Beliefs2

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During the time of Shakespeare and the rule of Elizabeth I, many of the most influential philosophers were at work, and some of their thoughts and writings, whether they were true or not, still affect us today. The Elizabethan age was a time of various new ideas and discoveries. Advancement was plainly seen in almost every field. People started to trust the new discoveries and assumptions more and more, and started to even live by some of them. By studying these, an endless amount can be found out about the thoughts and personalities of the people of the times. As a result of the times of change, many of these ideas and beliefs disagreed with each other, although many others were intertwined. A few of these concepts included the “The Elizabethan World Picture” and “The Great Chain of Being,” which expressed a major viewpoint of the world, and also some common folklore and superstitions. Many of the ideas that influenced these concepts came from everyday activities and places, like church. A couple of these areas were profound in discussion and debate throughout the Elizabethan Age, especially regarding “The Elizabethan World Picture” and “The Great Chain of Being.”=====

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“The Elizabethan World Picture” and “The Great Chain of Being” are both linked to one concept. First of all, “The Great Chain of Being” is the system of ordering the objects on Earth in heaven. It starts at the bottom with rocks. “The Great Chain of Being” tells that rocks only have the quality of existing. Any object a step above another has an additional attribute. For example, plants are right above rocks because they exist and they have life. It goes on to lay out the order of all things, and is similar to our food chain, and also has numerous religious ties because it orders angels and demons, and it helps set up a system of order. “The Elizabethan World Picture” is the general belief that “The Great Chain of Being” fits into, and also tells us that everything has its own place and meaning. Both of these concepts come from the belief of a natural order. This means that everything starts out in a certain place, and looks at the proof of perfection in nature. These beliefs had great effects on a lot of decisions along with some of the “Old Wives’ Tales” and superstitions of Elizabethan England.=====

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There were a variety of strong beliefs in folklore and superstitions that affected people’s actions during Elizabeth’s time. These ranged from ideas about witches and ghosts to the medical astrology. First of all, a majority of people believed in ghosts, although many believed a variety of ideas. Ghosts were supposedly seen, but most people believed that they could not hear them. Ghosts appeared in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Henry IV, where there are disputes about whether ghosts could really exist. Many of the populace believed that they could talk with ghosts; others said ghosts used to exist but now are not to be found on Earth. On the other hand, witches were made to seem as less far-off beings. Folklore painted them as blending in with society; many people believed that witches looked and acted the same as everyone else, and could be in any class. But, witches were supposed to have powers to harm and torment selected victims. Although there was widespread fear of witches, the number of convicted witches was kept to a minimum during Elizabeth’s reign. Elizabeth helped to avoid conflict over the belief of witchcraft, while James I encouraged trials against witches. Topics of folklore and superstition included more than physical beings, like witches, but also tell about astrology, among other topics.=====

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Astrology is a system of using the places of the stars to explain events that happen on Earth, such as the way people act. During the Shakespearean times, people vigorously believed in the ability of the stars to be able to predict important events, which was shown by Elizabeth I when she hired Dr. John Dee to use this system to choose the day for her coronation. People during this time period also saw many events as bad omens or signals. For example, they thought that an eclipse signified evil. Also, it was unlucky to possess a peacock feather, which was also thought to be evil. The modern superstition that it is bad luck to cross a black cat’s path came from this time period, because black was seen as a color of evil magic, and it was thought that a cat could be the devil. Other superstitions included that touching wood guards against bad luck, walking under a ladder would cause harm, and it is bad luck to put shoes on a table. With many stories and beliefs, there was a lot to worry about in the prosperity of the Elizabethan period.=====

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Elizabethans heard stories and folktales as they were passed down from their parents, and everyone knew about each notion. Some superstitions may have even been used to scare people out of an action. For example, it was considered bad luck to spill salt or pepper at the time when spices were extremely expensive. The superstitions did have widespread effects on people, as they avoided condemned actions. Even now, people avoid spilling salt for the same reasons. Also during the time, philosophers tried to explain and direct actions. They used “The Elizabethan World Picture” and “The Great Chain of Being” to highlight the order in nature and create a system for being. Some of these ideas are used to think about life in general, and the systems can even be seen in the food chain. Many revolutionary and new ideas and improved ways of thinking like these have their origins in the Elizabethan period. Many of these were so pivotal that they are still around today.===== **Works Cited** Alchin, Linda. "Elizabethan Superstitions." Elizabethan Era. Elizabethan Era, 16 Jul 2005. Web. 4 Apr 2010. .

Best, Michael. "The supernatural." Internet Shakespeare Editions. Internet Shakespeare Editions 2001, 01 Feb 1998. Web. 4 Apr 2010. .

Elizabethan Era,. "Elizabethan Astrology." Elizabethan Era. Elizabethan Era, 16 Jul 2005. Web. 4 Apr 2010. .

"Elizabeth I." WORLD BOOK E 6. 1st ed. 1 vols. Chicago,IL: a Scott Fetzer company, 2008. Print.

Peters, M.J. "Elizabeth I and the Elizabethan Period: a Brief Introduction." Elizabethan England. M.J. Peters, 01 Dec 1996. Web. 29 Mar 2010. .

Gray, Terry A. "Renaissance." Renaissance. Terry A. Gray, 21 Sep 2009. Web. 4 Apr 2010. .



Here are some links that deal with folklore and superstition in Elizabethan England.
 * 1) [|This is a website that has pages dedicated to different ideas, such as witches, ghosts, and more.]
 * 2) [|This website explains the basics of astrology as it was during Shakespeare's time.]
 * 3) [|Here is a site that tells about some common superstitions in Elizabethan England, and it also provides some context for them.]
 * 4) [|Here is a list of many superstitions from Elizabethan England; this site also includes some explanations and rationale].
 * 5) [|This site has an array of information regarding the Great Chain of Being and how it related to religion at the time.]