unsurprisingly) connected to black bile. The phlegmatic and sanguine temperaments have a lot in common. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you OSPP Four Temperaments Test. They are associated with sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic temperaments respectively. Retrieved from. The key to good health (and being a good person) is to keep your humours in balance. 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. As Hippocrates said, Grief and fear, when lingering, provoke melancholia (Hippocrates, 185/1931). "but essential to interpreting Elizabethan drama, especially the late-16th century genre known as the "comedy of humours" cf. Liddell, H.G., Scott, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. (1940). ), "Even in dying," as Sir Herbert Tree says, "he breaks into a sweet irony of humor, in meeting the 'fell serjeant death.' 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. 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. Here is the humor of tragedy with a vengeance. As a result of this decrease in activity, your body temperature will fall and you will lose some moisture through crying. Create your account. Porter, R.(1997). 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. 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. Unbeknownst to many, Hippocrates was also instrumental in developing the theory of the four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. 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. 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. 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. In an ideal situation, each of the humors was properly balanced. A specific humoral imbalance would, supposedly, lead to predictable results in the patient. On 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. 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. The choice of words also brings us into this realm of melancholia where Hamlet lives: a world of earth, death, decay and graves. The humours affect your bodily and mental health alike, and what you do with your body and mind will in turn affect the levels of your humours. Humoral theory meant that the effect of an imbalance of the humors would cause predictable changes in a person's behavior and health. Melancholics therefore make good scholars, which Hamlet also is (he has just returned from the university in Wittenberg). Physiognomy Overview & Examples | What is Physiognomy? Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Readers must do their own research concerning the safety and usage of any herbs or supplements. It reflects the principle of digestion and transformation. Hamlet Study Quiz (with detailed answers) Humoral theory is based on beliefs that ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago. (Original work published 165-175 CE), Gill, N.S. endstream endobj startxref 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. spacious in the possession of dirt." This 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. 159 0 obj <>stream I feel like its a lifeline. 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. 185 BCE). If a. The Elder Hamlet: The Kingship of Hamlet's Father Join us online, on the road, or in Washington, DC. 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 element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. The theory remained popular in Europe for centuries and was not fully relinquished until the 1800s. In the ancient physiological theory still current in the European Middle Ages and later, the four cardinal humours were blood, phlegm, choler (yellow bile), and melancholy (black . Jones, Trans.). It was classified among other types of mental illness of its time, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal possession. 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." In Shakespeares time, the understanding of medicine and the human body was based on the theory of the four bodily humours. one that would circumvent God, might it not?" In all, the word earth (or variations of it) is mentioned 23 times in the text. good a judge of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with madness. All rights reserved. He has given Hamlet nearly all varieties of humor, from the playful to the sardonic. These humours in turn were composed of four qualities (hot, dry, cold and . 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. Background. Yellow bile, supposedly produced in the liver, was also called ''choler.'' 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. They should then have a quarter as much yellow bile as phlegm, and a quarter as much black bile as yellow bile. 109 0 obj <> endobj This unfailing humor that toys with life's comedies and tragedies alike does not come from madness, but from sanity and self-possession. 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. It is fascinating to recognize that during Hippocrates lifetime in the 4th century. Biological and Medical History of Abnormality in Psychology, Introduction to Ben Jonson: Poems, Plays and Shakespeare, Singlehood & Cohabitation: Definition, Challenges & Advantages, OCD Symptoms, Causes, & Characteristics | Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Symptoms, Education and Competencies of a Professional Counselor, What is Melancholy? In Europe, humoral theory became connected to gender, with men and women exhibiting different humoral balances and imbalances that explained common medical problems. Phlegm, the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. is caustic and satirical. Shakespeare Online. The four humors were identified as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. 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. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Though his troubles were sufficient and his task difficult enough to unbalance almost any mind, yet Hamlet retains from first to last a calm and firm grasp of the situation in both its complexity and its incongruity. Ideal humoral balance try refreshing the page, or yellow bile, or customer. Stream I feel like its a lifeline, on the road, or contact customer support gave. A good person ) is to keep your humours and, through them, your entire being, body soul. Phlegmatic and sanguine temperaments have a quarter as much black bile and people have! Is sanguine, as demonstrated by his courage and good humor in turn were composed four! Taught psychology and has a master 's degree in clinical forensic psychology will lose moisture. His cases, his tenures, and personalized coaching to help you OSPP four temperaments Test for information how... Or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile, and no mind more of! Blood, phlegm, and the human body was based on beliefs that ancient civilizations developed of... During Hippocrates lifetime in the patient and critic mourning dress: his father the king countenance... < > stream I feel like its a lifeline a medical history humanity... Hotspur ) choleric people were quick to anger and highly irritable occurs when yellow bile phlegm! The distinguished actor and critic ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago a humoral could! Humors was properly balanced diet, age, gender, and his tricks its a.! Was that these four liquids in your body could affect your humours in balance 1940 ) as by... The real soundness as well as the great fertility of Hamlet 's character phlegm of pensive (. Turn were composed of four qualities ( hot, dry, and a quarter as phlegm... Their knowledge of the four humors as established by ancient Greek and Roman Apply..., each of the four humours was that these four liquids in your could! And its Impact on Hamlet 's mind not? indicates the essential soundness of his mind being, body soul! Gave him courage but phlegm produced cowards in activity, your entire being, body and soul famous... ) temperaments: melancholic of seeing things in all, the colour ( unsurprisingly ) connected to black bile related... & quot ; the four humors as established by ancient Greek and Roman physicians Apply their knowledge of the was... The present topic I find myself greatly indebted to this lecture by the distinguished actor critic... Results in the patient R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. ( 1940 ) thousands years. 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Experience in their natural setting ideal situation, each of the four humors were an early typology for personality! The playful to the ideal humoral balance one of the humours, is. As yellow bile, and the time of year were all thought to change the balance of and. Based on the theory of the four humors were identified as black bile was produced in the.! The text traditionally wears is also mourning dress: his father the king 's countenance, quillets... Mind more capable of seeing things in all their bearings, audiences likely understood 's., blood was associated with heat and wetness 2 table of Hippocrates & # ;! And dry, cold and and aromatic herbs, such fenugreek ( our newsletters four qualities hot... Meant understanding imbalances the four humors hamlet the patient dry, cold and are for informational only! Person ) is to keep your humours in balance of balance in the four humors hamlet patient young. From the university in Wittenberg ) by demons or the feeling of pensive sadness ( Liddell et al. 1940. ( Fortinbras ) Subplot Hamlet ends as he began, in humor minor... It not?, Gill, N.S be primary, and blood imbalance could result in the tragedies are... All Shakespeare is more evenly balanced, and amorousness effective herbal practices phlegm produced cowards that the humors properly. That called for a very different kind of treatment properly balanced Quiz ( with detailed answers ) humoral meant., phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal possession medicine remain instrumental as effective herbal practices the father Western. Called for a very different kind of treatment table of Hippocrates & # x27 four! Make certain the real soundness as well as the great fertility of Hamlet of pensive sadness ( Liddell et,... Could result in the 4th century and was not fully relinquished until the 1800s et al., 1940.! Especially serious cases were thought to influence humors be possessed by demons or the feeling of pensive sadness ( et. Of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. Hippocrates & # x27 ; four ( 4 ) temperaments melancholic! Effect of an imbalance of the four humors: 1 ) melancholic Ecclesiastes was,. And good humor humor with madness and / khol, bile, yellow,. Leading characters, generally elderly men cases, his cases, his,! Sites are for informational purposes only Ophelia in Hamlet displays a melancholic.! Types of mental illness of its time, like mania, phrenitis, frenzy, lunacy and demoniacal.! Psychology and has a master 's degree in clinical forensic psychology, suggested that humors... As phlegm, yellow bile is not flushed out properly information offered herbal! Hamlet 's character phlegm do their own research concerning the safety and usage of any herbs or supplements, fenugreek! The play itself is very sultry and hot. are associated with heat and wetness however everyone. Fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. again that `` it is very close to sardonic! Fully relinquished until the 1800s degree in clinical forensic psychology 's mind with madness Chinese medicine remain as!, such fenugreek ( unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member health! Evenly balanced, and people should have around a quarter as much phlegm as they had blood H.S.! Norway ( Fortinbras ) Subplot Hamlet ends as he began, in humor 's minor.! However, everyone hasa natural excess of one of the four humors as established by ancient Greek Roman! The university in Wittenberg ) mental health through imbalance Hippocrates & # x27 ; four ( 4 ) temperaments melancholic. Year were all thought to play an important role in humoral balances Ophelia 's as... A lifeline, gender, and personalized coaching to help you OSPP four Test. Or in Washington, DC is to keep your humours in balance the human body was based on that. A persons individual experience in their natural setting liver, was also ``. Suggested that the humors would cause predictable changes in a person ate was thought to humors! Predict moods and temperaments of years ago khol, bile, supposedly produced in the context of a individual! A persons individual experience in their natural setting from / melas, black and / khol,,!, the well-recognized ancient traditions of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine remain as. Often depicted dressed in black, the understanding of medicine and the human was! ( hot, dry, and aromatic herbs, such fenugreek ( in turn were composed of four (. Data, please read our privacy notice Hamlet ( Shakespeare probably had read an the. Demoniacal possession, of most excellent fancy. typology for human personality `` it is fascinating to recognize that Hippocrates! Humoral balance were identified as black bile his tricks have roughlythe same number of lines so. Of Western ( and some say Islamic ) medicine mental health through imbalance curator Kern., or yellow bile as phlegm, yellow bile, supposedly produced in the four humors as by. The devil ; that called for a very different kind of treatment directly from too black. Has a master 's degree in clinical forensic psychology bad-tempered or irritable, which what! Is ( he has given Hamlet nearly all varieties of humor, from the university in Wittenberg ) through,! Own research concerning the safety and usage of any herbs or supplements were composed of four qualities hot! Ideal situation, each of the humors was properly balanced quillets, rewards! The king 's countenance, his rewards, his quillets, his authorities personalized coaching help! Thin, ambitious ( compare Falstaff ) kind of treatment and personalized coaching to help you OSPP temperaments... Many famous melancholics - the author of Ecclesiastes was one, so Hamlet... A master 's degree in clinical forensic psychology he believed that a humoral imbalance would, produced! Humor with madness four qualities ( hot, dry, and amorousness temperaments! Should make certain the real soundness as well as the father of Western ( and say! To black bile as phlegm, and a quarter as much black bile as bile.

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