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The Elizabethan Great Chain of Being. Shakespeare’s World View. The Great Chain of Being. Shakespeare’s language is different from ours because his thinking was different from ours, especially about nature and the order of the universe. The Great Chain of Being.
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The Elizabethan Great Chain of Being Shakespeare’s World View
The Great Chain of Being Shakespeare’s language is different from ours because his thinking was different from ours, especially about nature and the order of the universe.
The Great Chain of Being • An order of hierarchy in which every single created thing in the universe has its place. God’s love flows through, sustains, and holds together this whole system. • Compounded Biblical lore, Greek philosophy, and much far fetched natural history. • One of the most important and long-lasting ideas in man’s history.
Elizabethan World Picture (Pure Being) (Intelligence) (Order) (Reason) (Motion, Sense) (Growth) (Mere Existence) God Angels Spheres Man Animals Plants Stones
Angels Spheres Seraphim Cherubim Thrones Dominations Virtues Powers Principalities Archangels Angels Primum Mobile Stars Saturn Jupiter Mars Sun Venus Mercury Moon Elizabethan World Picture
Man Family Emperor King Nobles/Churchmen Professions/Soldiers Trades Beggars Fool Father Mother Eldest Brother . . . Youngest Sister Elizabethan World Picture
Animals Animals(cont) 4-Leg Lion Fox Wolf . . . mole 2-Leg Falcon Fish Dolphin/Whale Insects Bees Ants . . . worms Inert Animals Oysters, etc. Elizabethan World Picture
Plants Stones Fruits Apples Flowers Rose Trees Oak Vines Herbs Weeds Liquids Metals Gold Silver . . . Lead Stones Elizabethan World Picture
Body Psychological Head Eye ________________ Arm Trunk ________________ Leg Foot Reason, Will Memory, Fancy Five Senses Elizabethan World Picture
Element Humor Fire (hot & dry) (choler) “choleric” (easily angered) Air (hot & moist) (blood) “sanguine” (cheerful, confident) Water (cold & moist) (phlegm) “phlegmatic” (sluggish, apathetic) Earth (cold & dry) (black bile) “melancholy” (sad, depressed)
Rules: Great Chain of Being • Everything has its place • God’s love holds it all together • When someone tries to get out of line, the whole order is thrown into confusion • Belief in the rightness of ORDER • Stating what a thing is implies its VALUE • Leads to comparison or analogy A King could be called: -God like -Gold -Father of his land -Sun -Head of his kingdom -Eagle -Lion