The Elizabethan Great Chain of Being Shakespeares World

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 longlasting ideas in man’s history.

Elizabethan World Picture God (Intelligence) Angels (Pure Being) Spheres Man Animals Plants (Order) (Reason) (Motion, Sense) (Growth) Stones (Mere Existence)

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(cont) 4 -Leg Fish Lion Dolphin/Whale Fox Insects Wolf. . . mole Bees Ants. . . 2 -Leg worms Falcon Inert Animals Oysters, etc. Elizabethan World Picture

Plants Stones Fruits Liquids Metals Apples Flowers Gold Rose Silver Trees . Oak Vines Herbs Weeds . . Lead Stones Elizabethan World Picture

Body Psychological Head Reason, Will Eye ________ Arm Trunk ________ Leg Foot 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 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 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