The conspiracy of sighers: use and abuse of “melancoly” in the XVIII and XIX centuries

Abstract

This article explores the development of melancholy in the XVIII and XIX centuries, trying to draw up the historic, philosophical and literary relationships–and at a lesser extent–medical relationships, which allowed to associate them with a conspicuous characteristic of sensitivity peculiar to certain “privileged” persons. Likewise, this article tries to point out the new semantic fields conquered by the word “melancholy” from the beginning of the XVIII century.