Shakespeare A to Z | Madness
Several of Shakespeare’s plays explore the concept of insanity. Some of the playwright’s characters are truly mad, while others merely assume the appearance of madness. In either case the behavior associated with madness presents a departure from, and a challenge to, society’s normal expectations.
MENTAL ILLNESS IN ELIZABETHAN PSYCHOLOGY. The Elizabethan understanding of “mania,” or mental illness, was based on a theory of nature that dated back to ancient Rome. This theory divided the natural world into four elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Each of these elements...
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