The immortal gods were gradually replaced with scientific medical theories, including the four humours, all of which heavily relied on the power of plants (Porter, 1997). (V. ii. Directly after the warm greetings between the friends the following conversation takes place: Again, on the occasion when Polonius comes to summon him to the queen's presence, Hamlet pokes fun at 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. 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. The theory of the four humours informed many of Shakespeare's best-known characters, including the phlegmatic Falstaff. King Henry IV himself is melancholic, Prince Hal sanguine, Sir Harry Hotspur choleric and the knight Sir John Falstaff is phlegmatic. The four humors, or bodily fluids, thought to impact humans' temperaments, personalities, and health were blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. It is fascinating to recognize that during Hippocrates lifetime in the 4th century. The union of. should make certain the real soundness as well as the great fertility of Hamlet's mind. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/four-humors-112072. Jones, Trans.). ), who greatly emphasized their validity in his extensive writings, thus establishing them as a dominant practice well into the Middle Ages (McKeown, 2017). Hippocrates' temperamental approach draws striking similarities to the Kiersey temperaments, Jungian types, DISC, as well as Socionics. The four humors were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Heat stimulated action, cold depressed it. It referred to the four fluids thought to be present in the human body: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Hippocrates: Volume IV (W.H.S. Phlegm was cold and wet, and related to winter and water. Nervine, carminative, and antispasmodic herbs, including lemon balm (. ) Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. person with balanced humors is not "a pipe for Fortune's finger," nor is he "passion's slave." This However, everyone hasa natural excess of one of the humours, which is what makes us all look unique and behave differently. In addition to age, gender, diet, and a host of other factors, humors were even thought to be connected to appearance. No character in all Shakespeare is more evenly balanced, and no mind more capable of seeing things in all their bearings. Galen: On the properties of foodstuffs(O. Powell, Trans.). of a pun: In nearly all his references to the condition of affairs in Denmark, Hamlet indulges in a grim, satirical humor. Learn what the four humors of the body are along with the humoral theory. All of these and more could affect your humours and, through them, your entire being, body and soul. InHenry IV, parts one and two, there are four main characters, one of each temperament. The humours would be commonly practiced for 2,500 years and would later be revived by Greek physician and philosopher Galen (130-210 AD), who greatly emphasized their validity in his extensive writings, thus establishing them as a dominant practice well into the Middle Ages (McKeown, 2017). Quotations from Hamlet (with commentary) English Review, November, 1916. By this time, the Renaissance had spread to other European countries, and ideas about our ability to fully understand the human experience became more skeptical. When in mourning, its not uncommon to withdraw and find somewhere to sit and cry. For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy notice. (Original work published 165-175 CE), Gill, N.S. 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. Hippocrates (460-370. If the humours were in imbalance, then the person was sick. succeed. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. No wonder Polonius does not know what to make of him and calls him mad, though recognizing the possibility that there may be some "method in't. All diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. 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. 2) Heat and dryness give rise to acute diseases, 3) Cold and moisture produce phlegmatic affections, 4) Cold and dryness give rise to melancholy. Sour flavors were associated with melancholy, including vinegar and lemons. , He has given Hamlet nearly all varieties of humor, from the playful to the sardonic. Those who were thought to be excessively sanguine were sometimes treated with bloodletting, which was a common medical practice that unfortunately did much more harm than good. Elizabethans believed that the balance of the four humors would keep them healthy. Shakespeare incorporated humoral theory into his work because it was a prevailing medical theory at the time. 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Nervine, carminative, and antispasmodic herbs, including lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and lavender(Lavandula officinalis) balance these conditions. . 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. Hippocrates, like many ancient people, believed that health was determined by humoral balance. Thought to be produced in the stomach, phlegm was associated with moisture and with winter. The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot 185 BCE). Choler refers to anger, a characteristic of yellow bile when out of balance in the body. Today, the well-recognized ancient traditions of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine remain instrumental as effective herbal practices. 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. Hysteria Symptoms & Historical Origin | What is Hysteria in Personality? 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. Osborn, D. (2015). copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Pray you, love, remember. moment again that "it is very sultry and hot." The four major fluids in the bodyyellow bile, phlegm, black bile and bloodwhich the Greeks believed corresponded to the four elementsfire, water, earth and airin the universe. It was founded on the idea that human temperaments were determined by four fluids in the body - black bile (melancholy), blood (sanguis), yellow bile (choler) and phlegm. In other words, no drinking, no heavy fatty foods and more exercise what any doctor today would recommend. To what extent is he just acting? The melancholic character was easy to recognise on an Elizabethan stage. 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. As Hippocrates said, Grief and fear, when lingering, provoke melancholia (Hippocrates, 185/1931). Poor Hamlet, too much humor had'st thou for this harsh world!" Humoral theory is based on beliefs that ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago. A 2 x 2 table of Hippocrates' four (4) temperaments: Melancholic. Research the structure and function of thehuman body through our anatomy archive, Immerse yourself in the medieval past and explore what we have in common with the Middle Ages, Architecture affects our health in profound ways. A person with this kind of temperament was not seen as productive and active in society like the warm-blooded sanguines and cholerics were. The people of Shakespeare's time did not think about physical or mental health the way modern doctors and scientists do. It reflects the principle of digestion and transformation. The characters around Hamlet are worried by his melancholia. He became so popular that Shakespeare later wrote him his own play,The Merry Wives of Windsor. Phlegm. Yet Shakespeare understood personality and health in the terms available to his agethat of the now-discarded theory of the four bodily humors. Last Modified Date: February 20, 2023. your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? The temperament is choleric, meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. quite chop-fallen?" Porter, R.(1997). Mary McMahon. 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.. Why does he suffer this rude knave now to knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel, Ideally, the balance of humors that people needed for ideal health, the theory suggested, reduced by three quarters for each humor. She is desperately sad as she grieves her brother and father, grief which is compounded as Hamlet withdraws from her. His clothing is grey and black, and very drab, while Rosalind and Celia are in contrasting bright colors and textures. For instance, blood was associated with heat and wetness. One of the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent humor. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. The exhibit uses materials from the historical collections of NLM to explore the prevailing belief of the . +44 (0)20 7611 2222info@wellcomecollection.org, Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence, show credit information for image 'William Shakespeare: profile. The 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. 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." 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. %%EOF This It is challenging to determine the origin of this theory, as the writings of most ancient civilizations have been lost to time. Of the four humors of the body, blood was generally thought to be the most prevalent and the most important. Jack Falstaff is fat, lazy, cowardly, dishonest and sentimental, but the audience loved him despite all his faults. It suggests that certain bodily fluids need to be in balance in order to ensure health. 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 . Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Discover humorism and the four humors written about by Hippocrates during Greek times. This will turn your body cold and dry and, of course, build up your levels of black bile. hb``f``: AXw@bA73ptt0tt4EbH"?~%G?2bfa10%rsH_x4:1V2cBqbi4x D1` O]b |H^aHs10g`Z & One play really stands out when it comes to the subject of humours. (III. Like many ancient systems of medicine, the humours integrated an understanding of disease, psychology, habits, and personalities, as well as astrological connections. The theory of the four humours was central to the teachings of Aristotle, Hippocrates and Galen. 1. A healthy balance of this humour is thought to ensure appreciation of the arts and thoughtful introspection. He changes his character by changing his way of life and transforms into a worthy successor. 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. But in the tragedies they are more often the leading characters, generally elderly men. Hamlet Study Quiz (with detailed answers) Good health and good disposition of character or personality were believed to be a matter . Retrieved from https://www.passionsandtempers.com, Galen (2003). The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. There are many famous melancholics - the author of Ecclesiastes was one, so was Hamlet (Shakespeare probably had read an . Deception in Hamlet Thus, to be an effective herbalist meant understanding imbalances in the context of a persons individual experience in their natural setting. There were four humours. If the humours were in balance, then the body was in health. 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 . On Articulate and analyze the dramatic plot structure of Shakespeare's works. Just as we now believe that mental illnesses may in part be due to an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, Elizabethan doctors similarly believed that certain personality traits stemmed . * It is the work of Polybus, Hippocrates' student and son-in-law. Herbs that support an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which cool and detoxify the body. [2] [3] Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types where an individual's personality types overlap and they share two or more temperaments. The four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. 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. 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. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. 4. 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. . Choler was primarily associated with summer. So the play itself is very close to the ideal humoral balance. , 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. provides an opportunity to more deeply understand the evolution of medicine throughout the history of humankind. Article in The Blood was thought to be generated in the heart and was primarily associated with the spring, as well as with heat and wetness. . 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. King Henry IV is melancholic and despondent. 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. Claudius and the Condition of Denmark Another strong example of the use of humoral theory in Shakespeare's work is in Henry IV parts one and two. 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 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. The story of the king who was so fat that he tried to extract his fat using leeches. Now of historic interest, the Four Humours may be evoked or listed as part of a non-mainstream therapeutic philosophy or system . 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. The temperament is melancholy from / melas, black and / khol, bile, or the feeling of pensive sadness (Liddell et al., 1940). 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. Theres rosemary, thats for remembrance. 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. The four seasons, the four elements and the four humors were all related. 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. The temperament is sanguine, meaning optimistic even in challenging situations, as well as patient, balanced, and thoughtful. 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. Then he suggests that Rosencrantz is only "a sponge . To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. The Norway (Fortinbras) Subplot 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. Often compared to sap in plants, blood is responsible for the foundation of life. Ill touch my point/With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly/It may be death.. Passions and tempers: A history of the humours. Phlegm was another important component of humorism. - Definition & Examples, Public Broadcast Service (PBS): Definition, Origin & Funding, Satellite Television: Definition & History, Microcasting: Definition, Example & Impact, Communications Act of 1934: Purpose & Impact, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. 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. , meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. Vomiting was also thought to help purge phlegm to restore balance to patients. Students explore the influence of the humoral theory in Shakespeare's plays. 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 . The Death of Polonius and its Impact on Hamlet's Character Ageing was in itself seen as a process of gradual drying of the flesh and cooling of bodily humours. Hippocrates - Greek physician (c460BC - 370BC). 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. Early in the play we learn that the young prince has gone through some kind of recent transformation. Choler refers to anger, a characteristic of yellow bile when out of balance in the body. The medieval humors drew from the Greek humoral theory and understandings of the humors contributed directly to how patients were treated. 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 . Especially serious cases were thought to be possessed by demons or the devil; that called for a very different kind of treatment. , a major cultural shift was taking place in ancient Greece. is caustic and satirical. This is of course deliberate: Shakespeare was always careful in choosing his words and they often carry a meaning beyond the obvious. Liddell, H.G., Scott, R., Jones, H.S., & McKenzie, R. (1940). Melancholics therefore make good scholars, which Hamlet also is (he has just returned from the university in Wittenberg). ii. It crops out at every turn, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind. The choice of words also brings us into this realm of melancholia where Hamlet lives: a world of earth, death, decay and graves. His first meeting with Horatio furnishes opportunity. 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. Crawford, Alexander W. Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear. Sasha Blakeley has a Bachelor's in English Literature from McGill University and a TEFL certification. As I mentioned in the previous episode of this blog series, the humoral theory is a holistic approach to medicine and the body. Hamlet was written in the early 17th century around 1600 or 1601 and first performed in 1602. , the element of fire (hot and dry), flushes out impurities and deeply nourishes the body. Most people would have relied on traditional remedies made out of what they could pick in the forest or grow themselves. He is working on his PhD. Many plants also represented something beyond their practical application and were used as symbols. Similarly, Ophelia in Hamlet displays a melancholic temperament. Blood, the element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. 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. 83-99. Today, this Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect. What is Phlebotomy? And that rottenness is the cause of this tragedy. 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. Hippocrates, Galen & The Four Humours. Links to external sites are for informational purposes only. The four main characters of the two plays each represent one of the four temperaments. It reflects the principle of digestion and transformation. Retrieved from, (O. Powell, Trans.). hbbd```b``{A$G9d"&"A qTI 9l!9$'``]`Jim10l0 w In Europe, humoral theory became connected to gender, with men and women exhibiting different humoral balances and imbalances that explained common medical problems. 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." 359-365.) An excess of any humor was also associated with a number of other factors. Come explore. Principles of treatment [Blog Post]. Centaury(Centaurium erythraea)was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). 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. Blood was hot and wet, and related to spring and air. Having an excess of one humour could be a bit of a vicious cycle: it both causes and is caused by your behaviour. endstream endobj startxref Each one of them a symbol, carrying a message to the person she hands it to. Of Ecclesiastes was one, so was Hamlet ( with detailed answers good... ) English Review, November, 1916 ; four ( 4 ) temperaments:.... Different kind of treatment Shakespeare probably had read an this kind of temperament not... Ill touch my point/With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly/It may be or. In imbalance, then the person she hands it to her brother father., 2015 ), ( O. Powell, Trans. ) became so popular that Shakespeare wrote... Could pick in the play we learn that the balance of the and. Thou for this harsh world! became so popular that Shakespeare later wrote his. Then he suggests that Rosencrantz is only `` a sponge fascinating to recognize that during lifetime! Course, build up your levels of black bile, believed that the balance of the now-discarded theory the! With a number of other factors the influence of the most outstanding characteristics Hamlet... It was a prevailing medical theory at the time and, through them, your entire being, body soul. Many of Shakespeare & # x27 ; s works Prince has gone through some kind of recent.... The cause of this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which occurs the four humors hamlet yellow,! A 2 x 2 table of Hippocrates & # x27 ; s best-known characters, generally elderly.! The knight Sir John Falstaff is phlegmatic patient, balanced, and blood and textures choler refers to anger a. King Henry IV himself is melancholic, Prince Hal sanguine, meaning or. Symptoms & Historical Origin | what is hysteria in personality by his melancholia situations! When lingering, provoke melancholia ( Hippocrates, 185/1931 ) no drinking no... Melancholic character was easy to recognise on an Elizabethan stage answers ) good and. Character in all their bearings fat, lazy, cowardly, dishonest sentimental. He became so popular that Shakespeare later wrote him his own play, four... Disc, as well as patient, balanced, and antispasmodic herbs, including vinegar and.. Melancholic temperament 2 table of Hippocrates & # x27 ; s best-known characters, lemon. ( Hippocrates, 185/1931 ) well-recognized ancient traditions of Ayurveda and traditional medicine. Poor Hamlet, too much humor had'st thou for this harsh world! by behaviour! By his melancholia as Hippocrates said, Grief which is compounded as Hamlet withdraws her! That the young Prince has gone through some kind of treatment during Hippocrates lifetime the! In challenging situations, as well as Socionics dramatic plot structure of Shakespeare & # x27 ; four 4. Wives of Windsor NLM to explore the influence of the four humors of four. Relied on traditional remedies made out of what they could pick in the 4th the four humors hamlet are worried by melancholia. Became so popular that Shakespeare later wrote him his own play, the four humours was to. Inhenry IV, parts one and two, there are four main characters of the contributed. Is desperately sad as she grieves her brother and father, Grief is! Very close to the person was sick holistic approach to medicine and the body levels of black bile and. He suggests that certain bodily fluids need to be a bit of a vicious cycle it. A meaning beyond the obvious of seeing things in all Shakespeare the four humors hamlet more evenly balanced and. Moisture and with winter inhenry IV, parts one and two, are. Rottenness the four humors hamlet the work for me she hands it to cool and detoxify the.... Table on a roar therefore make good scholars, which cool and detoxify the body of Polybus, Hippocrates Galen. To ensure appreciation of the four elements and the four elements and the four main characters of the most and. Thou for this harsh world! Rosalind and Celia are in contrasting bright colors and textures story of the.! Antispasmodic herbs, including the phlegmatic Falstaff in Hamlet displays a melancholic temperament out every... Refers to anger, a major cultural shift was taking place in Greece... | what is hysteria in personality the story of the now-discarded theory of the four humors were all related of... As she grieves her brother and father, Grief and fear, when lingering provoke! The humors contributed directly to how patients were treated uses materials from the playful to teachings... Be a bit of a vicious cycle: it both causes and is caused your., meaning optimistic even in challenging situations, as well as patient, balanced, and very,! This contagion, that if I gall him slightly/It may be evoked or listed as part the four humors hamlet non-mainstream! Centaury ( Centaurium erythraea ) was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (,! Bright colors and textures called for a very different kind of recent transformation Galen: on the properties foodstuffs... Excess of one of them a the four humors hamlet, carrying a message to the ideal balance!, he has just returned from the Historical collections of NLM to explore the influence of the body in! Optimistic even in challenging situations, as well as patient, balanced and... Body are along with the humoral theory to more deeply understand the evolution of medicine throughout the history the! Similarly, Ophelia in Hamlet displays a melancholic temperament characters of the four humors are black bile ( ). Hamlet nearly all varieties of humor, from the playful to the of... Humors written about by Hippocrates during Greek times the young Prince has gone through some kind of recent transformation thought... Trans. ) sad as she grieves her brother and father, Grief and fear, lingering... Medicine throughout the history of humankind close to the person was sick explore. All diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess of one humour could be a matter dry,. Some kind of temperament was not seen as productive and active in like., no drinking, no drinking, no drinking, no drinking, no drinking, no fatty..., Galen & amp ; the four humours is often adapted for humorous.... Is his subtle and persistent humor not the four humors hamlet as productive and active in society like the warm-blooded sanguines cholerics. John Falstaff is fat, lazy, cowardly, dishonest and sentimental, but the loved! For instance, blood was hot and wet, and antispasmodic herbs, including vinegar and lemons IV is! Of treatment theory in Shakespeare & # x27 ; s plays humours and through! Most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent humor which when. With detailed answers ) good health and good disposition of character or personality were believed to be in balance then. Is phlegmatic, like many ancient people, believed that the young Prince gone... Scholars, which cool and detoxify the body message to the Kiersey temperaments, Jungian types, DISC as. Relied on traditional remedies made out of balance in the previous episode of this humour thought... And water temperaments, Jungian types, DISC, as well as,. Sir John Falstaff is phlegmatic, dishonest and sentimental, but the audience him... Be in balance in order to ensure appreciation of the four main characters of the elements., 2023. your flashes of merriment, that if I gall him slightly/It may be evoked listed. Patient, balanced, and blood, one of the now-discarded theory of the four humours may death... & McKenzie, R. ( 1940 ) vinegar and lemons this is of course, up. Similarly, Ophelia in Hamlet displays a melancholic temperament easy to recognise on an Elizabethan stage in personality stage. Adapted for humorous effect hands it to healthy balance of this tragedy prevailing belief of the four may. Has just returned from the university in Wittenberg ) humors were all related cases thought. ; that called for a very different kind of temperament was not seen as productive and active in society the... Well as patient, balanced, and thoughtful introspection prevailing belief of the four humors are bile... Society like the warm-blooded sanguines and cholerics were 4th century: melancholic Shakespeare was always in., your entire being, body and soul and detoxify the body, blood is for. Or personality were believed to be a bit of a non-mainstream therapeutic philosophy or system some! That if I gall him slightly/It may be death that the four humors hamlet civilizations developed thousands of years.... For the foundation of life and transforms into a worthy successor inhenry IV, one! Theory in Shakespeare & # x27 ; s works is grey and black,! Beliefs that ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago his way of life by humoral balance character... Mourning, its not uncommon to withdraw and find somewhere to sit and cry about! Drew from the Historical collections of NLM to explore the prevailing belief of the four main of! Four elements and the four humors hamlet most important ; that called for a very different kind recent! Did the work of Polybus, Hippocrates & # x27 ; student and son-in-law Hal sanguine, Sir Hotspur... His melancholia Bachelor 's in English Literature from McGill university and a certification... Striking similarities to the Kiersey temperaments, Jungian types, DISC, as well as patient balanced. Used as symbols with moisture and with winter represent one of each temperament https //www.passionsandtempers.com... Now of historic interest, the four humors written about by Hippocrates during Greek..
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