ngland

lizabethan

Human Mind• The human mind was very important to

elizabethans and how it influenced our actions.• Elizabethan era was also known as the English

Renaissance, a rebirth or reawakening of an interest in the arts.  The Elizabethans wanted to find new ways to express themselves relying on their own artistic abilities to create patterns (like iambic pentameter, rhyme schemes, etc.) rather than copying patterns present in nature.

• With architecture, patterns on clothing, stained glass windows, even poetic verse, the Elizabethans were becoming more interested in what man could achieve and create.

One of the most popular eras in the history of England is known as the Elizabethan Era. This time in history was named Queen of England (Queen Elizabeth I). This era produced and brought forth the very first theater in England. Along with the theater, William Shakespeare accompanied this discovery. One of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies was known as, Hamlet Prince of Denmark. One main reason this play was so loved is due to Shakespeare’s use of Hamlet. He portrayed and used this character to amplify the human mind at its most complex points.

There are several different and unique approaches Shakespeare embarks on in generating this mind of Hamlet. For instance, Hamlets internal conflict (Character vs. himself) is where the human mind is influenced. Hamlets decision on whether or not to revenge on his father’s death plays a crucial role. This example, allows the reader to be aware of how one person’s state of mind at a certain point in their life can play a significant factor on determining their life’s outcome and fate. Throughout the play, Hamlets perspectives act as a key role in the way his mind works. Shakespeare devised a series of encounters to unlock the unique and complex human mind. The human mind throughout Hamlet consisted of emotions, and one attitude towards themselves. This allowed and provided the reader the ability to form a judgment or their personal opinion towards the fundamental aspects of human life.

The Four Humours

"Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines, Raphael is cool but rude,

Michelangelo is a party dude!"

The Elizabethans had certain beliefs and certain theories they lived their lives based on. During this era, humors were used to describe people and their unique personalities. The Elizabethans devised four different kinds of humors: sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic.

Beliefs

Four Humours• Temperament: the combination of the four

cardinal humours, the relative proportions of which were supposed to determine physical and mental constitution.

• The origin of the four Humours also known as the four temperaments were originally applied to medicine by Hippocrates.

• He was an ancient Greek physician seen as the father of medicine.

• He was also known for taking credit for other physicians in his field that sent him there findings.

The Four HumoursIn Greek, Medieval, and Renaissance thought, the traditional four elements form the basis for a theory of medicine and later psychological typology known as the four humours.

Each of the humours were associated with various correspondences and particular physical and mental characteristics, and could, moreover, be combined for more complex personality types: (e.g. choleric-sanguine, etc).

The result is a system that provides a quite elaborate classification of types of personality.

The perfect Temperament would be considered having no dominating humour in most cases it was necessary to interpret Elizabethan dramas.

A person can have all four humours, but each in different quantities.

The Four HumoursThe four humours correspond to four bodily fluids: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile.

A typical diagnosis of a patient would take the balance of these humours into consideration.

For instance, over-stimulation of wet-hot elements effects nervous biochemical interactions within the body with glandular ramifications within the blood.

A wet-cold over-stimulation also effects nervous biochemical interactions but with ramifications for the relationship between the muscular biochemical exchanges and the bloodstream such as diarrhea and diabetes.

Excess black bile in the blood leads to heart palpitations and constipation

Excess yellow bile leads to general weakness

Medical Beliefs• It was believed at that time that the three

main organs in the human body were the heart, liver, and brain.

• The liver in their time was considered to be the origin of all veins from which they spread out.

• It was believed that the heart was the seat of life. This was considered the place were all emotions came from: joy, hope, fear, anger, etc. It was used to transport our vital spirits throughout our body.

• The brain was seen as the seat of reason, imagination and memory.

Hamlet and HumoursIn relation to Shakespeare, one can conclude that Hamlet, the

protagonist in Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Hamlet: The Prince of Denmark was suffering from melancholia. The main cause of melancholia was excessive amounts of black bile, Physicians of Shakespeare’s era speculated, melancholia as one of the types of humors us humans obtained.

There are several examples in the novel crediting him his actions towards melancholia. For instance, Hamlet displayed endless occurrences of where he constantly would challenge himself, and his actions. This inadequately reduced his ability, to make certain judgments throughout the play. Further more, Hamlet became engaged in several emotions and moods that were affecting or surrounding him at the time. For example, the anger and outrage which occurred at the time of his father’s death.

continued One can assume that Hamlet

displayed genuine or natural concern; this did not make him bias when questioning what his friends and families motives really were. With this trait, one can believe that Hamlet did not display the quality of ignorance. One of the greatest and final signs of Hamlets melancholia was his determination in keeping things according to plan. Plans were never to be delayed or changed. This only occurred if, Hamlet issued the permission by himself, therefore affecting his own fate.

Hamlets Humour• Due to his melancholic nature, one can conclude his

decisions and actions in the end played a consequential role. Subconsciously, Hamlet suffered a case of melancholia. Through his actions and the role he played one can believe he acted the way he did due to this type of humor. One in the field of medical practices in that time would accuse Hamlet of having excessive amounts of black bile.

• It is also apparent of himself showing signs of excessive yellow bile or known to be choleric. He showed signs of obsession and narrow-mindedness. These could be shown when being obsessed with his fathers death.

The Four Humours in Renaissance Elizabethan Time

• By this time the humours had become standardized as follows:

Humour Body substance

produced by Element Qualities

Complexion and Body

typePersonality Plato’s Four

Roles

Aristotle’s Sources of happiness

Season

Sanguine blood liver air hot and moist

red-cheeked, corpulent

amorous, happy, generous, optimistic,

irresponsible

artisan Sensation, pleasure Spring

Choleric yellow bile spleen fire hot and dry red-haired, thin

violent, vengeful, short-tempered,

ambitiousidealist Morality,

harmony Summer

Phlegmatic phlegm lungs water cold and moist corpulent Sluggish, pallid,

cowardly rational Rationality Winter

Melancholic black bile gall bladder earth cold and

dry sallow, thinIntrospective, sentimental, gluttonous

gaurdian Property Autumn

• http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FourTemperamentEnsemble