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Bardolph’s rosacea: skin disorders that define personality in Shakespeare’s plays
CID-07362; No of Pages 4 Clinics in Dermatology (xxxx) xx, xxx
Clio Dermatologica Edited by Mauricio Goihman-Yahr, MD, PhD
Bardolph’s rosacea: skin disorders that define personality in Shakespeare’s plays Shahzeb Hassan, BA a , Taha Osman Mohammed, BS a , Leonard J Hoenig, MD b,⁎ a
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA Private Practice, Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA
b
Abstract Several popular Shakespearean characters are dramatically portrayed on stage with striking physical appearances caused by medical and dermatologic disorders. Shakespeare’s colorful portrayal of their maladies not only helps to entertain audiences but also serves to define the characters’ personalities and behavior. Shakespeare himself emphasizes this point in his play Richard III, in which the notorious English king states that his evil nature is a direct result of his hideous spinal deformity. This contribution discusses four other famous Shakespearean characters: Bardolph, who appears to be suffering from rosacea; the Witches of Macbeth, who have beards; Juliet, who has green sickness (chlorosis); and Falstaff, who is morbidly obese. In all of these cases, their skin disorders and medical maladies serve to highlight their underlying nature. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction The plays of William Shakespeare (Figure 1) can be enjoyed on many different levels, including from a medical perspective. His theatrical works often make reference to physicians, diseases, and treatments. Some of Shakespeare’s most notable characters are portrayed with striking medical features that serve not only to entertain audiences, but also to define the characters’ personalities and behavior. Probably the most famous example of this is Richard III, portrayed dramatically on stage as a hunchback, although a recent study of his skeleton showed that he suffered from scoliosis. Shakespeare correlates Richard III’s deformity with his evil nature. As Richard states in his own words: ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (L.J. Hoenig).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.07.021 0738-081X/© 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
“Then, since the heavens have shaped my body so,Let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it.”(Henry VI, Part 3, Act 5, Scene 6)1
Blaming his ugly appearance, Richard goes on to commit malicious acts throughout the play involving deception and murder. This contribution will explore how the appearances and medical disorders of four other Shakespearean characters help to reflect their personalities: Bardolph, the Witches of Macbeth, Juliet, and Falstaff.
Bardolph’s rosacea Bardolph appears in four plays by William Shakespeare: Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; Henry V; and The Merry Wives of Windsor. He is a thief and alcoholic who is continually mocked for his ugly facial appearance. The character’s
2
S. Hassan et al.
Fig. 1
The Chandos portrait of William Shakespeare circa 1610.
rosacea is suggested by Shakespeare’s repeated descriptions of the character’s red, grotesque nose, facial erythema, and pustules, associated with his alcoholism1: • Red nose: “Thou bearest the lantern in the poop, / but ’tis in the nose of thee.” (Falstaff to Bardolph, Henry IV, Part 1, Act 3, Scene 3)
• Facial erythema: “Ever since thou hast blushed extempore.” (Prince to Bardolph, Henry IV, Part 1, Act 2, Scene 4)
• Pustules: "His face is all bubukles and whelks, and knobs, and flames o’fire.”1 (Fluellen to the King, Henry V, Act 3, Scene 6) (A bubukle is a red pimple and a whelk is a pustule.) Bardolph’s inflamed facial features are symbolic of his hellish personality and Shakespeare repeatedly makes reference to this, as when Falstaff says to Bardolph, “I never see thy face but I think upon hell-fire” (Henry IV, Part 1, Act 3, Scene 3)".1
Rosacea, being a chronic, inflammatory disorder that presents with redness, telangiectasia, and pustules on the face, occurs in flares and mainly affects people with fair skin. Rosacea can be divided into erythematotelangiectatic, phymatous, papulopustular, and ocular types.2 Bardolph most likely has the phymatous subtype, which presents with thickened skin, pores, and rhinophyma (a bulbous, red nose). It has been suggested that Shakespeare may have had syphilis in mind when he described Bardolph’s facial dermatitis, as syphilis was widely present in England during the 16th century; however, in Henry IV Part 1, Act 2, Scene 4, Shakespeare also mentions that Bardolph has been chronically suffering from his facial redness for 18 years, which would be an unusual duration for secondary syphilis (which usually lasts less than 1 year). The English artist Henry Stacey Marks portrayed Bardolph in an 1853 painting (Figure 2) as a drunken man with a bulbous nose and a flushed, carbuncle-ridden face. In the portrait, Bardolph suffers from the phymatous subtype of rosacea, accompanied by rhinophyma. Throughout Shakespeare’s plays, Bardolph’s phymatous rosacea is constantly maligned by characters. This is exemplified in the portrait; the colors appear muted and melancholy. Bardolph is portrayed in a sorry state, with eyes that are barely open and a flushed red face, complemented by the red garb that he is wearing. The viewer’s eyes are immediately drawn to the empty wine tankard that Bardolph is haplessly staring down. There is also a visual analogy
F2
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Bardolph’s rosacea: skin disorders in Shakespeare
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Fig. 2 Portrait of Bardolph by Henry Stacy Marks. From “A Brush with Shakespeare: The Bard in Painting” (1985). Obtained from Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
for “drunken swine,” highlighted by the hog’s head resting on the chair on which Bardolph is sitting. The tavern’s name in Henry IV, Part 1 is “The Boar’s - Head Tavern in Eastcheap.” In addition to the implied alcoholism, the cards and dice may point to Bardolph’s possible gambling habits. This unflattering image of Bardolph, drunken with a rosacea-like nose, has contributed to a very negative stereotype that has developed over the years, suggesting that patients with rosacea are alcoholics. A study of 101 alcoholic patients, however, found only 2 persons with rosacea.3 Although alcohol intake does appear to raise the risk of incident of rosacea in women,4 many persons with rosacea are not alcoholics. Hopefully, the unfair misperception that a diagnosis of rosacea implies a diagnosis of alcoholism can be dispelled through ongoing public education about rosacea.
The Witches of Macbeth and their beards The Witches of Macbeth are described by Shakespeare as being “withered,” with chapped fingers and “skinny lips.” Most strikingly, they have beards, as noted by Banquo: “You should be women,And yet your beards forbid me to interpretThat you are so.”(Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3)1
The beards add to the supernatural aura of the Witches, because it is not the norm for women to be bearded. Also, the beards blur the sex of the women, adding to their ambiguity in the play. Are they good or bad? Are they truthful or not?
Juliet’s green sickness Shakespeare’s beloved Juliet suffers from green sickness (chlorosis), which was a common disorder during the 16th through 19th centuries that typically affected young, unmarried girls, causing a distinct green tinge to their skin. It was one of the clinical manifestations of iron deficiency. In Act 3, Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, becomes enraged and verbally abusive to his daughter because she refuses to marry Paris. He calls her a green sick piece of meat and pale faced, saying: “Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, you baggage!You tallow face!”1
Green sickness was known as the “disease of virgins.” This is alluded to by Romeo in Act 2, Scene 2, when he describes Diana, the moon goddess and patroness of virgins, as wearing a uniform that is “sick and green,” just like Juliet, who is a virgin. During the early 20th century, chlorosis disappeared as a
4
S. Hassan et al.
clinical feature of iron deficiency, probably because iron deficiency anemia was more readily diagnosed and treated with iron than in earlier times. Recently, the first case of chlorosis in 70 years was reported in a 9-year-old girl with a green complexion and an iron deficiency.5
Falstaff’s morbid obesity
“Why, you’re so fat, Sir John.”(Bardolph to Falstaff, Henry IV, Part 1, Act 3, Scene 3)1
Sir John Falstaff is one of Shakespeare’s most colorful characters, appearing in Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and The Merry Wives of Windsor. He is morbidly obese, which reflects his gluttony, enjoyment of worldly pleasures, and huge personality (which fills the stage). Today, we would medically evaluate Falstaff for the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome: a large waistline, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, hypertension, and high fasting blood sugar.
Conclusions William Shakespeare was a keen observer of medical ill-
ness, and he masterfully wove medical diseases into the
appearances of some of his most famous characters. It is almost impossible to imagine Richard III without his hunchback, Bardolph without his rosacea face, the Witches of Macbeth without their beards, Juliet without her green tinged skin, or Falstaff without his morbid obesity. These characters are still portrayed on stages all over the world and continue to delight audiences of all ages. They are all the more memorable and endearing, because they have physical appearances that reflect their underlying character and that derive from skin and medical disorders.
Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References 1. Shakespeare W, Lotherington J. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. New York: Race Point Publishing. 2014. 2. Mikkelsen CS, Holmgren HR, Kjellman P, et al. Rosacea: a clinical review. Dermatol Reports 2016;8:6387. 3. Parish LC, Fine E. Alcoholism and skin disease. Int J Dermatol 1985;24: 300-301. 4. Li S, Cho E, Drucker AM, et al. Alcohol intake and risk of rosacea in US women. J Am Acad Dermatol 2017;76:1061-1067.e2. 5. Perdahl-Wallace E, Schwartz RH. A girl with green complexion and iron deficiency: chlorosis revisited. Clin Pediatr 2006;45:187-189.
Clio Dermatologica Edited by Mauricio Goihman-Yahr, MD, PhD
Bardolph’s rosacea: skin disorders that define personality in Shakespeare’s plays Shahzeb Hassan, BA a , Taha Osman Mohammed, BS a , Leonard J Hoenig, MD b,⁎ a
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA Private Practice, Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA
b
Abstract Several popular Shakespearean characters are dramatically portrayed on stage with striking physical appearances caused by medical and dermatologic disorders. Shakespeare’s colorful portrayal of their maladies not only helps to entertain audiences but also serves to define the characters’ personalities and behavior. Shakespeare himself emphasizes this point in his play Richard III, in which the notorious English king states that his evil nature is a direct result of his hideous spinal deformity. This contribution discusses four other famous Shakespearean characters: Bardolph, who appears to be suffering from rosacea; the Witches of Macbeth, who have beards; Juliet, who has green sickness (chlorosis); and Falstaff, who is morbidly obese. In all of these cases, their skin disorders and medical maladies serve to highlight their underlying nature. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction The plays of William Shakespeare (Figure 1) can be enjoyed on many different levels, including from a medical perspective. His theatrical works often make reference to physicians, diseases, and treatments. Some of Shakespeare’s most notable characters are portrayed with striking medical features that serve not only to entertain audiences, but also to define the characters’ personalities and behavior. Probably the most famous example of this is Richard III, portrayed dramatically on stage as a hunchback, although a recent study of his skeleton showed that he suffered from scoliosis. Shakespeare correlates Richard III’s deformity with his evil nature. As Richard states in his own words: ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (L.J. Hoenig).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.07.021 0738-081X/© 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
“Then, since the heavens have shaped my body so,Let hell make crook'd my mind to answer it.”(Henry VI, Part 3, Act 5, Scene 6)1
Blaming his ugly appearance, Richard goes on to commit malicious acts throughout the play involving deception and murder. This contribution will explore how the appearances and medical disorders of four other Shakespearean characters help to reflect their personalities: Bardolph, the Witches of Macbeth, Juliet, and Falstaff.
Bardolph’s rosacea Bardolph appears in four plays by William Shakespeare: Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; Henry V; and The Merry Wives of Windsor. He is a thief and alcoholic who is continually mocked for his ugly facial appearance. The character’s
2
S. Hassan et al.
Fig. 1
The Chandos portrait of William Shakespeare circa 1610.
rosacea is suggested by Shakespeare’s repeated descriptions of the character’s red, grotesque nose, facial erythema, and pustules, associated with his alcoholism1: • Red nose: “Thou bearest the lantern in the poop, / but ’tis in the nose of thee.” (Falstaff to Bardolph, Henry IV, Part 1, Act 3, Scene 3)
• Facial erythema: “Ever since thou hast blushed extempore.” (Prince to Bardolph, Henry IV, Part 1, Act 2, Scene 4)
• Pustules: "His face is all bubukles and whelks, and knobs, and flames o’fire.”1 (Fluellen to the King, Henry V, Act 3, Scene 6) (A bubukle is a red pimple and a whelk is a pustule.) Bardolph’s inflamed facial features are symbolic of his hellish personality and Shakespeare repeatedly makes reference to this, as when Falstaff says to Bardolph, “I never see thy face but I think upon hell-fire” (Henry IV, Part 1, Act 3, Scene 3)".1
Rosacea, being a chronic, inflammatory disorder that presents with redness, telangiectasia, and pustules on the face, occurs in flares and mainly affects people with fair skin. Rosacea can be divided into erythematotelangiectatic, phymatous, papulopustular, and ocular types.2 Bardolph most likely has the phymatous subtype, which presents with thickened skin, pores, and rhinophyma (a bulbous, red nose). It has been suggested that Shakespeare may have had syphilis in mind when he described Bardolph’s facial dermatitis, as syphilis was widely present in England during the 16th century; however, in Henry IV Part 1, Act 2, Scene 4, Shakespeare also mentions that Bardolph has been chronically suffering from his facial redness for 18 years, which would be an unusual duration for secondary syphilis (which usually lasts less than 1 year). The English artist Henry Stacey Marks portrayed Bardolph in an 1853 painting (Figure 2) as a drunken man with a bulbous nose and a flushed, carbuncle-ridden face. In the portrait, Bardolph suffers from the phymatous subtype of rosacea, accompanied by rhinophyma. Throughout Shakespeare’s plays, Bardolph’s phymatous rosacea is constantly maligned by characters. This is exemplified in the portrait; the colors appear muted and melancholy. Bardolph is portrayed in a sorry state, with eyes that are barely open and a flushed red face, complemented by the red garb that he is wearing. The viewer’s eyes are immediately drawn to the empty wine tankard that Bardolph is haplessly staring down. There is also a visual analogy
F2
Q2
Bardolph’s rosacea: skin disorders in Shakespeare
3
Fig. 2 Portrait of Bardolph by Henry Stacy Marks. From “A Brush with Shakespeare: The Bard in Painting” (1985). Obtained from Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
for “drunken swine,” highlighted by the hog’s head resting on the chair on which Bardolph is sitting. The tavern’s name in Henry IV, Part 1 is “The Boar’s - Head Tavern in Eastcheap.” In addition to the implied alcoholism, the cards and dice may point to Bardolph’s possible gambling habits. This unflattering image of Bardolph, drunken with a rosacea-like nose, has contributed to a very negative stereotype that has developed over the years, suggesting that patients with rosacea are alcoholics. A study of 101 alcoholic patients, however, found only 2 persons with rosacea.3 Although alcohol intake does appear to raise the risk of incident of rosacea in women,4 many persons with rosacea are not alcoholics. Hopefully, the unfair misperception that a diagnosis of rosacea implies a diagnosis of alcoholism can be dispelled through ongoing public education about rosacea.
The Witches of Macbeth and their beards The Witches of Macbeth are described by Shakespeare as being “withered,” with chapped fingers and “skinny lips.” Most strikingly, they have beards, as noted by Banquo: “You should be women,And yet your beards forbid me to interpretThat you are so.”(Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3)1
The beards add to the supernatural aura of the Witches, because it is not the norm for women to be bearded. Also, the beards blur the sex of the women, adding to their ambiguity in the play. Are they good or bad? Are they truthful or not?
Juliet’s green sickness Shakespeare’s beloved Juliet suffers from green sickness (chlorosis), which was a common disorder during the 16th through 19th centuries that typically affected young, unmarried girls, causing a distinct green tinge to their skin. It was one of the clinical manifestations of iron deficiency. In Act 3, Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, becomes enraged and verbally abusive to his daughter because she refuses to marry Paris. He calls her a green sick piece of meat and pale faced, saying: “Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, you baggage!You tallow face!”1
Green sickness was known as the “disease of virgins.” This is alluded to by Romeo in Act 2, Scene 2, when he describes Diana, the moon goddess and patroness of virgins, as wearing a uniform that is “sick and green,” just like Juliet, who is a virgin. During the early 20th century, chlorosis disappeared as a
4
S. Hassan et al.
clinical feature of iron deficiency, probably because iron deficiency anemia was more readily diagnosed and treated with iron than in earlier times. Recently, the first case of chlorosis in 70 years was reported in a 9-year-old girl with a green complexion and an iron deficiency.5
Falstaff’s morbid obesity
“Why, you’re so fat, Sir John.”(Bardolph to Falstaff, Henry IV, Part 1, Act 3, Scene 3)1
Sir John Falstaff is one of Shakespeare’s most colorful characters, appearing in Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and The Merry Wives of Windsor. He is morbidly obese, which reflects his gluttony, enjoyment of worldly pleasures, and huge personality (which fills the stage). Today, we would medically evaluate Falstaff for the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome: a large waistline, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, hypertension, and high fasting blood sugar.
Conclusions William Shakespeare was a keen observer of medical ill-
ness, and he masterfully wove medical diseases into the
appearances of some of his most famous characters. It is almost impossible to imagine Richard III without his hunchback, Bardolph without his rosacea face, the Witches of Macbeth without their beards, Juliet without her green tinged skin, or Falstaff without his morbid obesity. These characters are still portrayed on stages all over the world and continue to delight audiences of all ages. They are all the more memorable and endearing, because they have physical appearances that reflect their underlying character and that derive from skin and medical disorders.
Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References 1. Shakespeare W, Lotherington J. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. New York: Race Point Publishing. 2014. 2. Mikkelsen CS, Holmgren HR, Kjellman P, et al. Rosacea: a clinical review. Dermatol Reports 2016;8:6387. 3. Parish LC, Fine E. Alcoholism and skin disease. Int J Dermatol 1985;24: 300-301. 4. Li S, Cho E, Drucker AM, et al. Alcohol intake and risk of rosacea in US women. J Am Acad Dermatol 2017;76:1061-1067.e2. 5. Perdahl-Wallace E, Schwartz RH. A girl with green complexion and iron deficiency: chlorosis revisited. Clin Pediatr 2006;45:187-189.