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). One play really stands out when it comes to the subject of humours. 4. ), "Even in dying," as Sir Herbert Tree says, "he breaks into a sweet irony of humor, in meeting the 'fell serjeant death.' . Boston R.G. Hamlet talks about his reasons for admiring and trusting Horatio here, noting specifically the . 1. was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). The humours affect your whole being, from your health and feelings to your looks and actions. 2 With reference to this element of humor in the play of
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. Another Greek physician, Galen, connected the humors to temperament and personality. Introduction to Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Raymond Cattell: Personality Theory & Biography, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Humors of the Body in Shakespeare's Works, History and Approaches: Tutoring Solution, Biological Bases of Behavior: Tutoring Solution, Sensation and Perception: Tutoring Solution, States of Consciousness: Tutoring Solution, Motivation and Emotion: Tutoring Solution, Developmental Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Types of Studies in Behavioral Genetics: Twin, Family & Adoption, Freud's Theory of the Id, Ego & Superego: Definitions & Examples, Freudian Defense Mechanisms: Definition, Levels & Examples, Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development, Humanistic Psychology & Carl Rogers' Theory of Personality, Historical Personality Assessment: Humorism, Phrenology & Physiognomy, Trait Assessment Testing: Fundamental Attribution Error & OCEAN, Agreeableness in Personality: Definition & Overview, Introverted Personality: Definition & Characteristics, Social Personality Type: Traits & Overview, Theories of Social Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Psychological Disorders and Health: Tutoring Solution, Psychological Treatments: Tutoring Solution, Statistics, Tests and Measurement: Tutoring Solution, UExcel Introduction to Psychology: Study Guide & Test Prep, Intro to Psychology Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, AP Psychology Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Human Growth & Development Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Gerontology for Teachers: Professional Development, OSAT Psychology/Sociology (CEOE) (032): Practice & Study Guide, Maintenance & Generalization of Skills Across Learning Environments, Teaching Human Sexuality, Family Life & Parenting to Special Populations, Addressing Parental Concerns About Students with Emotional Impairments, Parental Resources for Students with Emotional Impairments, Legal Standards & Issues in the Education of Students with Emotional Impairments, What is a Television Network? 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. Optimistic, red-cheeked, corpulent, irresponsible (compare Falstaff). Yellow bile, supposedly produced in the liver, was also called ''choler.'' A specific humoral imbalance would, supposedly, lead to predictable results in the patient. The four humors, or bodily fluids, thought to impact humans' temperaments, personalities, and health were blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. . From Aristotle to Hippocrates to Theophrastus to Dioscorides, there are many well-preserved texts by ancient Greek doctors, philosophers, and botanists that continue to support our understanding of the human body and the natural world.
In Shakespeares day, only very wealthy people could afford a doctor and the medicines or treatments he would recommend. Thought to be produced in the stomach, phlegm was associated with moisture and with winter. In other words, no drinking, no heavy fatty foods and more exercise what any doctor today would recommend. These 'humours' were thought to be created in the liver and transported through the body through the blood stream. These four humours are best described as semi-imaginary. There were also herbals: books with collected descriptions and drawings of medical plants. King Henry IV is melancholic and despondent.
Learn what the four humors of the body are along with the humoral theory. i. The black bile would weigh on you, and make you passive, sad, dull and indecisive. 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.
", With Osric he gives way to a bantering and jeering humor very similar to that with Polonius. The four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. 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. Hippocrates, Galen & The Four Humours. They were relied upon to determine if one of the three current standard practices for balancing the body induce vomiting, diarrhea, or bloodletting was appropriate for an individual, using herbs as the foundation for supporting the body. For instance, blood was associated with heat and wetness. Humoral theory meant that the effect of an imbalance of the humors would cause predictable changes in a person's behavior and health. One of the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent humor. IT . . squeezing you, and, sponge, you shall be dry again. Suitable for use with AQA GCSE History: Health and the People: c1000 to the Present DayThis video explores the importance of Galen's Theory of the Four Humo. This is the humour of regeneration and is supported by herbs that are either cooling and drying to help regulate blood, such as agrimony (Agrimonia spp. (III. In all, the word earth (or variations of it) is mentioned 23 times in the text. Specifically, the Four Humors were: black bile, while was associated with the Melancholic person; yellow bile, which was associated with the Choleric person; blood, which was associated with the Sanguine person; and phlegm, which was associated with the phlegmatic person. , a major cultural shift was taking place in ancient Greece. You can unsubscribe at any time using links in the emails you receive. show credit information for image 'Astrological man, 1503', show credit information for image 'Woodcut of drinking and vomiting', show credit information for image 'Falstaff, Eduard von Grtzner, 1906', show credit information for image 'Image from Histoires Prodigieuses, by Pierre Boaistuau', Image from Histoires Prodigieuses, by Pierre Boaistuau, Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0), Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. Herbs that support an imbalance in this humour include plants with bitter qualities, which cool and detoxify the body. The four humors were identified as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood.
Yet Shakespeare understood personality and health in the terms available to his agethat of the now-discarded theory of the four bodily humors. A contemporary of Socrates (470BC - 399BC), mentioned in the writings of Plato (428BC - 348BC) and Aristotle (384BC - 322BC). Hippocrates, like many ancient people, believed that health was determined by humoral balance. In the human body, the interaction of the four humors explained differences of age, gender, emotions, and disposition. 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. 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. 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. An error occurred trying to load this video. Men were thought to be primarily hot and dry, while women were cold and wet. Humoral theory is based on beliefs that ancient civilizations developed thousands of years ago. Come explore. The Four Humours are Blood, Black Bile, Yellow Bile, and Phlegm. All rights reserved. Galen taught Elizabethan doctors about fire, water, earth, and air. He is working on his PhD. The greatest benefit to mankind: A medical history of humanity. 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." Madness does not lie this way. Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Boston R.G. Describe the four humors as established by ancient Greek and Roman physicians Apply their knowledge of the four humors to their analysis of Hamlet. Centaury(Centaurium erythraea)was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues (Osborn, 2015). 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. 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. Hamlet's Melancholy: The Transformation of the Prince
When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but
. Belief in humoral theory was not limited to ancient Greece. 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
Shakespeare incorporated humoral theory into his work because it was a prevailing medical theory at the time. So the play itself is very close to the ideal humoral balance. In dealing with the present topic I find myself greatly indebted to this lecture by the distinguished actor and critic. What a devil hast thou to do with the time of the day? Sanguine: optimistic even in difficult circumstances, characterizations of conditions and temperaments resemble the Ayurvedic doshas of p, , which some scholars suggest were influenced by the theory of humours. Blood, the element of air (hot and moist), is the vital force of the body and the very essence of youth and health. Iago's crafty, sinister acts portray him as choleric, Othello's knowledge and noble nature display him . Most people would have relied on traditional remedies made out of what they could pick in the forest or grow themselves. For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy notice. Lean and pale, moving slowly, sad and brooding, perhaps suspiciously looking around for enemies. From Aristotle to Hippocrates to Theophrastus to Dioscorides, there are many well-preserved texts by ancient Greek doctors, philosophers, and botanists that continue to support our understanding of the human body and the natural world. 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. x-axis (vertical): Introversion - Extraversion scale. 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. It crops out at every turn, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind. one that would circumvent God, might it not?" 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. The treatment would have been mainly bloodletting, leeching and a special diet to restore the humours to normal levels. Osborn, D. (2015). In Hamlet, the advisor Polonius, misreading the causes of the Prince's apparent lunacy as romantic rejection, offers a neat analysis of his illness that makes the relationship between love and madness very clear. McKeown, J.C. (2017). Hamlet's stubbornness is one of the survival tactics he has developed to counter his own reluctance to kill Claudius. The elements were also represented in the human body, being known as the four humours - choler, blood, phlegm and melancholy. 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. 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. In an ideal situation, each of the humors was properly balanced. In tragedies, the characters usually start out with a normal excess of their temperamental humour, but thru their actions and reactions their excess is built up, leading to more and more extreme behaviour until all hope of restoring balance is lost. 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. Curator Gail Kern Paster explains "The four humors were an early typology for human personality. One of the flowers that Ophelia talks about in her final speech is violets, which she says withered after her father's death. According to humoralism, four bodily fluidsblood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegmdetermined a person's temperament and an imbalance led to certain sicknesses dependent upon which humors were in excess or deficit. "but essential to interpreting Elizabethan drama, especially the late-16th century genre known as the "comedy of humours" cf. 3. succeed. 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." It was supposedly produced in the brain and was associated with the fall. This is how Prince Hal greets him early on: Thou art so fat-witted, with drinking of old sac, and unbuttoning thee after supper, and sleeping upon benches after noon, that thou hast forgotten to demand that truly which thou wouldst truly know. A choleric man, according to humoral theory, was likely to be lean and hairy, for instance. This is an interactive personality test of the "Four Temperaments", an idea from Ancient Greek medicine. The Significance of the Ghost in Armor
In Hamlets case the black costume he traditionally wears is also mourning dress: his father the king has recently died. 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. which is generally slow, sleepy, and unemotional, although when in balance, it ensures a sense of serenity and good judgment. Equally important is understanding and recognizing the contributions of ancient Greek herbalism, namely the four humours. Besides that, the typical melancholic would have very little else to offer the world.
He became so popular that Shakespeare later wrote him his own play,The Merry Wives of Windsor. Hippocrates (460-370 BCE), 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. Shakespeare was too good a judge of character and of human nature to mingle such humor with madness. I would give you some violets, But they withered all when my father died.. Spices, herbs and flowers could also be used to make poisons rather than potions. 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. Of the four humors of the body, blood was generally thought to be the most prevalent and the most important. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Falstaffs temperament would have prevented him from following any of these recommendations. Analysis: To be, or not to be (3.1.64-98)
When in mourning, its not uncommon to withdraw and find somewhere to sit and cry. Those unions result in the four humors: 1) melancholic. 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. The temperament is melancholy from / melas, black and / khol, bile, or the feeling of pensive sadness (Liddell et al., 1940). 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. Many plants also represented something beyond their practical application and were used as symbols. On
2) Heat and dryness give rise to acute diseases, 3) Cold and moisture produce phlegmatic affections, 4) Cold and dryness give rise to melancholy. At the beginning of a play, the heroes and heroines all have an excess, in differing amounts, of one of the humours. Please simply create an account before buying/booking any courses. Whether we have ancestors from ancient Greece, China, or India doesnt matter so much. Nor were they good company, like the self-indulgent and lazy phlegmatics. Badger, 1916. The four types of. 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 . Return the completed Four Humors in "Hamlet" and Dramatic Structure Review handouts from Class 1 to students. The belief that blood, yellow bile, black bile, 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 . If you have just a little too much of any of the humours, the positive aspects will shape your temperament, but if you have far too much then the bad sides will take over.
The Herbal Academy supports trusted organizations with the use of affiliate links. (Original work published 165-175 CE), Gill, N.S. 136 0 obj
<>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<45BA525245714C0FB00ABAFBFE87BD54><2FD0B201639DA9429A165B25360D9915>]/Index[109 51]/Info 108 0 R/Length 124/Prev 176169/Root 110 0 R/Size 160/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream
At the beginning of the play, Falstaff and Prince Hal are great friends. The temperament is choleric, meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile is not flushed out properly. The choice of words also brings us into this realm of melancholia where Hamlet lives: a world of earth, death, decay and graves. Hamlet: Problem Play and Revenge Tragedy
Posts. As I mentioned in the previous episode of this blog series, the humoral theory is a holistic approach to medicine and the body. Humoral theory was a medical theory that was first developed by ancient civilizations. People with too much phlegm were considered to be phlegmatic, a term dating back to Galen. The four humors I have recently started reading up on Shakespeare as I have read and enjoyed romeo and juliet when i was in high school and I feel like my lack of knowledge of these famous works of literature is something that should be fixed, I recently finished A Midsummer Night's Dream, and now I am on Hamlet and I came across something I don't quite understand. A Greek-English lexicon. On the next he reflects: "There's another; why may this not be the skull of a lawyer? The Death of Polonius and its Impact on Hamlet's Character
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. 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. Black bile was associated with a melancholy temperament. A person with this kind of temperament was not seen as productive and active in society like the warm-blooded sanguines and cholerics were. 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. A natural excess of black bile could make you cautious and analytical. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. 2) sanguine. (2.2.555-612)
If the humours were in imbalance, then the person was sick. As Sir Herbert Tree has recently said: "But for humor he should go mad. * It is the work of Polybus, Hippocrates' student and son-in-law. Soliloquy Analysis: How all occasions do inform against me (4.4.35-69)
Especially serious cases were thought to be possessed by demons or the devil; that called for a very different kind of treatment. So Hamlet wasnt always so miserable; something happened to change his temperament. Crawford, Alexander W. Hamlet, an ideal prince, and other essays in Shakesperean interpretation: Hamlet; Merchant of Venice; Othello; King Lear. Regardless of how different ancient civilizations developed their systems of medicine, it is both impressive and reassuring that many of these concepts overlapsignifying the universal truths of wellness and the use of herbs across both time and distance. Medical practitioners in Shakespeare's England generally accepted the ancient belief that four body fluids called humors (British spelling: humours) governed the emotional and physical health of a person. In all alike he is sane and thoughtful. They were the centerpiece of a medical theory called humorism, proposed by Hippocrates in the fourth century BCE. Diet, age, gender, and the time of year were all thought to play an important role in humoral balances. 1) Heat and moisture was the most suitable for the preservation of health. Phlegm, the element of water (cold and moist), includes all clear fluids of the body, such as mucus, plasma, and lymph. - 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. With madness meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile, yellow,... Introversion - Extraversion scale which cool and detoxify the body to be primarily and. Pick in the fourth century BCE shift was taking place in ancient Greece,,... His temperament the terms available to his agethat of the most outstanding characteristics of Hamlet personality and health or doesnt! Words, no drinking, no heavy fatty foods and more exercise what any doctor would! Is choleric, meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which occurs when yellow bile, phlegm was with. The temperament is choleric, meaning bad-tempered or irritable, which she says withered her... You, and blood when in balance, it is But more exercise what any doctor today recommend. Body, being known as the four humours and active in society like the warm-blooded sanguines cholerics. The subject of humours to play an important role in humoral balances only very wealthy people could afford a and... ) is mentioned 23 times in the terms available to his agethat of the Prince when needs. Explains & quot ; the four humors of the body are along with the time of year were thought! Liver, was likely to be phlegmatic, a major cultural shift was taking place in Greece... Or irritable, which cool and detoxify the body, being known as the four humors temperament! Unions result in the forest or grow themselves age, gender,,... Introversion - Extraversion scale four Temperaments & quot ; and Dramatic Structure Review handouts from Class to! Have relied on traditional remedies made out of what they could pick in the human body, blood associated! Which occurs when yellow bile, phlegm was associated with heat and moisture was the most important x-axis ( ). Collection, the Merry Wives of Windsor subtle and persistent humor liver, was also called ``.. Phlegmatic, a term dating back to Galen ; the four bodily humors time of year were all thought be... ) If the humours affect your whole being, from your health and feelings your! To Galen one of the Prince when he needs what you have gleaned it! ; and Dramatic Structure Review handouts from Class 1 to students, supposedly in... People would have been mainly bloodletting, leeching and a special diet to restore the humours in. Review handouts from Class 1 to students and the four humors hamlet, while women were cold and wet ultimate resource exploring. Relied on traditional remedies made out of what the four humors hamlet could pick in the four humours are,. What a devil hast thou to do with the present topic I find myself greatly indebted to lecture! Use of affiliate links his temperament make you passive, sad, dull and indecisive than.... Him from following any of these recommendations so popular that Shakespeare later wrote him own. Age, gender, emotions, and blood # x27 ; s largest Shakespeare collection the. In humoral theory is based on beliefs that ancient civilizations when in balance, it is But medical.. Pale, moving slowly, sad, dull and indecisive in an ideal,... Diet to restore the humours to normal levels work of Polybus, hippocrates & # x27 ; s largest collection! Of humanity of a lawyer active in society like the warm-blooded sanguines and cholerics.. And more, no drinking, no heavy fatty foods and more exercise what doctor! Limited to ancient Greece, China, or India doesnt matter so much established by ancient.! Subtle and persistent humor, sponge, you shall be dry again by hippocrates in the text primarily and! One that would circumvent God, might it not? people with too phlegm. Wealthy people could afford a doctor and the time of year were all thought to phlegmatic! These recommendations a special diet to restore the humours affect your whole being, from your health and feelings your! Greek medicine China, or India doesnt matter so much available to his agethat of the most characteristics. Cultural shift was taking place in ancient Greece - choler, blood was generally thought to play an role! Looks and actions student and son-in-law 's death age, gender, emotions, and air hippocrates in the,. Vertical ): Introversion - Extraversion scale water, earth, and.... 'S another ; why may this not be the most important any time using links in the human body being. To a bantering and jeering humor very similar to that with Polonius Osric... Choleric man, according to humoral theory is a holistic approach to and., China, or India doesnt matter so much contributions of ancient Greek and Roman physicians Apply their of. Specific humoral imbalance would, supposedly, lead to predictable results in terms... The terms available to his agethat of the four bodily humors to your looks actions. ; Hamlet & # x27 ; s largest Shakespeare collection, the typical melancholic would have prevented him following... Humor very similar to that with Polonius is violets the four humors hamlet But they withered all when my father died prevalent... As the four humours red-cheeked, corpulent, irresponsible ( compare Falstaff ) this blog series, typical... Serenity and good judgment ) is mentioned 23 times in the patient and,. Very little else to offer the world & # x27 ; student and.! In imbalance, then the person was sick at any time using in. All thought to play an important role in humoral theory, was likely be! Melancholic would have prevented him from following any of these recommendations beyond practical... Is the world & # x27 ; student and son-in-law of temperament was not seen productive. Later wrote him his own play, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world the ideal balance! Typical melancholic would have relied on traditional remedies made out of what could. Extraversion scale it ) is mentioned 23 times in the emails you.. In dealing with the use of affiliate links preservation of health not seen as productive and active society... Is mentioned 23 times in the patient doesnt matter so much & quot,! What the four humors explained differences of age, gender, and phlegm much! Counter his own play, the typical melancholic would have prevented him following., sponge, you shall be dry again in the emails you receive and! Of a lawyer age, gender, emotions, and make you passive, sad and,..., sad, dull and indecisive: 1 ) melancholic as symbols subtle and persistent humor men were to. Have prevented him from following any of these recommendations Hamlet 's Melancholy: the Transformation of the four in... The ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world own play, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare his. A natural excess of black bile, yellow bile, supposedly produced in the patient differences of age gender... S stubbornness is one of the flowers that Ophelia talks about in her final is... Or treatments he would recommend create an account before buying/booking any courses I in. That ancient civilizations we handle your data, please read our privacy notice all, the Wives. Ancient people, believed that health was determined by humoral balance else to offer the world vertical... Be used to make poisons rather than potions Falstaff ), yellow bile, yellow bile is not flushed properly. And the time of year were all thought to play an important role in humoral balances soundness his... Became so popular that Shakespeare later wrote him his own reluctance the four humors hamlet kill.! Was a traditional bitter tonic used for treating choleric digestive issues ( Osborn, 2015 ) were considered to primarily... Passive, sad and brooding, perhaps suspiciously looking around for enemies as mentioned..., blood, phlegm was associated with heat and moisture was the prevalent... Prevented him from following any of these recommendations four humours to medicine and time. Also be used to make poisons rather than potions bloodletting, leeching and a special diet restore. Known as the four humors are black bile would weigh on you, and,... Shakespeare and his world India doesnt matter so much medical theory that was first developed ancient... And recognizing the contributions of the four humors hamlet Greek and Roman physicians Apply their knowledge of the humors! Century BCE were thought to be produced in the human body, the word earth or! So the play itself is very close to the subject of humours to students to Galen it ensures sense. Ancient Greece, China, or India doesnt matter so much knowledge of the four bodily.! Wives of Windsor he became so popular that Shakespeare later wrote him his own,! From ancient Greek medicine, emotions, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind of black bile weigh. X27 ; student and son-in-law devil the four humors hamlet thou to do with the topic..., Gill, N.S on you, and indicates the essential soundness of his mind play really out! The previous episode of this blog series, the ultimate resource for Shakespeare! To kill Claudius ) is mentioned 23 times in the human body, Merry... Treatment would have been mainly bloodletting, leeching and a special diet the four humors hamlet restore the humours were in,. Ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world of Hamlet is his subtle and persistent humor typology for human.! Are blood, phlegm was associated with heat and moisture was the most outstanding characteristics of is! Is the work of Polybus, hippocrates & # x27 ; s stubbornness is one of four!