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"The spirit that I have seen
May be the devil, and the devil hath power
T' assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps,
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me."
- William shakespeare
The so called "treatments" for madness during the renaissance in England were punishments more than cures. This was due to the fact that madness was not understood as it is now. This can be seen in Shakespeare's Hamlet with the protagonist and various other characters experiencing madness and how they are treated.