ShakespeareShakespeare

TheTheElizabethan Elizabethan

World PictureWorld Picture

ContentsContentsIntroductionIntroductionThe Elizabethan AgeThe Elizabethan AgeChain of beingChain of beingMirror

Macrocosm Macrocosm �� Ptolemy’s systemPtolemy’s system�� Copernican systemCopernican system�� System of System of

correspondencecorrespondence�� The human beingThe human being

�� HumoursHumours�� TemperTemper

�� King

Mirror

King

Introduction

● Renaissance took place in Italy between 1400-1600 century.

● In England around 16th century

● Elizabeth I reigned 1588-1603 →Elizabethan Era

● Tillyard: „Elizabethan World Picture“

Renaissance

● New birth = beginning of „modern age“.● Discovery of the new world.● Inventions and scientific progress.● Seperation of church.● Man as centre of interest.

● Public school system for the privileged.

The Elizabethan Age

● God had created the univers and everything in it.

● He had established Order and unity.● He had bound all lifeless and living things

together in a system.● each object and being had his rightful

place ● According to his rank and usefulness.

Chain of being

Chain of being

● Is divided into 4 kingdoms● Mineral Kingdom

(„est“)● Vegetable Kingdom

(„est“ and „vivit“)● Animal Kingdom

(„est“, „vivit“ and „feel“)● Human Kingdom

(„est“, “vivit“, “feel“ and „intelligent“)

Chain of being

The human steps:● Learned Human

(„est“, “vivit“, “feel“ and „intelligent“)

● Sensible(„est“, „vivit“ and

„feel“)● Gluttory

(„est“ and „vivit“)● Lazyness

(„est“)

● The world consits of mirrors● Neighbouring objects reflect each other

● The higher object reflects the being of a lower in an higher, cleaner way.

● The lower object reflects the being of a higher in a lower way.

● Macrososm (Universe)

The Ptolemaic System, geocentric SystemThe Ptolemaic System, geocentric System

Claudius Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy proposed a model of the proposed a model of the universeuniverseearth at the centre earth at the centre (geocentric)(geocentric)earth as stationaryearth as stationaryother planets and the other planets and the sun move in complex sun move in complex orbits around itorbits around it

The Ptolemaic System, geocentric SystemThe Ptolemaic System, geocentric System

centre: earthcentre: eartharound the earth: around the earth: seven zones of planets:seven zones of planets:mmoonoon, m, mercuryercury, , venusvenus, sun, , sun, mars, mars, jupiterjupiter and and saturnsaturn“outer zone” is outside the “outer zone” is outside the universeuniverse

““CoelumCoelum EmpyraeumEmpyraeum””God, the Angels and the souls God, the Angels and the souls of the blessed lived thereof the blessed lived there

PtolemyPtolemy‘s ‘s ideaidea of of thethe universeuniverse

The Copernican System, heliocentric system

• Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

• heliocentric model ofthe solar system

• the sun is stationary at the centre

• the Earth moves around itNicolausNicolaus CopernicusCopernicus

The Copernican System, heliocentric system

Major characteristics:

• the earth rotates daily on its axis and revolves yearly around the sun

• the planets also circle the sun

• the earth was just another planet

CopernicusCopernicus ideaidea of of thethe universeuniverse

The Copernican System, heliocentric system

• the concept of a moving earth was too difficult for most 16th-century readers

Consequently, the sun-centred system was hard to introduce

System of correspondence

Macrocosm Microcosm

• sun (giving planets light and power, in the middle of the universe)

• stars (placed highest in the sphere)

• earthquakes and storms (in nature)

• man’s heart

• man’s head

• man’s passion

The human being (Man)

Man’s position in the universe:

● central position in the universe● the highest position in the living nature● the latest and the most perfect created

creature

The human being (Man)

● Sir Walter Raleigh:

“[And whereas God created three sorts of living natures, to wit, angelical, rational, and brutal; giving to angels an intellectual, and to beasts a sensual nature, he vouchsafed unto man both the intellectual of Angels, the sensitive of beasts, and the proper rational belonging unto man…]”

The human being (Man)

● man has the function of a mirror● the whole creation is reflected● man is a summary, a model, and an

overview of the universe● is called microcosm or the "little world"

The human being (Man)

Humours● the body of the human being consists of the four elements ● His four humours correspond to the four elements ● contain the four basic qualities of these elements:

element humour quality in nature

earth melancholy cold and dry

Water phlegm cold and moist

Air sanguis hot and moist

fire choler hot and dry

The human being (Man)

The Tempers

● the balance of the humours decided about the constitution of man

● ideal balance was disturbed by the original sin

● the balance is confused by atmosphere, the age of man, the geographic position and especially by the food

The human being (Man)

• The domination of one of the humours led to four tempers:• The Choleric Man, the Sanguine Man, the Phlegmatic Man and

the Melancholic Man

The Choleric Man:“hath Nature of fire”

• is hot and dry, is lean and slender, ireful, hasty, brainless and foolish, he has wine of the lion; loves black clothes

The Sanguine Man: “hath nature of air”

• is hot and moist, is large, plenteous, attempered, laughing, he has wine of an ape; loves high coloured clothes

The Phlegmatic Man: “hath nature of Water”

• is cold and moist, heavy, slow, sleepy he has wine of the sheep; loves green clothes

The Melancholic Man “hath nature of Earth”

• is cold and dry, backbiter, malicious, and slow, he has wine of an hog; loves black clothes

The King

• representative of god on earth

• can never be disturbed• Moon: material goods• Mercury: eloquence • Venus: mildness • Sun: religion• Mars: bravery• Jupiter: intelligence • Saturn: Majesty