Shakespeare and the Four Humors!

Last week I attended an exhibit/presentation entitled: “And there’s the humor of it: Shakespeare and the four humors.”  The University of Oklahoma, Tulsa campus (Schusterman Library) was fortunate enough to get the traveling exhibit from the National Library of Medicine.  It was a most informative evening that explored the manifestations of the four humors throughout Shakespeare’s plays.  The humors were thought to define people’s physical and mental health as well as determine their personality.   The humors . . .

• are organized around the four elements of earth, water, air, and fire;
• the four qualities of hot, cold, moist, and dry;
• explained differences in age, gender, emotions, and dispositions;
• changed with the seasons, time of day, and human life span.

Here is a breakdown of each humor and its related characteristics:

Melancholic
Humor: Black Bile
Element: Earth
Season: Winter
Age: Old Age
Qualities: Cold & Dry
Organ: Spleen
Planet: Saturn

Phlegmatic
Humor: Phlegm
Element: Water
Season: Autumn
Age: Maturity
Qualities: Cold & Moist
Organ: Brain
Planet: Moon

Choleric
Humor: Yellow Bile
Element: Fire
Season: Summer
Age: Cihldhood
Qualities: Hot & Dry
Organ: Gall Bladder
Planet: Mars

Sanguine
Humor: Blood
Element: Air
Season: Spring
Age: Adolescence
Qualities: Hot & Moist
Organ: Heart
Planet: Jupiter