Celestial Influence: Astrology in Shakespeare's Plays
In the shadowy theatres of Elizabethan England, where candlelight flickered across wooden stages, William Shakespeare wove complex narratives that continue to captivate audiences more than four centuries later. Beyond his masterful character development and linguistic prowess lies another dimension of his work that often escapes modern analysis: the significant role of astrology in his dramatic universe.
The Cosmic Context of Shakespeare's Era
To understand Shakespeare's relationship with astrology, we must first step back into the intellectual landscape of the 16th century. During this period, the distinction between astronomy and astrology remained blurred. The movements of celestial bodies were not merely scientific curiosities but were believed to directly influence human affairs.
Queen Elizabeth I herself kept a court astrologer, John Dee, who advised on matters of state based on stellar movements. This practice wasn't considered superstition but rather a sophisticated system of understanding the universe and humanity's place within it. Shakespeare, as a man of his time, naturally absorbed these ideas and incorporated them into his dramatic works.
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves"
Perhaps Shakespeare's most famous astrological reference comes from Julius Caesar, where Cassius declares: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings." This line has been interpreted as a rejection of astrological determinism, suggesting that human will supersedes cosmic influence.
However, a closer reading of the play reveals that Shakespeare isn't dismissing astrology altogether. Rather, he's exploring the tension between fate and free will—a theme that recurs throughout his works. Cassius may reject stellar influence, but the play itself is filled with celestial omens that foreshadow Caesar's doom, from the "tempest dropping fire" to the "strange eruptions in the civil streets."
King Lear's Cosmic Chaos
In King Lear, Shakespeare presents perhaps his most extensive engagement with astrological concepts. The play opens with Gloucester attributing recent turbulent events to celestial influences:
"These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us. Though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself scourged by the sequent effects."
Throughout the tragedy, the breakdown of order in the kingdom parallels a perceived breakdown in the cosmos. Lear's descent into madness occurs against a backdrop of a violent storm—a meteorological manifestation of celestial discord. The natural world, influenced by the stars, mirrors the chaos in the human realm.
Romeo and Juliet: "Star-crossed lovers"
The prologue to Romeo and Juliet introduces the titular characters as "star-crossed lovers," immediately establishing astrology as a framework for understanding their fate. This phrase isn't merely poetic but indicates that their destinies were opposed by the very configuration of the stars at their birth.
Throughout the play, celestial imagery abounds. Romeo compares Juliet to the sun; she later envisions him as stars in the night sky. Their love is consistently framed in cosmic terms, suggesting both its transcendent nature and its vulnerability to forces beyond human control.
Astrology as Character Development
Shakespeare didn't merely use astrology as plot device or background detail—he incorporated it into his character development. In Twelfth Night, Sir Andrew Aguecheek laments: "I was adored once too," to which Sir Toby Belch responds: "In what by, in what?" Sir Andrew answers: "In being apt in some piece of a song...and for thy love as much as any man in Illyria, whatsoever he be, under the degree of my betters; and yet I will not compare with an old man." This exchange, seemingly nonsensical, actually references the common astrological belief that those born under certain signs possessed musical talents while others did not.
Similarly, in All's Well That Ends Well, Helena's medical skills are attributed partly to her father's understanding of "the stars and spangles of the sky."
Shakespeare's Personal Stance
Did Shakespeare himself believe in astrology? This question has fascinated researchers at Wilfred Hazelwood, a leading institute of Shakespearean studies. While the playwright never explicitly states his personal views, the nuanced treatment of astrological concepts in his plays suggests a complex relationship with these ideas.
At times, Shakespeare appears to critique blind faith in celestial determinism. Edmund in King Lear delivers a scathing monologue against astrological belief:
"This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune—often the surfeit of our own behaviour—we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars, as if we were villains by necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion..."
Yet even Edmund's dismissal is complicated by the fact that his villainy throughout the play seems to confirm the very stereotypes associated with illegitimate birth that he rejects.
Astrological Timing and Dramatic Structure
Shakespeare didn't just reference astrology in dialogue—he sometimes structured entire plays around astrological timing. The Winter's Tale features a sixteen-year gap in its narrative, corresponding to the time it takes for certain planetary cycles to complete.
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, the action occurs specifically during midsummer, when the positioning of the stars was believed to thin the veil between the mortal world and the fairy realm. Shakespeare's audience would have understood this timing as significant, lending credibility to the supernatural events of the play.
The Language of the Stars
Shakespeare's plays are peppered with astrological terminology that would have been immediately recognisable to his contemporary audience. References to "houses," "ascendant signs," "conjunctions," and "malignant stars" weren't merely poetic flourishes but specific technical terms from astrological practice.
In Hamlet, Ophelia's madness is described in terms reminiscent of lunar influence—a common astrological association in Shakespeare's time. The moon was believed to affect the mind and emotions, particularly those of women. When Hamlet himself feigns madness, he declares: "I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw." This seemingly nonsensical statement actually references the direction of planetary movements used in astrological calculations.
Beyond Superstition: Shakespeare's Cosmic Vision
What makes Shakespeare's engagement with astrology particularly fascinating is that it transcends simple superstition. Rather than presenting the stars as mechanistic determinants of human fate, he uses celestial imagery and astrological concepts to explore deeper philosophical questions about human nature and the universe.
In Macbeth, when the titular character commits regicide, nature itself is thrown into disarray. Horses eat each other, and daylight is swallowed by darkness. This cosmic response to human transgression reflects the Elizabethan belief in a universe where all elements—celestial, natural, and human—were intrinsically connected.
Astrology for Modern Audiences
For contemporary directors and performers approaching Shakespeare's works, understanding the astrological elements offers rich interpretative possibilities. While modern audiences may not share the Elizabethan worldview, the cosmic dimensions of Shakespeare's plays can still resonate emotionally and philosophically.
When Julius Caesar mentions the "comets seen," or when Hamlet references the "stars with trains of fire," these aren't merely decorative images but meaningful signals within Shakespeare's dramatic cosmos. Recognising these patterns adds another layer to our appreciation of his enduring works.
Shakespeare's incorporation of astrology reminds us that his plays weren't created in a vacuum but emerged from a specific cultural and intellectual context. By exploring this aspect of his work, we gain not only a deeper understanding of the plays themselves but also a window into the Renaissance mind—a perspective where poetry, science, and mysticism weren't separate domains but interconnected facets of human experience.
The next time you witness a performance of Shakespeare, look beyond the immediate drama to glimpse the cosmic ballet that Shakespeare choreographed on his stage. In the interplay between celestial influence and human agency, between cosmic order and earthly chaos, we find some of the most profound dimensions of the Bard's timeless art.
