THE CHAIN OF BEING - THE
CORRESPONDENCES
Tudors inherited from the Middle Ages a series of beliefs on the order
and stability of the world. It was represented in three forms: a chain, a
series of corresponding planes and a cosmic dance.
The chain started from God and
finished with the lowest of the inanimate things. At first there was the
lifeless class, vegetative world, animals or men followed. The men were
different from animals class because could use the reason. Then there were the
angels linked to the men by the reason but freed from lower faculties. The
Elizabethans were interested in human nature, in the contrast between passion
and understanding. This view of world was vertical, instead the second view of
world consisted of a series of horizontal planes, one below another in order of
dignity but connected each other. These planets were the angelic plane, the
universe, the State, the man, the other creatures. The third view, the cosmic dance, implied the concept that
the universe danced to the music. The world was divided in levels. Each level
was characterized by a sense of harmony. The angels danced to the dance of
heaven, the stars and the planets danced to the dance of their levels and the
earthly creatures reproduce the planetary dance. All the universe was governed
by the God's will and nature was this meas. The social hierarchy of a State was
a product of the nature so the sovereign was the only chief of the "body
politic".
The concepts, connected with the medieval world, were aimed to tame the turbulent
world of that period. It was characterized by geographic discoveries, the rise
of middle classes, the political disorder and religious conflicts. Then
Copernicus created a new model of universe with the Sun at the centre of the
universe and all the planets driving around it. So there was the rise of a
sense of doubt and ambiguity originated from the contrast between old and new
ideas. The ideal of self- development was favoured by the new condition.
Development signified that each man acted alone in first person.
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