"O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou... ❤️ Wondering what to say on Valentine's Day? From the Folger's collection: Lil' Hamlet. Shakespeare’s plays, his world, his lasting influence: Your support keeps the conversation going. Shakespeare has long been known for his medical knowledge. Because people didn’t know about germs, most patients that had an operation were likely to die – from the pain, the blood loss or infection from germs after the operation. Shakespeare shows an awareness of both men and their theories. Broken bone? Shakespeare's plays that were performed there early on included: Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, Hamlet, Measure for Measure, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra. Although he did not receive any formal medical training, he developed a reputation for specialty remedies and frequently cast horoscopes for his patients. But Shakespeare was much more than just a man of the theatre. They also used perfumes and sweet waters to cover up bad smells. 11) Plays in Shakespeare’s time were different to the ones we have today. This affected people’s views on everything from religion to treating illnesses. During Shakespeare's time, boys played the parts of females in plays. They were paid well, but smelled a lot of the time, because it was hard to wash well enough to get rid of the smell from their bodies and clothes! Some guests didn’t bother to use these but urinated in the fireplace, © The Shakespeare Globe Trust, London 2021. It then directs you to three pages on epilepsy, lists other plays including sufferers (Othello and Macbeth), and quotes the … This timeline of the legendary William Shakespeare reveals that his plays and sonnets cannot be separated. Though more is known about Shakespeare… Towns had a few public ones, often built over rivers to carry the waste away. Shakespeare's life also overlapped with the Jacobean Era (1603-1625). Please Donate to help fund the future of Shakespeare’s Globe. Thanks to the anatomical studies of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), both of whom dissected corpses, these medical doctors had a general knowledge of the human anatomy and its organs. In the case of themes like crime and punishment in Shakespeare's plays, we need to take a detailed look at Elizabethan society. A recent exhibit organized by the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library highlighted themes from Shakespeare’s works, including plague, midwifery, domestic medicine, herbal remedies, astrological medicine, surgery, and other medical topics from the period between 1589 and 1613, when Shakespeare produced most of his known work. Still March. People didn’t bathe often. Want the best of the blog? Almost all classes of citizens, excepting many Puritans and like-minded Reformers, came to them for afternoon entertainment. Medical practice in Shakespeare's time was, to say the least, non-existant. Elizabethans paid particular attention to how their food interacted with their temperaments, seeking balance in their body, according to the humoral theory dominant at the time. Our guests are Gail Kern Paster, the Folger’s director emerita, and Barbara Traister, professor emeritus of English at Lehigh University. Was there any effective drug or herbal treatment for any disease in Shakespeare’s time? Shakespeare was adept at depicting various mental health problems on the stage. Raze out the written troubles of the brain, Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), is Digital Managing Editor at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Give to the Folger today. Again, a waxen image of Elizabeth was picked up … Plague broke out in London in 1593, forcing the theatres to close. Since people didnt have a toilet near by they would have to use something like a bucket. Shakespeare lived in a time known as the Elizabethan Era. Find more receipt books on Shakespeare’s World. Botched rhymes, buried puns and a staged accent that sounds more Victorian than Elizabethan. Advancing knowledge and the arts. Queen Elizabeth herself, then 29, was attacked by the virus that causes high fever, vomiting, excessive bleeding, and pus-filled scabs that leave deep pitted scars. John Hall married Susannah Shakespeare. No more! Looking through a British lens, Shakespeare’s lifetime spanned most of the Elizabethan era (1558-1603) and the start of the Jacobean era (1603-1625). Unfortunately, the water people used to wash and cook with usually came from the same river. One of the worst outbreaks of smallpox occurred two years before Shakespeare's birth, in 1562. The hygiene in London was very bad and the population was a large amount as it was the capital of England. The sonnets were also writte… William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Theatrical conditions: The Globe and its predecessor, the Theatre, were public playhouses run by the Chamberlain’s Men, a leading theatre company of which Shakespeare was a member. So a cure for a bad cut was made by soaking stale bread in hot milk and adding herbs. 2. Theatres were closed down during outbreaks of plague. He was baptised on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England, in the Holy Trinity Church. August 23, 2016 | By Some facts about health and hygiene in Shakespeare’s day – explore Playground to discover more fact pages. Elizabethans paid particular attention to how their food interacted with their temperaments, seeking balance in their body, according to the humoral theory dominant at the time. Few Elizabethans were wealthy enough to afford a licensed physician. Vegetables were food for the rich, as the poor considered food from the ground to be lowly. Many cures were natural medicines: mixtures of herbs and other easily found ingredients. Diet. Shakespeare lived from 1567 to 1616. New actresses were paid less than men and were often treated as prostitutes by the male members of the company and audience. From the Folger's James L. Harner Col, From the Folger's collection: an original illustra, What's your favorite final line from a Shakespeare, On a new episode of Shakespeare Unlimited, Dr. Fre, Happy #MardiGras from the Folger! We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience from our website. It cost £1 10 shillings and 8 pence to build – a year’s wages for a male servant. Explore our collection with #FolgerFinds. This was also a very productive time in the world of science. People were extremely superstitious in Shakespeare’s day. Here are a few examples, from the receipt book of Sarah Longe: Interested in learning how to transcribe early modern manuscripts? Mostly, they just washed their hands and face and combed their hair (and beards). If medicines were natural it doesn’t mean they were not gruesome – or that they would work. Though we now know that fleas and rats carried the plague, back then people blamed it on ‘bad’ air, the stars and planets, and God being angry. Here the Lord Chamberlain's Men enjoyed much success and gained the patronage of King James I in 1603, subsequently becoming The King's Men. 266916. His descriptions of four Shakespeare plays he saw at the Globe in 1611 are included in Shakespeare Documented, an online exhibition of primary-source materials about Shakespeare from during his lifetime. Disease and plague were common problems during Shakespeare's lifetime, and theaters were often closed as a result of plague warnings. She manages the day-to-day operations of the, From our collection: swipe to take a look at a man, ⚡ Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 10 at 5 pm ET, Afri. With parades and. Because people didn’t know about germs, most patients that had an operation were likely to die – from the pain, the blood loss or infection from germs after the operation. T, This Thursday, February 11, pay a virtual visit to, ️⚡ Next Wednesday, February 10, at 5 pm ET, Mary Sidney Herbert's translation of the story of, From our collection: a photo of Uta Hagen and Paul, It's a snowy day here in DC—has your community s, After four decades at the Folger, Director of Prog, Tap the link in our bio to read the story of "the, We love seeing your Folger editions, like this gor, Tap the link in our bio to listen to the newest ep, I am once again asking you if it's time for tea ye, how their food interacted with their temperaments, Early modern sleep care: Recipes for restful sleep, The turkey’s journey from the Atlantic to the early modern Islamic world. ‘Gong fermors’ emptied the privies at night. Smallpox. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Think of how embarrasing it would be to use the bathroom while a play was going infrount of hundreds of people! Beggars flooded the streets. She was succeeded by James I in 1603. 1152238. Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died in 1616. Conversely, you went to university to study only three subjects, of which medicine was one. In the 21st century, people need their teeth to stay with them into their 80’s and 90’s. These recipes for remedies would often appear on the same page as recipes for food and drink. You could use the book as a glossary as you read a play: the entry on falling-sickness, for instance, mentioned in Julius Caesar, links the word with others used by Shakespeare: apoplexy, dizziness and palsy. Shakespeare’s ‘London years’ are generally considered to be from around 1585 to around 1612. They thought it had a bad influence on people and kept them from going to church. 10) Shakespeare’s plays had the royal seal of approval. Sir John Harrington invented the flushing toilet in the 1590s. Leicester consulted Doctor Dee, the astrologer, to discover a propitious date for the Queen's coronation. However, it was expensive. He was a doctor of some considerable medical understanding. With so many of our activities still on hold, we need you more than ever to help secure our future. The Folger collection has a number of receipt (recipe) books filled with handwritten instructions for treatment and prevention. 1655. Registered in England and Wales No. He built one in his house (the Queen did, too). Answer (1 of 11): When Shakespeare was born in 1564, Elizabeth the first was on the throne. As a charity that receives no regular government subsidy, we need your help more than ever before. Sign up for Shakespeare Plus, a newsletter from the Folger Shakespeare Library delivered to your inbox every other Wednesday. Others were … Continuing Professional Development: Teaching Anti-Racist Shakespeare, Online teaching resources & courses for all ages, We need your support more than ever before. Shakespeare, Smith, and Medicine. Scholars and historians often refer to him being a part of the Elizabethan Era, the period of English history d uring the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, which lasted from 1558 - 1603, and was itself part of the larger Tudor Period. It seems that Shakespeare lived a simple life in London. A large part of William Shakespeare's life occurred during the Elizabethan period when, ironically, England was ruled by a woman. Additionally, censorship was only enforced in cases where dramatic works were thought likely to incite public disorder. In Shakespeares time London was a very crouded and un-hygienic place which made it easy to spread diseases around. The Acting Profession During Shakespeare’s Time . One pamphlet recommended that people keep their teeth white by rubbing their teeth with powdered fish bones and then rinsing their mouths out with a mixture of vinegar and sulphuric acid! Johannes Scultetus. Although he was undoubtedly a genius, he was also a product of his time.Follow along and piece together both the historical and personal events that shaped the world's most influential dramatist and poet. Better not to get sick in the first place though, and the first line of defense when it came to health was diet. Filed Under: Gail Kern Paster, medicine, Simon Forman. The great Queen herself consulted him upon an occasion, instead of her family physician, in order to charm away the tooth-ache. Huh. Things were very tough and not so easy. He died in his home town of Stratford on 23 April 1616, aged 52. Since the time of Shakespeare, dentistry has advanced tremendously. The theatre changed a lot during Shakespeare’s lifetime. There was no separate stage crew, as theater companies have today. Instead, they would rely on the knowledge of a local “wise woman,” with her home collection of remedy recipes and medicines. Under Tudor rule, the country exp… In this conversation with Neva Grant, they discuss how Elizabethans understood the physical world, particularly the human body and its functions. Both Queen Elizabeth I and James VI of Scotland and I of England would often hire Shakespeare’s company to come and perform at the royal court. Esther French. This does not mean that English women were unusually liberated for the time, but they did enjoy a certain amount of … This period is known as the Elizabethan era, one of the most prosperous times of English history. This Shakespeare Unlimited podcast episode is all about medicine in the era when Shakespeare was writing: who the practitioners were, the involvement of astrology, common medical practices, and balancing the humors. Call the barber-surgeon! Queen Elizabeth 1 was the monarch. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! . physician: In Shakespeare's time, medical doctors trained at universities. This golden age of British history spans from 1558-1603. Folger Shakespeare Library. Like this blog? All Rights Reserved. While he owned at least one house there he did not maintain a London household but lived in lodgings with landlords and other lodgers. William Shakespeare was an actor, playwright, poet, and theatre entrepreneur in London during the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean eras. Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased. Medicine aside though, Simon Forman is also important because he’s the source of the most detailed surviving accounts of seeing plays in this period. References to disease, doctors, and treatments occur in almost every play––in some, like Hamlet, Troilus, Coriolanus, Lear and Timon, to the extent that they permeate the atmosphere with morbidity. So, what was going on in the laboratories of the world in Shakespeare's day? In Shakespeare’s time, the poor had little hope of escaping hunger, cold, damp, disease, and exposure. Doctors and people of medicine extremely uneducated on health and medicine therefore often prescribed anything from amulets to things that smelt good. Shakespeare’s contemporary theater companies were extremely busy. With so many of our activities still on hold, we need you more than ever to help secure our future. Armanentarium chirugicum. Medicine Stomach pain or sickness - Wormwood, mint or balm Lung Problems - Licorice or comfrey Diseases Wounds - Vinegar (vinegar Registered charity No. Shakespeare's earliest plays included Henry VI Parts I, II & III, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Titus Andronicus. Shakespeare turned to writing poetry. One recipe for ointment for pains in the legs begins: take eight baby swallows and crush them until you cannot tell feathers from flesh…. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They would perform around six different plays each week, which could only be rehearsed a few times before the performance. Authors wrote plays for the masses, especially those who couldn’t read or write. When it comes to understanding the true significance of recurrent themes in some writings, it is often useful to examine the historical context in which writers produced their work. Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616 – the early modern period between the Middle Ages and the Industrial Revolution. Shakespeare lived through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Mostly, they just washed their hands and face and combed their hair (and beards). In 1593 Shakespeare published an erotic poem, Venus and Adonis, dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, Third Earl of Southampton, a young courtier and favourite of Queen Elizabeth. People didn’t bathe often. Home to the world's largest Shakespeare collection. William Shakespeare is revered around the world as the greatest playwright to have ever lived. This Shakespeare Unlimited podcast episode is all about medicine in the era when Shakespeare was writing: who the practitioners were, the involvement of astrology, common medical practices, and balancing the humors. By some estimates, his most productive years were between 1589 (Comedy of Errors) and 1613 (Henry VIII). Or, they would send a description of their symptoms (along with a urine sample) to an “empiric,” who might cast an astrological horoscope. They relied on their underclothes to soak up dirt and smell and changed these as often as they could afford to have them washed. The theatre in Shakespeare’s time was much different than it is today. Carry on browsing if you're happy with this, or find out how to manage cookies. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway with whom he had three children. Life when Shakespeare was around was not one of the best of times to be alive. Some were veterans – often maimed or disfigured – of the ongoing, undeclared war between Spain and England. Please donate any amount, small or large. Barbara Traister is an expert on the life and work of Simon Forman, whose case notes are the earliest surviving records of an English medical practitioner. The authorities didn’t like it and didn’t allow acting in the city itself. Toilets were called ‘privies’. View Folger Shakespeare Library’s profile on Facebook, View FolgerLibrary’s profile on Instagram, View FolgerLibrary’s profile on Pinterest, View UCBOl-Rnudd-b0XJsmKDId-g’s profile on YouTube, As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies. Sign up! Most people used a chamber pot (or a chair with a chamber pot inside it) at night.