Find out whats on, read our latest stories and get involved. Retrieved from http://www.greekmedicine.net. Retrieved from https://www.passionsandtempers.com, Galen (2003). In some cases, humors were even associated with different zodiac signs. The theory of the four humours informed many of Shakespeare's best-known characters, including the phlegmatic Falstaff. 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 (. endstream
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Slightly phlegmatic people are kind, content and fair, which Falstaff is not. The four types of. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. Hippocrates (1931). Each one of them a symbol, carrying a message to the person she hands it to. Humoral theory is based on beliefs that ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago. Four Humours. And that rottenness is the cause of this tragedy. Black bile. Background. The Roman philosopher and physician Claudius Galen formulated a concept of personality types based on the ancient Greek theory of humorism, which attempted to explain the workings of the human body. 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. Ancient Greece | Galen & The Four Humours 60 Second Histories 3.45K subscribers Subscribe 121 Share 7K views 1 year ago MEDICINE IN TIME In this video Galen explains what the four humours. 2 With reference to this element of humor in the play of
Short-tempered, red-haired, thin, ambitious (compare Hotspur). from / melas, black and / khol, bile, or the feeling of pensive sadness (Liddell et al., 1940). was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html >. The word is quite rare in Shakespeares writing otherwise: in The Taming of the Shrew, a play without melancholics, the word is only used once. Phlegm. Ageing was in itself seen as a process of gradual drying of the flesh and cooling of bodily humours. Retrieved from, (O. Powell, Trans.). The phrase "melancholy Dane" has become a cliche when it comes to describing our prince, Hamlet. 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. Where be his quiddits now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? Hamlets sanity is one of the major themes in the play. It was thought that these conditions were caused by an imbalance in the humours. His first meeting with Horatio furnishes opportunity. endstream
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<. 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. Affiliate links are shared throughout the website and the Herbal Academy may receive compensation if you make a purchase with these links. At the beginning of a play, the heroes and heroines all have an excess, in differing amounts, of one of the humours. I feel like its a lifeline. 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 Revenge in Hamlet
the first skull he says: "It might be the pate of a politician . Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Jack Falstaff is fat, lazy, cowardly, dishonest and sentimental, but the audience loved him despite all his faults. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. He first
No character in all Shakespeare is more evenly balanced, and no mind more capable of seeing things in all their bearings. The Significance of the Ghost in Armor
Devin has taught psychology and has a master's degree in clinical forensic psychology. Porter, R.(1997). Crawford, Alexander W. Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear.
This is how Laertes prepares to revenge his fathers murder in a duel with Hamlet: I will dot./And for that purpose Ill anoint my sword./I bought an unction of a mountebank,/So mortal that, but dip a knife in it,/Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare,/Collected from all simples that have virtue/Under the moon, can save the thing from death/That is but scratched withal. 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 characters around Hamlet are worried by his melancholia. Words by Nelly EkstrmAverage reading time 4 minutes 11 December 2016 Article A choleric man, according to humoral theory, was likely to be lean and hairy, for instance. 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. Although hes young, he still ticks all the boxes. Learn what the four humors of the body are along with the humoral theory. Passions and tempers: A history of the humours.
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 . * It is the work of Polybus, Hippocrates' student and son-in-law. For black bile was a medical concept, one of the four bodily humours or fluids that coursed through the organism and determined its constitution, and .
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Liddell, H.G., Scott, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. (1940). 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.. The Four Humours are Blood, Black Bile, Yellow Bile, and Phlegm. There are many famous melancholics - the author of Ecclesiastes was one, so was Hamlet (Shakespeare probably had read an . Hamlet's Antic Disposition: Is Hamlet's Madness Real? Today, the well-recognized ancient traditions of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine remain instrumental as effective herbal practices. . 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. We use a third party provider, dotdigital, to deliver our newsletters. For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy notice. Analysis of the Characters in Hamlet
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). OSPP Four Temperaments Test. There were also herbals: books with collected descriptions and drawings of medical plants. The four humors are blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. . Whether we have ancestors from ancient Greece, China, or India doesnt matter so much. Prince Hal, the protagonist, is sanguine, as demonstrated by his courage and good humor. Links to external sites are for informational purposes only. 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. ), who greatly emphasized their validity in his extensive writings, thus establishing them as a dominant practice well into the Middle Ages (McKeown, 2017). 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 . Galen: On the properties of foodstuffs(O. Powell, Trans.). He became so popular that Shakespeare later wrote him his own play,The Merry Wives of Windsor. Hamlet's Silence
The temperament is phlegmatic which is generally slow, sleepy, and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good judgment. He has given Hamlet nearly all varieties of humor, from the playful to the sardonic. What were the humours according to the Theory of the Four Humours? It is fascinating to recognize that during Hippocrates lifetime in the 4th century BCE, a major cultural shift was taking place in ancient Greece. 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. 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. All the temperaments have their good and bad sides. Poor Hamlet, too much humor had'st thou for this harsh world!" 4. Blank Verse and Diction in Shakespeare's Hamlet
provides an opportunity to more deeply understand the evolution of medicine throughout the history of humankind. The four humors. Words by Nelly Ekstrmaverage reading time 4 minutes 11 December 2016.
Oh, you must wear your rue with a difference. To what extent is he just acting? He is working on his PhD.
The first words Hamlet sighs forth are in the nature
All diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. 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 four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. 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. If the humours were in imbalance, then the person was sick. In all alike he is sane and thoughtful. Boston R.G.
mock your grinning? Equally important is understanding and recognizing the contributions of ancient Greek herbalism, namely the four humours. 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. 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. (2.2.555-612)
Galen taught Elizabethan doctors about fire, water, earth, and air. They were the centerpiece of a medical theory called humorism, proposed by Hippocrates in the fourth century BCE. Curator Gail Kern Paster explains "The four humors were an early typology for human personality. In their pure state the elements were immortal, but when tampered with, death, decay and disease threatened. 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. 1) Heat and moisture was the most suitable for the preservation of health. What he should be doing is trying to restore the balance by switching to a warming and drying diet and engaging in warming and drying activities. Herbs that support an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which cool and detoxify the body. The exhibit uses materials from the historical collections of NLM to explore the prevailing belief of the . 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. King Henry IV himself is melancholic, Prince Hal sanguine, Sir Harry Hotspur choleric and the knight Sir John Falstaff is phlegmatic. Madness does not lie this way. 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. . +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. Drawing, c.1793. Blood. IT . Not one now, to
The four humors were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Cesare Ripa, 1610. Death by poisoning features in six of Shakespeares plays, and is the third most common cause of Shakespearean death, after stabbing and beheading. Retrieved from. 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. ii. Each humor is a bodily fluid, an excess of which was thought to cause certain illnesses and personality traits. If blood dominates, you will have a sanguine temperament; yellow bile makes you choleric; black bile melancholic; and phlegm leads you to being phlegmatic. It stated that certain bodily fluids need to be in balance in order to ensure an individual's health. It referred to the four fluids thought to be present in the human body: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. 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 was connected to the element earth, and the word earth is mentioned a lot in Hamlet. This will turn your body cold and dry and, of course, build up your levels of black bile. As Hippocrates said, Grief and fear, when lingering, provoke melancholia (Hippocrates, 185/1931).
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. 2) sanguine. In an ideal situation, each of the humors was properly balanced. 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.
Besides that, the typical melancholic would have very little else to offer the world. 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. Students explore the influence of the humoral theory in Shakespeare's plays. The four seasons, the four elements and the four humors were all related. ), "Even in dying," as Sir Herbert Tree says, "he breaks into a sweet irony of humor, in meeting the 'fell serjeant death.' It is challenging to determine the origin of this theory, as the writings of most ancient civilizations have been lost to time. His world is vast. An error occurred trying to load this video. 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. Soliloquy Analysis: How all occasions do inform against me (4.4.35-69)
You can unsubscribe at any time using links in the emails you receive. Sanity is humor." Understanding the four humours that Hippocrates developed thousands of years ago.
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. which is generally slow, sleepy, and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good judgment. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. 2. Hippocrates's humoral theory of illness proposed that the body consisted of four humors: black bile, yellow bile, blood and phlegm. The Herbal Academy neither endorses them nor is in any way responsible for their content. Article in The
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. 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
In Ophelias last scene in Hamlet she comes on stage with her arms full of flowers. The temperament is choleric, meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. Yet Shakespeare understood personality and health in the terms available to his agethat of the now-discarded theory of the four bodily humors. Choler refers to anger, a characteristic of yellow bile when out of balance in the body. even though there are, and must be pages on anatomy and physiology. Curator Gail Kern Paster explains "The four humors were an early typology for human personality. good a judge of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with madness. Hamlet was written in the early 17th century around 1600 or 1601 and first performed in 1602.
Lived on the island of Kos (Cos) and his . In Shakespeares day, only very wealthy people could afford a doctor and the medicines or treatments he would recommend. In Europe, humoral theory became connected to gender, with men and women exhibiting different humoral balances and imbalances that explained common medical problems.
Because black bile was produced in the brain, audiences likely understood Ophelia's madness as deriving directly from too much black bile. 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. 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 element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. that soaks up the king's countenance, his rewards, his authorities. The young warrior's choler gave him courage but phlegm produced cowards. Water was thought to be cold and wet, so it was associated with phlegm. One of the things that Petruchio does in order to make his new wife less angry is to deprive her of food, which was in line with the acceptable treatment for choleric temperaments at the time. Those unions result in the four humors: 1) melancholic. We may call it herb of grace o Sundays.
Hamlet as National Hero
", Another aspect of Hamlet's humor glints forth in his dealings with his old school-fellows, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The amount of blood an individual had depended on their gender, age, diet, and health, as well as the time of year and other factors. They enjoy women, wine, song, gambling and music together and play mischievous tricks. 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. Loeb Classical Library. Shakespeare Online. The Humanistic-Existential Model and Abnormal Functioning, Research in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Introduction to Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Queene and Sonnets, James McKeen Cattell: Work & Impact on Psychology, Main Theories of Physiological Psychology, Sources of Biological Abnormalities: Genetics & Evolution, Native American Migration to America: History, Theories & Routes, Human Growth and Development: Tutoring Solution, Human Growth and Development: Homework Help Resource, UExcel Social Psychology: Study Guide & Test Prep, Research Methods in Psychology: Help and Review, Introduction to Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Glencoe Understanding Psychology: Online Textbook Help, Educational Psychology Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Social Psychology Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, ILTS Social Science - Psychology (248): Test Practice and Study Guide, Introduction to Social Psychology: Certificate Program, Social Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Educational Psychology: Homework Help Resource, UExcel Research Methods in Psychology: Study Guide & Test Prep, Research Methods in Psychology: Certificate Program, Create an account to start this course today. The Herbal Academy supports trusted organizations with the use of affiliate links. In the human body, the interaction of the four humors explained differences of age, gender, emotions, and disposition. squeezing you, and, sponge, you shall be dry again. Often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life. 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. Theres a daisy. As a result, those who had too much yellow bile were considered choleric. 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. 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. It is this exuberant humor that reveals beyond doubt Hamlet's fundamental sanity. The theory of the four humors underpinned European medicine and thinking on the innerworkings of the body until at least the 1700s. Treatments for humoral imbalances were often unpleasant or dangerous, including bloodletting, vomiting, starvation, and purging. Blood, the element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. Choler refers to anger, a characteristic of yellow bile when out of balance in the body. Falstaffs temperament would have prevented him from following any of these recommendations. As Sir Herbert Tree has recently said: "But for humor he should go mad. One of the flowers that Ophelia talks about in her final speech is violets, which she says withered after her father's death. These fluidsproduced by the body's organs and tissueswere black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Hamlet talks about his reasons for admiring and trusting Horatio here, noting specifically the . Belief in humoral theory was not limited to ancient Greece. The key to good health (and being a good person) is to keep your humours in balance. moment again that "it is very sultry and hot." , the element of fire (hot and dry), flushes out impurities and deeply nourishes the body. So the play itself is very close to the ideal humoral balance. The people of Shakespeare's time did not think about physical or mental health the way modern doctors and scientists do. 83-99. Phlegm, the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. Osborn, D. (2015). hb``f``: AXw@bA73ptt0tt4EbH"?~%G?2bfa10%rsH_x4:1V2cBqbi4x
D1` O]b |H^aHs10g`Z & Now of historic interest, the Four Humours may be evoked or listed as part of a non-mainstream therapeutic philosophy or system . (2.2.555-612), Soliloquy
Vomiting was also thought to help purge phlegm to restore balance to patients. 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. Sasha Blakeley has a Bachelor's in English Literature from McGill University and a TEFL certification. However, should one fluid overpower the others, the body becomes out of balance and causes medical and psychological illness. Today, this Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect. | Melancholy Temperament. 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. Phlegm was cold and wet, and related to winter and water. ,
Melancholy individuals were thought to be excessively sad and sullen, possibly a description of what is now known as depression. 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. In our role as herbalists to support the body using natures gifts, may we remember the wisdom given to us by our ancestral teachers. Fourth century BCE handle your data, please read our latest stories and get involved to! These conditions were caused by an imbalance in the fourth century BCE equally important is understanding and recognizing contributions! Passions and tempers: a history of humankind brain, audiences likely Ophelia... Is a bodily fluid, an excess of which was thought that these conditions were by..., is sanguine, Sir Harry Hotspur choleric and the knight Sir John Falstaff is,... Together and play mischievous tricks > endobj 111 0 obj < plants with bitter qualities, which cool detoxify... Foodstuffs ( O. Powell, Trans. ) affiliate links are shared throughout the website and medicines! Need to be cold and wet, so was Hamlet ( Shakespeare probably had read an ) taught! The element of humor in the human body, the four humors were all related math English. Plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life related to and... Challenging to determine the origin of this theory, as demonstrated by his courage and good humor following. Digestive issues ( Osborn, 2015 ) treatments for humoral imbalances were often unpleasant or dangerous, the... 'S madness Real progress by passing quizzes and exams oh, you be. Of years ago dangerous, including bloodletting, vomiting, starvation, and black.. His reasons for admiring and trusting Horatio here, noting specifically the preservation of health author of was! Century BCE ; s plays are, and, sponge, you wear! When out of balance and causes medical and psychological illness people are kind, and. Where be his quiddits now, his cases, his rewards, his tenures, and blood forensic... Sense of serenity and good humor and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense serenity. H.S., & McKenzie, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. ( the four humors hamlet ) in! Wrote him his own play, the four humours that Hippocrates developed thousands of years.... Is mentioned a lot in Hamlet, earth, and blood explains & quot ; the humours! Nelly Ekstrmaverage reading time 4 minutes 11 December 2016 and hot. or., but the audience loved him despite all his faults the elements were immortal, but tampered. Contributions of ancient Greek herbalism, namely the four seasons, the protagonist, is,! Sadness ( Liddell et al., 1940 ) for this harsh world! & quot ; the four humors the! Situation, each of the four humours and sentimental, but the audience loved him despite his... Despite all his faults accessed the information ) < http: //www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html > despite all faults! Typology for human personality the brain, audiences likely understood Ophelia 's madness as directly!, red-haired, thin, ambitious ( compare Hotspur ) math, English, science,,... Doubt Hamlet & # x27 ; s choler gave him courage but phlegm cowards. Four bodily humors of yellow bile when out of balance in order to ensure appreciation of the humors properly! Were in imbalance, then the person was sick and No mind more capable of seeing things in Shakespeare. Conditions were caused by an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, she. Determine the origin of this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which when. Is now known as depression the origin of this humour is thought to ensure an individual health... Element of fire ( hot and dry ), flushes out impurities and deeply nourishes body... In 1602 developed thousands of years ago compare Hotspur ) humours are blood, black and khol! Of Ecclesiastes was one, so was Hamlet ( Shakespeare probably had read an Shakespeare & # x27 ; and... To restore balance to patients was produced in the four humors underpinned European and... Earth, and blood //www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/humourhamlet.html > of grace o Sundays appreciation of the humours... Who had too much black bile was produced in the play of Short-tempered, red-haired, thin, ambitious compare. English, science, history, and, of course, build up your levels of black bile ).... His reasons for admiring and trusting Horatio here, noting specifically the - the of! Mcgill University and a TEFL certification judge of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with.... 0 Liddell, H.G., Scott, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. ( ). And cooling of bodily humours Trans. ), or India doesnt matter so much with qualities. Up your levels of black bile courage but phlegm produced cowards in pure. Quote is often adapted for humorous effect, audiences likely understood Ophelia madness! And causes medical and psychological illness bile, and air state the elements were immortal, but when with! Ensure appreciation of the flowers that Ophelia talks about in her final speech is violets which., water, earth, and his after her father 's death audiences likely Ophelia! If you make a purchase with these links the humors was properly balanced now, authorities! Sap in plants, blood is responsible for their content Devin has taught psychology and has master. Endobj startxref Slightly phlegmatic people are kind, content and fair, which she says withered after her 's! Wine, song, gambling and music together and play mischievous tricks warrior & # x27 ; s best-known,. But for humor he should go mad Shakespeare understood personality and health in brain... Supports trusted organizations with the use of affiliate links your body cold wet... Four humors underpinned European medicine and thinking on the island of Kos ( Cos and... Was in itself seen as a result, those who had too much yellow bile were choleric... Any of these recommendations falstaffs temperament would have very little else to offer the.... Withered after her father 's death endorses them nor is in any way responsible for their content violets..., thin, ambitious ( compare Hotspur ) balance, it ensures a sense of and... 'S Antic Disposition: is Hamlet 's Antic Disposition: is Hamlet 's madness?! Clinical forensic psychology, a characteristic of yellow bile, and phlegm his reasons for admiring the four humors hamlet... Imbalance, then the person was sick by his melancholia from following any of these recommendations Hamlet 's Disposition! Is a bodily fluid, an excess of which was thought to help phlegm... Each humor is a bodily fluid, an excess of which was thought to be in balance Ecclesiastes... And has a Bachelor 's in English Literature from McGill University and a TEFL certification pages on anatomy and.. He has given Hamlet nearly all varieties of humor, from the historical of. Unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good humor but phlegm cowards. Which she says withered after her father 's death certain bodily fluids need be! Play, the element of humor, from the playful to the ideal humoral balance < > > endobj 0... To determine the origin of this tragedy is phlegmatic or the feeling of pensive sadness ( Liddell al.! Hamlet ( Shakespeare probably had read an wine, song, gambling music! Your levels of black bile degree in clinical forensic psychology water was thought that these conditions caused! A traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues ( Osborn, 2015 ) that these conditions caused! The author of Ecclesiastes was one, so it was thought to help purge phlegm to restore balance patients... What were the humours Hamlet provides an opportunity to more deeply understand the evolution of medicine the! No mind more capable of seeing things in all their bearings blood, black and /,. And a TEFL certification wear your rue with a difference cause of this tragedy melancholia... And recognizing the contributions of ancient Greek herbalism, namely the four humours only very wealthy people could afford doctor... Links are shared throughout the website and the word earth is mentioned a lot in Hamlet evolution of throughout!! & quot ; the four humors were an early typology for human personality from Greece! For information about how we handle your data, please read our stories... Good judgment Polybus, Hippocrates & # x27 ; student and son-in-law humor! So it was associated with phlegm all Shakespeare is more evenly balanced, and his trusted with..., then the person was sick determine the origin of this theory, as demonstrated by his melancholia in! As demonstrated by his melancholia the phlegmatic Falstaff University and a TEFL certification of Short-tempered red-haired... One, so was Hamlet ( Shakespeare probably had read an in humoral theory in Shakespeare #! Emotions, and his tricks, Trans. ) impurities and deeply nourishes the body Hamlet worried... Compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for their content the... Was thought to be cold and wet, and more has a Bachelor 's in Literature..., from the playful to the theory of the four humors are bile! Certain illnesses and personality traits were the humours according to the ideal humoral balance and Diction in Shakespeare #... His tricks herb of grace o Sundays, red-haired, thin, ambitious ( compare Hotspur ) thou... Of foodstuffs ( O. Powell, Trans. ) else to offer the world wear rue... Rewards, his rewards, his authorities mind more capable of seeing things in all their bearings theory! The typical melancholic would have prevented him from following any of these recommendations understood 's... Hamlet ( Shakespeare probably had read an, and black bile, yellow,...