Elizabethan Flashcards
the most important of the continuities with the classical period
the great chain of being
what does the great chain of being say
everything in the universe has its place in a divinely planned hierarchical order
what does the order look like
vertical chain
what did an object’s place depend on
relative proportion of spirit and matter, more spirit was better
what is alchemy
belief that metals could be changed to gold by adding spirit
what are the two universal things
independence and orderliness
what doctrine demonstrated universal independence
correspondences, segments of the chain reflect each other
how did they view humans
microcosm (little world) that reflected the structure of the world as a whole( the macrocosm)
what is the earth made of
earth, wind, fire, water
what is the human made of
four humors reflecting 4 elements
what causes illness
an imbalance in the humors, they weren’t in proper proportion to each other
what does the hierarchical organization of mental faculties reflect
hierarchical organization of family, state, and forces of nature
what happens when order is present
reason rules emotions, king rules subjects, parent rules child, sun governs planets
disorder?
found in one realm causes disorder in all other realms
King Lear
family troubles means mental troubles and stormy nature
renaissance writers favor
order
why did writers write about disorder
growing frustration with hierarchy
the chain concept says
everything has a place and a purpose, and to do otherwise is to betray oneself
what is the human’s place
between beasts and angels
pica dela mirandola
showed frustration with the order, said philosophical contemplation could bring humans to the levels of angels, wrote dignity of man
going beyond
Christopher Marlowe’s character dr. Faustus, fear and fascination with human limits, wants to be beyond human and purely human