The Latin term scala naturae translates to a “ladder/stairway”, from this term the “the Great Chain of being is derived. The Great chain of being, also called the Chain of being was a significant concept during the Elizabethan Period which denoted that all animate and inanimate objects had a distinct position in the universe as they were divinely placed by God in a hierarchal order. Therefore, all animate and inanimate objects were ordered based on strict ranks. These ranks depended on the proportion of “spirit” and “matter” an animate or inanimate object possessed. If it contained more “matter” in comparison to “spirit” it have a low place in the hierarchal order. For example, rocks, metals, stones and the four elements (earth, fire, air, water) have more “matter” than “spirit” and remain at the bottom of the hierarchal order. Objects with more “spirit” in contrast to “matter” exist at the highest levels of the hierarchal order. For example, God, angels and Kings have more “spirit” than “matter” therefore exist toward the top of the hierarchal order.
If an animate or inanimate object were to alter the divine order by taking authority over or disobeying an object or creature who had a higher place than that object or creature in the divine order, that animate or inanimate object will be penalised with a punishment from God. These punishments varied depending on who from the hierarchal order had caused mischief. For example, if a daughter had disobeyed her father Elizabethan people would have believed that she will become sick. However, if a noble dethroned the king, then Elizabethan would believe that a natural disaster (hurricane, flood, etc) would occur.
The chain of being is a significant concept evident in the work of Shakespeare as he sincerely believed that all objects created by god had been placed in a divine order which cannot be broken. Many of Shakespeare’s plays such as Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Othello have the concept of the chain of being embedded in them.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
God’s laws told them that they were equal to the King. The archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls were freeman that could not be taken or imprisoned, outlawed or exiled or ruined unless by lawful judgments. General of injustice’s would cause the souls of them and the souls of their ancestors and successors to burn in all eternity.…
- 391 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
In William Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth”, one dominant moral is made clear to the audience, do not tempt fate, let nature take its course. Some of the ways that Shakespeare achieves this is through the development of conflicts in the plot and also through dialogue, vivid imagery and metaphors created by the atmosphere in the play. The characters develop in the early acts to identify the protagonist and antagonists to the audience. The characters contribute rhetoric that reveals the disturbing of Shakespeare’s theory of the Great Chain of Being, the natural course of order.…
- 257 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
William Shakespeare ‘permeates almost all aspects of our society,’ and speaks ‘to us through his plays’ by commenting ‘on his life and culture as well as our own’ (Sir George Williams University, 2000). This is no different in his acclaimed play Macbeth, which tells the story of nobleman Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth who plot and murder the king of Scotland in order to obtain the throne, exposing “human nature, ambition, evil, gender, human relationships, kingship,” (Sir George Williams University, 2000) and supernatural forces. The play explores the ideologies and cultural assumptions of witchcraft, gender roles, the great chain of being, divine…
- 2044 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
During the time of Shakespeare, Europe had become a more ordered place since the time of the Dark Ages. During this time, the lands were ruled by warlords and war raged constantly as various rulers with their own armies struggled for power. Europe emerged from this time period, due in large part to the divine right of kings theology. According to this doctrine, “ God bestows on kings the right to rule. As James I writes, kings “sit upon God his throne in the earth and have the count of their administration to give unto him” (par. 4). An uprising against the king, which James describes as “monstrous and unnatural,” is by extension an uprising against the will of God” (Labbe). Most Europeans at the turn of the first millenium were extremely religious therefore this made subjects much more willing to obey the king without questions. This aspect of the doctrine dramatically helped Europe to stabilize from its previous warring state because those who went against the king were also going against the will of God and therefore risking eternal damnation. Although this theology can easily be dismissed today as a naive invention in order to keep kings in power, it…
- 1684 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Upon the death of beloved Queen Elizabeth in England, her cousin James I was announced the new king of England. As a Catholic from the rival nation Scotland, King James I was inherently distrusted by his Anglican subjects, and his guarded, haughty personality only further decreased his popularity (Matthew). King James was also known for his strong belief in the Divine Right of Kings, in which the king is second only to God (Matthew). However, his greatest disadvantage was that he was previously Catholic; the English were never truly confident in his conversion to the Anglican Church (Matthew). Skeptical, they guessed that he was still loyal to Catholic beliefs, such as the Great Chain of Being. Ultimately religious dissent turned to outright rebellion with the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, fueling James’ paranoia (Matthew). At the same time, Shakespeare was busy writing his newest play “Macbeth” and sought to win the approval of the new, highly suspicious monarch (Macbeth). Throughout the play, Shakespeare demonstrates the consequences of disrupting the Great Chain of Being in order to follow the beliefs of King James I.…
- 1024 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Shakespeare’s plays were written in the Elizabethan era, which profoundly influenced his writing. During the Elizabethan time, there was the idea that God had set a place for everything in the universe, in hierarchical order. The Elizabethan’s called this, The Great Chain of Being. During this time if someone were to step out of his or her place in this divine line, it would not only be extremely uncommon but it would be sinful, inhuman. That power thirsty human would be succumbing to their inner animal, and therefore step down a rank on The Great Chain of Being. The Great Chain of Being influenced all beliefs throughout the Elizabethan era, and that is evident through Shakespeare’s writing. The symbols and motifs he used in his play King Lear, are undoubtedly connected to Elizabethan beliefs and views.…
- 1494 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Religious thinkers in the middle ages had upheld the idea of ‘the great chain of being’. This was a belief, held by many, that God had designed an orderly system for both nature and human kind. Everything had its place in the great chain of being, even rocks, which were at the bottom of the chain. It was considered a sin against god for anybody to try and alter their station in the chain. After death however, everything would be raised to heaven if they respected God’s will.…
- 519 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Shakespeare’s works are not limited to expressing the concerns and interests of a narrowly confined historical period. They have in them the…
- 3051 Words
- 13 Pages
Best Essays -
<br>A [kingdom] without order is a [kingdom] in chaos (Bartelby.com). In Shakespeare's tragic play, King Lear, the audience witnesses to the devastation of a great kingdom. Disorder engulfs the land once Lear transfers his power to his daughters, but as the great American writer, A.C. Bradley said, "The ultimate power in the tragic world is a moral order" (Shakespearean Tragedy). By examining the concept of order versus disorder in the setting, plot, and the character King Lear, Bradley's idea of moral order is clearly demonstrated by the outcome of the play.…
- 1406 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
The Great Chain of Being is the concept that the order of the entire universe is under a very strict hierarchical system. The chain goes from god which represents perfection to the bottom level which are the minerals of the earth. Perhaps the most important thing to understand about this chain was that it was impossible for one to move from one level to the next. Wherever you stood in this chain is where you stood for the rest of your life. The way that each object is ranked in this chain was based on relative importance. For example, minerals are on the bottom of the chain because they solely exist. They are not living and cannot move. The next rank up would be that of plants. Plants possess both life and existence. Next would be beast, which is living, has the ability to move, and also possess appetite. Man is a special instance in this conception. He is both mortal flesh, and also spirit. In this paradox, the struggle between flesh and spirit becomes a moral one. The way of the spirit is higher, it brings one closer to God. The desires of the flesh drag one down. The Christian fall of the devil is especially terrible, because that angel is wholly spirit, who yet defies God, the ultimate perfection.…
- 1109 Words
- 5 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
2. Discuss the difference between the place of the human being in the great chain of being and in…
- 250 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Henry V is displayed as an honest and noble character. Shakespeare explores this nature of integrity clearly by displaying the audience with Henry’s innermost thoughts in addition to presenting him with situations, which test his virtue. Shakespeare continually contrasts the Dauphin with Henry and therefore effectively brings to the audience’s attention the admirable characteristics of Henry. Throughout the play Henry puts the needs of his kingdom above his own which proves his patriotism and shows that he possesses the qualities of a good King. This in turn relates to the chain of being because every time he gives an order he refers to God and Henry’s people refer to him. Through the use of literary devices such as soliloquies, juxtapositions, motifs and the strong use of central themes Shakespeare emphasises the integrity of Henry V.…
- 405 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" is an ominous tale that illustrates the danger in violating the Great Chain of Being, the hierarchy of things in God's ordered universe. The Chain ranked all of creation and human society as well. It ranked kings above nobles and nobles above the poor. When Macbeth murdered King Duncan and assumed the throne, the Chain was violated... chaos resulted. The atmosphere of the play symbolized this resulting turmoil. Specifically, light and shadow were used to exemplify the unnatural chaos and ominous tone of the work. This essay will explore the role of light and the role of darkness as it relates to the chaos resulting from the violation of the Great Chain of Being.…
- 584 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
When given too much power, people tend to abuse that power, such as in Antigone, when the new king, Creon, is in power, he abuses his power by punishing someone who did not commit a crime. Creon creates an edict as the new King that contradicts or opposes the laws of the gods, meaning that he thinks that the has more power than the gods. This is a complete abuse of power, no one, not even the King, should put his laws or beliefs on top of the power of the gods. Creon is taking advantage of his leadership position.…
- 350 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
A myth is a traditional story focused on explaining natural or social phenomena and often involving the supernatural. A Creation Myth is much like a Myth but differs because a Creation Myth explains the origins of earth and life on earth. Characteristics of creation myths and myths usually include no scientific description of any kind regarding the creation and destruction of the world, There is no definite place or dimension for their gods to live in, but some vague imaginations, and their gods have never been visualized in actual life because they are just the fictional stories of primitive minds. The characteristics of “The Golden Chain” that make it a creation myth include the presence of a supreme being Olorun and a sky-world because most cultures believe that life…
- 500 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays