Shakespeare's Lungs.

[Cateran]

You will see immediately that this is a metaphor for a discussion on breathing and catching your breath. Ventilators, or rather the shortage of them, is on the corona virus agenda in the NHS just now. So this thread is an invitation to explore the use of breathing for all of us invalids on this forum, because it does not come easily to us, through literature, for a change. You could take a moment to think about your breathing as you read my sometimes longish sentences, to catch your breath so to speak

Back to the Bard: the nurse in Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, scene 5) asks Juliet: "How art thou out of breath when thou hast breath

To say to me that thou art out of breath?" So, are your lungs up to the task of breathing without ventilation? Can you breath normally, whatever that means for us lung buddies, when the daily grind gets us down with anxiety and worry? I sometimes wonder, did Shakespeare himself have a form of bronchiectasis in the Renaissance, an earlier version of breathing difficulties, because he returns frequently to breathing in his plays?

[Hidden]

An interesting thought Cateran for MY part, my husband is always telling me off for not breathing deeply. Easy for him to say. 🙄

[Kristicats]

I can only assume his obsession Re breathing was in his mind as he lived throughout the pneumonic plague era ?

[Hidden in reply to Kristicats]

which one?

[Corin1950]

An interesting thought, Cateran but hard to say as the life expectancy

Shakespeare's time was so low.

“people's lives were often short. As many as one-half of the children born never lived beyond fifteen years and, thus, never reached adulthood. Also, the average lifespan of an adult was only thirty years. These short lifespans were due to the limited medical knowledge.”

Take care

Corin

X

[Cateran in reply to Corin1950]

Good point Corin, and there is a myth that Shakespeare actually died on his birthday at the age of 52.

[Badbessie]

From reading of the history of this time period chest conditions were very common even among the richer elements of society. The damp conditions, poor diet and lack of hygiene was a bugs delight. Chronic bronchial conditions were common as well as deficiency problems. I can imagine that breathing could be a common subject in conversation.

[skischool]

‘We have seen better days.’

(Timon of Athens Act 4, Scene 2)

Think he wrote this one just before his last pulmonary function test? x

[Cateran in reply to skischool]

Nice one skis.