Comparing Novum Organum And Idols Of The Cave

Everyone has something they worship above all else. Something that is held in high esteem that it can blind one from the truth; sadly these idols will ultimately lead people awry if they do not realize their error. In Francis Bacon’s “Novum Organum,” he explains how there are four idols that people can possibly fall victim to, the “Idols of the Tribe,” “Idols of the Cave” “Idols of the Marketplace,” and “Idols of the Theatre.” The “Idols of the Tribe,” is a part of human nature and it can prevent people perceiving the world as is. The “Idols of the Cave” applies to the individual and how one’s own teachings or nature prevents one from looking certain concepts. People who also interpret words differently stops one from understanding the other

Though, by marrying the Duchess Antonio status does rise, that goes over Ferdinand’s mind. He is so angry at his sister that he says he “might toss her palace ‘bout her ears, Root up her goodly forests. Blast her meads (1597)” as revenge for her destroying their noble blood. Because for Ferdinand, the Duchess is not really free. Though she is a widowed and has a high status means nothing to Ferdinand, in his mind “that body of hers... was more worth than that which thou wouldst comfort, called a soul (1620).” This quote means that the Duchess is not free and that she is only there as a container for his bloodline, and that she must keep it pure at all times. In Ferdinand’s mind his sister’s body is his body, she is a reflection of him and his wishes, and she must follow in accordance to that. However, she goes against it, which is why he orders Bosola to kill her for the disgrace she has brought upon the

. His feelings of wanting to control his sister, anger towards her for disobeying his command, and sadness at her death where so prevalent that it blinded him to the fact that he was one of the reasons that the Duchess had been killed. In addition, Bacon’s “Idols of the Cave,” which explains that an individual’s own teachings or beliefs stops them from being able to conceive the truth, and for Ferdinand it’s his belief social status and blood purity. Ferdinand believes these notions is for one the time, the play takes place in Italy during the sixteen-hundreds, thus women didn’t have a lot of rights in terms of what they could and could not do. And though the Duchess was as close to being a free woman with no restrictions, her brother still held the ideal that she is still under his domain. There is also, some hints of incestuous feelings towards the Duchess obsession with her body and her marrying because he sees her body as his and wants that to remain