Plague and Shakespeare
This essay was written for ENGL-230g: Shakespeare and His Times. The prompt asked the student to analyze a “keyword” throughout Shakespeare’s career. I chose the word “plague.”
The “plague” has a rich, long history that can be dated back to Bronze Age skeletons,1 but most infamously, to the Black Death in the 14th century, and its most recent uptick in mention, juxtaposed with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In the tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the word “plague” is used to contextualize the work in contrast with the infamous epidemics of plague ravaging England during the 1500s, but also to portray the anger of characters like Mercutio and his numerous curses with emotions ranging from playful banter in Act I to venomous vitriol as he dies in Act III. Comparably, in Shakespeare’s later historical tragedy Richard III, the former Queen Margaret refers to the plague in her rage-filled curses toward Richard and many others. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “plague” most likely has multiple origins, with borrowings from the Latin plāga and possibly the French plage.2 Since “plague” is both a noun and verb, the etymons and meanings for both parts of speech are very alike. First, one of the earliest instances of plague, or “divine affliction”, can be traced back to the Ten Plagues of Egypt in the book of Exodus. Next, the most infamous example of plague in history is the bubonic plague pandemic during the Middle Ages, or the continuing “pestilence” that ravaged Europe even through the 1500s, which was during Shakespeare’s lifespan. Finally, the plague’s outbreak in China in 1855 and its subsequent spread to the Americas is comparable to the recent coronavirus pandemic.
To begin, plague as a “divine affliction”3 originates from the book of Exodus, which is not historically accurate, but was able to perpetuate the mythical power of God and His will. The Ten Plagues occurred in Egypt because of the Israelites’ enslavement by the Pharaoh,4 and the Plagues were God’s “punishment”, which is another meaning of “plague”, derived from Middle High German plāge.5 In Act I of Romeo and Juliet (Rom.), Mercutio pokes fun and criticizes Romeo’s fickleness with love with a monologue about Queen Mab, a fairy who makes sleeping men’s dreams come true. Mercutio mentions, “Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues” (Rom., 1.4.75). In this monologue, he reveals a more sinister side to Queen Mab, who punishes women with sweet breath. Here, Mercutio’s use of “plague” means punishment, and although it is not divine punishment, it is from a higher entity. As Mercutio dies in Act III, he exclaims, “A plague a both your houses!” (Rom., 3.1.90). Even though Mercutio is Romeo’s friend, he curses the Montagues in conjunction with the Capulets because he was a victim of their long, unnecessary feud. Ultimately, he curses them to a horrible fate like dying from the plague, which was extremely uncomfortable and painful. Possibly, Mercutio’s curse can be defined as “to wound”, from the Spanish plaga, circa. 1130.6 Comparably, in Richard III (R3), the bitter Margaret curses Richard, Elizabeth, Dorset, Rivers, Grey, and more. By the end of the play, Margaret’s curse, which foreshadowed Richard’s fate, comes true. She tells Richard, “If heaven have any grievous plague in store / Exceeding those that I can wish upon thee, / O, let them keep it till thy sins be ripe, / And then hurl down their indignation” (R3, 1.3.217-220). Margaret calls upon the occult, which definitely is the opposite of “divine affliction”, to punish Richard. To conclude, plague as “divine affliction”7 and “punishment” stems from the book of Exodus and the plight of the Israelites and this biblical influence is obvious in the usage of “plague” in both Romeo and Juliet and Richard III.
To continue, by the 1300s, the bubonic plague, or “pestilence” from Old Icelandic plága,8 was responsible for more than 25 million deaths9 and is regarded as the most deadly pandemic in history, returning to Europe several times until the 1800s. During the Middle Ages, the powerful Catholic Church attributed the Black Death to people disobeying God’s will,10 and their best solution was to pray in order to resolve this “pestilence”. Conversely, because of the secularization movement during the Renaissance, Shakespeare’s usage of “plague” moves away from a punishment by God perspective to more just “punishment”. Today, the word “plague” is a somewhat dated term as most people associate it with the bubonic plague pandemics of the Middle Ages and beyond; however, with the recent coronavirus pandemic and the methods of quarantine portrayed in Romeo and Juliet, the word “plague” has returned to the forefront of many people’s minds. Romeo and Juliet was written early in Shakespeare’s career, in 1593, shortly after the epidemic’s outbreak in London. Shakespeare, born in 1564, was definitely familiar with the fatality of the plague, but also the way that the disease was contained. As a result, Romeo and Juliet’s fatal twist is also historically accurate to the real-life issues from quarantining during the 16th century. Elements of the plague’s historical impact are evident in Romeo and Juliet. For example, the play’s tragic shift arises from the miscommunication between Romeo and Juliet because of plague quarantine. Friar Lawrence gives a note to Friar John about Juliet’s fake death to deliver to Romeo, but Friar John is detained in Verona due to the plague; consequently, the note never reaches Romeo, who then finds Juliet “dead” so he drinks poison out of despair. In summary, Shakespeare utilizes his personal experience with the plague, or the “pestilence”, in London to further the tragic plot of Romeo and Juliet.
Lastly, the 1855 bubonic plague outbreak in China and its escalation into the Americas can be paralleled with the coronavirus pandemic in today’s world. Somewhat similar to the first confirmed case of coronavirus in December 2019 in Wuhan, China,11 the first case of the third plague pandemic originated in Yunnan Province, China, in 1855, where it spread to Taiwan.12 Later, the plague was transported by ship to North and South America by the early 1900s, where it was also spread by rats to San Francisco.13 Likewise, coronavirus spread quickly because of people traveling internationally and domestically, which is obviously easier to do today than it was during Shakespeare’s time. There are a couple parallels between the plague pandemic and the coronavirus pandemic; for instance, the use of quarantining and masks. In the 1300s, there were plague doctors that wore masks, albeit white beaks with sweet-smelling substances like roses to ward away pestilence, much like how doctors and the infected today wear surgical masks to prevent further spread of germs. In the earlier stages of the coronavirus pandemic, medical professionals wore hazmat suits to ensure full-body protection; likewise, for the same purpose, plague doctors wore wax gowns.14 The use of the word “plague” over time declined steadily from the 1800s,15 presumably when the smaller outbreaks of plague stopped, but has recently peaked with the coronavirus pandemic, as experts look back to the most infamous and deadly example of a pandemic to learn more about what we can do to continue our attempt to alleviate the pandemic’s impact on our global society.
All in all, Shakespeare’s real-life experience with the plague simultaneously inspired the plot obstacle of Romeo and Juliet and gave his characters in both Romeo and Juliet and Richard III vicious curses to spew at others. First, the word “plague” can mean “divine affliction”, which goes back to the Ten Plagues of Egypt detailed in the book of Exodus. Next, the most notorious instance of plague is the bubonic plague pandemic of the 14th century, which is where plague’s definition as “pestilence” becomes popularized. Lastly, the third plague pandemic in China in 1855 and its eventual spread to the Americas by the 1900s can be compared to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Ultimately, the word “plague” has a fascinating record, apparent in its etymology and the numerous outbreaks of disease throughout history.
Footnotes
Glatter, Kathryn A, and Paul Finkelman. “History of the Plague: An Ancient Pandemic for the Age of COVID-19.” The American Journal of Medicine vol. 134,2 (2021): 176-181. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.08.019.
“plague, n., Etymology”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, July 2023, <https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/6986043205>.
“plague, n., Etymology”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, July 2023, <https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/6986043205>.
Twinkl.com, 2023, www.twinkl.com/teaching-wiki/the-10-plagues-of-egypt-in-order#:~:text=It%20was%20in%20response%20to. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023.
“plague, n., Etymology”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, July 2023, <https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/6986043205>.
“plague, n., Etymology”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, July 2023, <https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/6986043205>.
“plague, n., Etymology”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, July 2023, <https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/6986043205>.
“plague, n., Etymology”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, July 2023, <https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/6986043205>.
Glatter, Kathryn A, and Paul Finkelman. “History of the Plague: An Ancient Pandemic for the Age of COVID-19.” The American Journal of Medicine vol. 134,2 (2021): 176-181. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.08.019.
Constitutional Rights Foundation. “Constitutional Rights Foundation.” Www.crf-Usa.org, 2010, www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-26-2-the-black-death-a-catastrophe-in-medieval-europe.html#:~:text=In%20Christian%20Europe%2C%20the%20Roman.
Spiteri, Gianfranco et al. “First cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020.” Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin vol. 25,9 (2020): 2000178. doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.9.2000178.
Glatter, Kathryn A, and Paul Finkelman. “History of the Plague: An Ancient Pandemic for the Age of COVID-19.” The American Journal of Medicine vol. 134,2 (2021): 176-181. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.08.019.
Glatter, Kathryn A, and Paul Finkelman. “History of the Plague: An Ancient Pandemic for the Age of COVID-19.” The American Journal of Medicine vol. 134,2 (2021): 176-181. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.08.019.
Glatter, Kathryn A, and Paul Finkelman. “History of the Plague: An Ancient Pandemic for the Age of COVID-19.” The American Journal of Medicine vol. 134,2 (2021): 176-181. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.08.019.
Menadue, Christopher. “Pandemics, Epidemics, Viruses, Plagues, and Disease: Comparative Frequency Analysis of a Cultural Pathology Reflected in Science Fiction Magazines from 1926 to 2015.” ResearchGate, Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2020, www.researchgate.net/publication/344429047_Pandemics_epidemics_viruses_plagues_and_disease_Comparative_frequency_analysis_of_a_cultural_pathology_reflected_in_science_fiction_magazines_from_1926_to_2015.
