Shakespeare, too? He who was well versed in astrological concepts to the degree that he would put astrological knowledge and belief into one of his strongest and most capable heroines, and astrological ignorance and disdain into one of his most scheming and reviled villains?
He put a great understanding of astrological principles in the mouth of Helena in All's Well That Ends Well. In this passage with Parolles, a retainer of her intended husband, she refers to him as being "born under a charitable star." When he replies that he was born when Mars was predominant, she retorts "when he was retrograde, I think, rather." By retrograde, Helena refers to the phenomenon of the apparent backward motion of Mars as seen from the Earth, which occurs approximately every two years. As someone who claims to be a great fighting man, Parolles would also claim to be born under a predominant Mars. But Helena, who knows him as a great liar and probably a coward, believes that he was born with Mars retrograde. A retrograde Mars could signify someone who is deceptive, cowardly and unable to take direct action when called upon. This fits Parolles like a glove. Here, Shakespeare is giving his heroine keen astrological insight.
Astrological ignorance is highlighted in King Lear when Shakespeare denigrates the character of Edmund by giving him an ill-informed diatribe against astrology early on in the play that then backfires on him.
From The Rubayyat of Omar Khayyam:
"A Hair perhaps divides the False and True--
Yes; and a single Alif were the clue--
Could you but find it--to the Treasure-house,
And peradventure to The Master too."
Best.
Moggy |
