Bubonic Plague Dbq Analysis
The Plaque DBQ The Black Death also known as the Bubonic Plague and many other names, devastated European society by affecting its economy, social structure, government, and church in a series of outbreaks taking place years apart for over 300 years. When the Black Death began to surface for the first time people panicked and believed in supernatural reasons that had caused the plague but during the course of time different groups of people such as the state or government, the middle class, and the church either began to have a different attitude towards the plague like a rational or selfish point of view or they kept believing in supernatural beings that caused the plague. The Black Death first appeared in Europe in 1347 when 12 Genoese
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trading ships arrived at Messina, Sicily containing infected sailors. These sailors were extremely ill and had black boils all over there body, this is where the name of the Black Death was derived from. The Sicilian authorities soon ordered that these “death ships' be expelled before contamination but by then it was too late. The Plaque then began to spread throughout Western Europe. The Black Death spread infecting and killing millions in 3 different ways. The first way was spread by rats and fleas. Since many people in Europe lived in such unsanitary conditions rats and fleas were attracted to people's homes and then people would be infected through flea bites. This caused swollen lymph nodes, high fever, depression, and would kill a person in 5 days. The second ways the plague spread was from person to person contact when an infected person coughs on a healthy person. If this happened the person would begin to cough blood, have a massive fever, cough out pieces of their lungs, and have black boils all over their body. Basically the person would look as if they were already dead. The person would die in 3 days. The third way the disease spread was through both the first and second way. If a person was infected by both the first and second way they would experience no symptoms and appear perfectly healthy but would die overnight.
The Black Death affected Europe dramatically. Economically, for traders and merchants the Black Death ceased all transactions between countries because people wanted to limit the Black Death from spreading so one of the best things to do was shut down all ships traveling from country to country including trading and merchant ships. Europe's economy began to collapse. Socially, the peasants suffered the most. Since peasants lived in such close quarters and were not very hygienic the Black Death hit them the hardest while the rich who were able to afford leaving the cities were hardly affected because they were separated from the infected population. This affected Europe greatly because there were less and less peasants and serfs to do work for the nobility and middle class. The remaining peasants began to demand an increase in pay and better rights since there were only a few of them that survived they took advantage. Eventually this led to peasant rebellions all over Europe. The Black Death also affected the Catholic Church. People at first thought the Black Death was a punishment for sinners from God. But soon people saw how not only sinners but also non-sinners, bishops, and monks were being affected by the …show more content…
Plague. People began to lose faith in religion and in the Catholic Church. Some people began to find ways to atone for their sins such as the flagellants. The flagellants were were people whole would whip themselves in public in atonement for their sins. Although the church condemned them this movement was very popular in this time of crisis during the Black Death. The flagellants would wear white robes and whip themselves into a religious frenzy while carrying the cross in order to achieve salvation and fight against the Black Death. The Black Death affected not only the people but Europe as a whole. The Black Death mainly affected Europe economically, socially, and religiously. During the series of outbreaks of the Black Death during the 15th to 18th centuries the rich believed that irrational or supernatural forces such as God had created the plague to kill sinners which created great fear among themselves. According to a Schoolmaster in Deventer, Netherlands the plague which had killed twenty of his students had drove and kept many away (Doc 1). At the start of the plague students have been frightened so much by the plague that they have decided that it is safer to not go to school at all. The fear of the plague has driven them out and to believe that supernatural forces have caused the plague and killed the boys in their school. During this time around the mid 14th century when the plague was beginning to rise people would often avoid contact with others and stay isolated in fear of being infected. Another example is from a French author , Nicolas Versoris, who writes that while the rich of Paris left, the poor and who lived in large numbers remained (Doc 3). During the starting signs of the Black Plague the rich who were able to leave during the time of the Black Death left in fear of the plague. They didn't want to die of it and since the rich would often have no idea of the what the plague was capable of their fear of it would lead them to think of the plague being caused by irrational or supernatural forces. The author Nicolas was most likely rich himself, being an author and all, so he knew the fear that the nobility held during the time of the Black Death. But he also had the point of view towards the poor as all the nobility do so he is bias. He didn't care about the peasants just himself. According to Samuel Pepys, a English naval bureaucrat, nobody would buy a wig during these times in fear of infection and that the hair was taken from a dead of the Black Death (Doc 13). During this time nobility government officials and nobility would often wear wigs but in fear of the plague many stopped. The rich would not risk anything in fear of the supernatural Black Death. In fear of the supernatural forces the rich ran away from cities and took extra precautions by isolating themselves to prevent any sort of infection of the Black Death. Throughout all the breakouts of the Black Death the rich were not the only ones which believed in supernatural or irrational forces causing plague, some of the middle class also had this same type of attitude.
According to an Lisabetta Centenni, an Italian housewife, she had asked the church for help with her husband, which she believed had a malignant fever, and they sent a piece of bread said to have touched a saint and it cured her husband instantly (Doc 7). This Italian housewife was most likely very religious for her to ask the church for help. She probably had the belief that God had created the plague for sinners and when her husband had was believed to have the plague she asked the church for help. During those times people lost faith in the church but the church also gained money selling potion that supposedly cured the plague. Another example is a diary entry written by Nehemiah Wallington, an English Puritan, which stated that she had been meditating alone and thinking, what if the plague came to her home, who would she give up first of her family (Doc 8). Nehemiah, being a Puritan, was very religious and already believed in supernatural forces such as God even before the plague. Nehemiah most likely believed that the plagues was a punishment for sinners and was trying to decide who was the sinner in her home so that she would be left alone. She was biased because she was already religious and she was already believing in irrational and supernatural forces like
many others during the Black Death. A third example is Sir John Reresby, an English traveler, who wrote that although many had been discouraged to travel to Rome he and three others believed that God would protect them from the plague (Doc 12). Sir John Reresby like many others was willing to put his faith in supernatural forces to help him get through the plague. He most likely has had a past experience with God, enough to let home believe that he will be led to salvation in such dark times. When people, such as those in the middle class, could not think of a rational explanation for such a devastation like the Black Death they started to believe in supernatural forces while others already thought that from the start because of the religion. Approaching the end of the Black Death people such as scientists and priests, and even the state, couldn't explain the plague rationally so they turned to the only possibility left, God. According to a letter that Father Dragoni sent to the Health Magistracy of Florence, the Father had gone to two quarantined homes with compassion and charity to feed and manage the people in them as well as pay the gravediggers and guards (Doc 9). The Health Magistracy believed that instead of sending a doctor a priest would be better top fight the plague. The state began to believe in irrational reasons during the end of the plague rather than rational ones because there was nothing left. The priest probably also believes that God is responsible for the plague and is using it as a punishment for all sinners. The priest is biased since he has always believed in God as all mighty and powerful and with the capabilities to create such a disease. Another example is a print depicting Emperor Leopold and the "Plague Column," which he commissioned in gratitude for the end of the plague that gripped Vienna in the 1680's, Vienna, 1696 (Doc 15). During the end of the plague Emperor Leopold was just thankful to be alive and well. He believed that supernatural forces such as God had led him through the Black Death and out alive. To show that he had the “Plague Column” built depicting Holy Trinity, Holy Virgin, and Jesus Christ iconography. A third example is A Historical Relation of the Plague at Marseilles in the Year by M. Bertrand, a physician at Marseilles who writes that since he was not able to find a common or natural cause for the plague he would have to rely on the fact that the Black Death was caused by the almighty God (Doc 16). During the end of the plague many physicians were unable to find a rational explanation for the Black Death that they just simply gave up and gave in to supernatural reasons. Bertrand is being biased because in his point of view he gave up and since supernatural reasons were the only ones left to explain the plague he gave in. But other scientists may have continued to search for the rational reason. Reaching the final outbreaks of the Black Death and without an explanation why people turned toward supernatural and irrational explanations to explain something as devastating as the Black Death. While some had an irrational or supernatural attitude towards the plague many just had a sort of selfish or criminal attitude towards it such as many of the middle class throughout all of the breakouts of the plague. During the start of the plague people saw that they could use it to their advantage to inherit other people's money and assets. According to The Deceptions of Demons, written by a German physician named Johann Weyer, about 40 people smeared the gates at Casale in Western Lombardy with an ointment to spread the plague in order to infect others and so that the victim's heirs would receive their inheritances (Doc 4). During outbreaks of the plague when people knew that it was just a matter of time before they died, they decided to try to inherit as much as they can before their time runs out. During this time of the plague it was common for people to be greedy and selfish because all they could think about is what happens to them before they die. The Black Death was a great way to inherit money from others quickly. It was also common that people would often marry rich or successful people just to use the plague to kill them and then inherit all their money. As a physician, Johann is probably accustomed to dealing with cases of the Black Death including intentional contamination. Not only citizens do this but also nurses. According to a diary entry written by Miguel Parets, a Barcelona tanner, the demand of nurses rose and rose in Barcelona but all the nurses really did was make the infected people die quicker in order to collect their fees (Doc 11). Even nurses who were supposed to help people fight the Black Death had selfish intentions. Like many others, nurses would look for a way to benefit greatly from the plague. Miguel Parets as a tanner, someone who works with leather, Miguel is most likely middle class and possibly sees this as a criminal attitude towards the plague. Miguel probably believes that these nurses need to help others instead of just themselves. People such as those in the middle class had an selfish attitude towards the plague most likely because during that time rich people were safe while they could easily be infected at any time, so they looked for any way to benefit themselves. After the initial outbreaks of the Black Death the state and governments of Europe panicked but later realized they should act rationally to control the situation and prevent chaos and anarchy as much as possible. According to Heinrich von Staden, Count of the Palantinate, any house that infected people were put in or visited was quarantined up, any home they died in was where they were to be buried, people died of hunger in their own homes because they were quarantined, and throughout the country all rods and highways were guarded to enforce quarantine (Doc 5). The state has obviously taken control and started to quarantine areas to prevent and further contamination of the Black Death. During this time the state has witnessed what the Black Plague is capable of and wants it to end as soon as possible. Another example is the Motto of Giovan Filippo, Sicilian physician of Plaermo, where hes states that gold buys expenses to keep infected people in quarantined homes, gallows punish people who violate health regulations, and fire eliminates infected things (Doc 6). The state wants to prevent any further infections because of what they know the Black Death is capable of. The government will do what it takes to prevent any other outbreaks. The Black Death has already devastated Europe immensely and they don't want that to continue. A third example is from A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, where he states that the trading nations of Europe no longer wanted to trade with infected nations in fear of contamination (Docs 14). Once again state is taking action against the Black Death because of what they know it is capable of . They want to prevent any outbreaks from reoccurring so the government shuts down ports and trading, devastating the economy but preventing outbreaks of the plague. After the initial outbreaks of the Black Death the state took rational precautions because once the plague broke out they saw what it was capable of and thought of the welfare of the state, they couldn't risk any more outbreaks because it could devastate Europe even more. The state wasn't the only one who took a rational attitude towards the plague, humanist and scientists, part of the middle class, also took a rational attitude towards the plague after seeing what it was capable of after its first breakout. According to Erasmus of Rotterdam, the plague was caused by the filth, sputum, and dogs' urine all over England streets and homes (Doc 2). Erasmus was a Dutch Renaissance Humanist as well as a catholic priest and although he was a priest he did not let himself be overcome by irrational explanations like the church was. He like many other humanist and scientist believed that something as devastating as the Black Death had to have a rational explanation and solution. Another example is the Reform of Medicine, by H. de Rochas, a French physician who wrote that infected people would hang toads around their neck whose venom would draw out the poison of the plague (Doc 10). Physicians continued to look for a cure to the Black Death because after years of outbreaks they still continued to fear another. Although many methods and theories of the plague often failed scientist would continue to search for answers. They continued to believe in a rational reasons for the plague rather than give in to supernatural ones. Humanist and scientists during and after the first outbreaks of the plague has begun to believe that only a rational explanation was responsible for the plague, not a religious one. During the outbreaks of the Black Death occurring from the 15th to 18th century the people's attitude towards the plague have changed, many went from rational to irrational, while others just kept the same attitude regardless of any changes around them. At the first outbreaks of the plague people such as the rich, and some middle class believed that supernatural and irrational forces, such as God, had created the plague as a way to punish those sinners while the non-sinners or true believers were to be protected and saved. Reaching the end of the outbreaks of the plague even people of the state and scientists started to believe that supernatural forces were the causes for the plague because they had no other explanations. Some of the middle class believed that they could use the plague to their advantage and had a selfish or criminal type of attitude towards it. People would often use the plague to kill people and while it looks like a natural death their heirs would gain all their money and assets. People would often do this because as the rich were able to buy themselves out of the Black Death's reach they could not but they wanted to. During the start of the Black Death outbreaks the state as well as humanists and scientists believed that a devastating plague such as the Black Death had to have a rational explanation. They had a rational attitude towards the plague and took rational actions such as creating quarantines, searching for rational explanations for the plague instead of relying on supernatural ones, and not giving up even if a theory or explanation fails. Throughout the course of the Black Death during the 15th to 18 century, different groups of people such as the rich, the middle class including humanists and scientists, and the state had different attitudes like irrational or supernatural, rational, or even selfish ones at each different times of the plague.
trading ships arrived at Messina, Sicily containing infected sailors. These sailors were extremely ill and had black boils all over there body, this is where the name of the Black Death was derived from. The Sicilian authorities soon ordered that these “death ships' be expelled before contamination but by then it was too late. The Plaque then began to spread throughout Western Europe. The Black Death spread infecting and killing millions in 3 different ways. The first way was spread by rats and fleas. Since many people in Europe lived in such unsanitary conditions rats and fleas were attracted to people's homes and then people would be infected through flea bites. This caused swollen lymph nodes, high fever, depression, and would kill a person in 5 days. The second ways the plague spread was from person to person contact when an infected person coughs on a healthy person. If this happened the person would begin to cough blood, have a massive fever, cough out pieces of their lungs, and have black boils all over their body. Basically the person would look as if they were already dead. The person would die in 3 days. The third way the disease spread was through both the first and second way. If a person was infected by both the first and second way they would experience no symptoms and appear perfectly healthy but would die overnight.
The Black Death affected Europe dramatically. Economically, for traders and merchants the Black Death ceased all transactions between countries because people wanted to limit the Black Death from spreading so one of the best things to do was shut down all ships traveling from country to country including trading and merchant ships. Europe's economy began to collapse. Socially, the peasants suffered the most. Since peasants lived in such close quarters and were not very hygienic the Black Death hit them the hardest while the rich who were able to afford leaving the cities were hardly affected because they were separated from the infected population. This affected Europe greatly because there were less and less peasants and serfs to do work for the nobility and middle class. The remaining peasants began to demand an increase in pay and better rights since there were only a few of them that survived they took advantage. Eventually this led to peasant rebellions all over Europe. The Black Death also affected the Catholic Church. People at first thought the Black Death was a punishment for sinners from God. But soon people saw how not only sinners but also non-sinners, bishops, and monks were being affected by the …show more content…
Plague. People began to lose faith in religion and in the Catholic Church. Some people began to find ways to atone for their sins such as the flagellants. The flagellants were were people whole would whip themselves in public in atonement for their sins. Although the church condemned them this movement was very popular in this time of crisis during the Black Death. The flagellants would wear white robes and whip themselves into a religious frenzy while carrying the cross in order to achieve salvation and fight against the Black Death. The Black Death affected not only the people but Europe as a whole. The Black Death mainly affected Europe economically, socially, and religiously. During the series of outbreaks of the Black Death during the 15th to 18th centuries the rich believed that irrational or supernatural forces such as God had created the plague to kill sinners which created great fear among themselves. According to a Schoolmaster in Deventer, Netherlands the plague which had killed twenty of his students had drove and kept many away (Doc 1). At the start of the plague students have been frightened so much by the plague that they have decided that it is safer to not go to school at all. The fear of the plague has driven them out and to believe that supernatural forces have caused the plague and killed the boys in their school. During this time around the mid 14th century when the plague was beginning to rise people would often avoid contact with others and stay isolated in fear of being infected. Another example is from a French author , Nicolas Versoris, who writes that while the rich of Paris left, the poor and who lived in large numbers remained (Doc 3). During the starting signs of the Black Plague the rich who were able to leave during the time of the Black Death left in fear of the plague. They didn't want to die of it and since the rich would often have no idea of the what the plague was capable of their fear of it would lead them to think of the plague being caused by irrational or supernatural forces. The author Nicolas was most likely rich himself, being an author and all, so he knew the fear that the nobility held during the time of the Black Death. But he also had the point of view towards the poor as all the nobility do so he is bias. He didn't care about the peasants just himself. According to Samuel Pepys, a English naval bureaucrat, nobody would buy a wig during these times in fear of infection and that the hair was taken from a dead of the Black Death (Doc 13). During this time nobility government officials and nobility would often wear wigs but in fear of the plague many stopped. The rich would not risk anything in fear of the supernatural Black Death. In fear of the supernatural forces the rich ran away from cities and took extra precautions by isolating themselves to prevent any sort of infection of the Black Death. Throughout all the breakouts of the Black Death the rich were not the only ones which believed in supernatural or irrational forces causing plague, some of the middle class also had this same type of attitude.
According to an Lisabetta Centenni, an Italian housewife, she had asked the church for help with her husband, which she believed had a malignant fever, and they sent a piece of bread said to have touched a saint and it cured her husband instantly (Doc 7). This Italian housewife was most likely very religious for her to ask the church for help. She probably had the belief that God had created the plague for sinners and when her husband had was believed to have the plague she asked the church for help. During those times people lost faith in the church but the church also gained money selling potion that supposedly cured the plague. Another example is a diary entry written by Nehemiah Wallington, an English Puritan, which stated that she had been meditating alone and thinking, what if the plague came to her home, who would she give up first of her family (Doc 8). Nehemiah, being a Puritan, was very religious and already believed in supernatural forces such as God even before the plague. Nehemiah most likely believed that the plagues was a punishment for sinners and was trying to decide who was the sinner in her home so that she would be left alone. She was biased because she was already religious and she was already believing in irrational and supernatural forces like
many others during the Black Death. A third example is Sir John Reresby, an English traveler, who wrote that although many had been discouraged to travel to Rome he and three others believed that God would protect them from the plague (Doc 12). Sir John Reresby like many others was willing to put his faith in supernatural forces to help him get through the plague. He most likely has had a past experience with God, enough to let home believe that he will be led to salvation in such dark times. When people, such as those in the middle class, could not think of a rational explanation for such a devastation like the Black Death they started to believe in supernatural forces while others already thought that from the start because of the religion. Approaching the end of the Black Death people such as scientists and priests, and even the state, couldn't explain the plague rationally so they turned to the only possibility left, God. According to a letter that Father Dragoni sent to the Health Magistracy of Florence, the Father had gone to two quarantined homes with compassion and charity to feed and manage the people in them as well as pay the gravediggers and guards (Doc 9). The Health Magistracy believed that instead of sending a doctor a priest would be better top fight the plague. The state began to believe in irrational reasons during the end of the plague rather than rational ones because there was nothing left. The priest probably also believes that God is responsible for the plague and is using it as a punishment for all sinners. The priest is biased since he has always believed in God as all mighty and powerful and with the capabilities to create such a disease. Another example is a print depicting Emperor Leopold and the "Plague Column," which he commissioned in gratitude for the end of the plague that gripped Vienna in the 1680's, Vienna, 1696 (Doc 15). During the end of the plague Emperor Leopold was just thankful to be alive and well. He believed that supernatural forces such as God had led him through the Black Death and out alive. To show that he had the “Plague Column” built depicting Holy Trinity, Holy Virgin, and Jesus Christ iconography. A third example is A Historical Relation of the Plague at Marseilles in the Year by M. Bertrand, a physician at Marseilles who writes that since he was not able to find a common or natural cause for the plague he would have to rely on the fact that the Black Death was caused by the almighty God (Doc 16). During the end of the plague many physicians were unable to find a rational explanation for the Black Death that they just simply gave up and gave in to supernatural reasons. Bertrand is being biased because in his point of view he gave up and since supernatural reasons were the only ones left to explain the plague he gave in. But other scientists may have continued to search for the rational reason. Reaching the final outbreaks of the Black Death and without an explanation why people turned toward supernatural and irrational explanations to explain something as devastating as the Black Death. While some had an irrational or supernatural attitude towards the plague many just had a sort of selfish or criminal attitude towards it such as many of the middle class throughout all of the breakouts of the plague. During the start of the plague people saw that they could use it to their advantage to inherit other people's money and assets. According to The Deceptions of Demons, written by a German physician named Johann Weyer, about 40 people smeared the gates at Casale in Western Lombardy with an ointment to spread the plague in order to infect others and so that the victim's heirs would receive their inheritances (Doc 4). During outbreaks of the plague when people knew that it was just a matter of time before they died, they decided to try to inherit as much as they can before their time runs out. During this time of the plague it was common for people to be greedy and selfish because all they could think about is what happens to them before they die. The Black Death was a great way to inherit money from others quickly. It was also common that people would often marry rich or successful people just to use the plague to kill them and then inherit all their money. As a physician, Johann is probably accustomed to dealing with cases of the Black Death including intentional contamination. Not only citizens do this but also nurses. According to a diary entry written by Miguel Parets, a Barcelona tanner, the demand of nurses rose and rose in Barcelona but all the nurses really did was make the infected people die quicker in order to collect their fees (Doc 11). Even nurses who were supposed to help people fight the Black Death had selfish intentions. Like many others, nurses would look for a way to benefit greatly from the plague. Miguel Parets as a tanner, someone who works with leather, Miguel is most likely middle class and possibly sees this as a criminal attitude towards the plague. Miguel probably believes that these nurses need to help others instead of just themselves. People such as those in the middle class had an selfish attitude towards the plague most likely because during that time rich people were safe while they could easily be infected at any time, so they looked for any way to benefit themselves. After the initial outbreaks of the Black Death the state and governments of Europe panicked but later realized they should act rationally to control the situation and prevent chaos and anarchy as much as possible. According to Heinrich von Staden, Count of the Palantinate, any house that infected people were put in or visited was quarantined up, any home they died in was where they were to be buried, people died of hunger in their own homes because they were quarantined, and throughout the country all rods and highways were guarded to enforce quarantine (Doc 5). The state has obviously taken control and started to quarantine areas to prevent and further contamination of the Black Death. During this time the state has witnessed what the Black Plague is capable of and wants it to end as soon as possible. Another example is the Motto of Giovan Filippo, Sicilian physician of Plaermo, where hes states that gold buys expenses to keep infected people in quarantined homes, gallows punish people who violate health regulations, and fire eliminates infected things (Doc 6). The state wants to prevent any further infections because of what they know the Black Death is capable of. The government will do what it takes to prevent any other outbreaks. The Black Death has already devastated Europe immensely and they don't want that to continue. A third example is from A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, where he states that the trading nations of Europe no longer wanted to trade with infected nations in fear of contamination (Docs 14). Once again state is taking action against the Black Death because of what they know it is capable of . They want to prevent any outbreaks from reoccurring so the government shuts down ports and trading, devastating the economy but preventing outbreaks of the plague. After the initial outbreaks of the Black Death the state took rational precautions because once the plague broke out they saw what it was capable of and thought of the welfare of the state, they couldn't risk any more outbreaks because it could devastate Europe even more. The state wasn't the only one who took a rational attitude towards the plague, humanist and scientists, part of the middle class, also took a rational attitude towards the plague after seeing what it was capable of after its first breakout. According to Erasmus of Rotterdam, the plague was caused by the filth, sputum, and dogs' urine all over England streets and homes (Doc 2). Erasmus was a Dutch Renaissance Humanist as well as a catholic priest and although he was a priest he did not let himself be overcome by irrational explanations like the church was. He like many other humanist and scientist believed that something as devastating as the Black Death had to have a rational explanation and solution. Another example is the Reform of Medicine, by H. de Rochas, a French physician who wrote that infected people would hang toads around their neck whose venom would draw out the poison of the plague (Doc 10). Physicians continued to look for a cure to the Black Death because after years of outbreaks they still continued to fear another. Although many methods and theories of the plague often failed scientist would continue to search for answers. They continued to believe in a rational reasons for the plague rather than give in to supernatural ones. Humanist and scientists during and after the first outbreaks of the plague has begun to believe that only a rational explanation was responsible for the plague, not a religious one. During the outbreaks of the Black Death occurring from the 15th to 18th century the people's attitude towards the plague have changed, many went from rational to irrational, while others just kept the same attitude regardless of any changes around them. At the first outbreaks of the plague people such as the rich, and some middle class believed that supernatural and irrational forces, such as God, had created the plague as a way to punish those sinners while the non-sinners or true believers were to be protected and saved. Reaching the end of the outbreaks of the plague even people of the state and scientists started to believe that supernatural forces were the causes for the plague because they had no other explanations. Some of the middle class believed that they could use the plague to their advantage and had a selfish or criminal type of attitude towards it. People would often use the plague to kill people and while it looks like a natural death their heirs would gain all their money and assets. People would often do this because as the rich were able to buy themselves out of the Black Death's reach they could not but they wanted to. During the start of the Black Death outbreaks the state as well as humanists and scientists believed that a devastating plague such as the Black Death had to have a rational explanation. They had a rational attitude towards the plague and took rational actions such as creating quarantines, searching for rational explanations for the plague instead of relying on supernatural ones, and not giving up even if a theory or explanation fails. Throughout the course of the Black Death during the 15th to 18 century, different groups of people such as the rich, the middle class including humanists and scientists, and the state had different attitudes like irrational or supernatural, rational, or even selfish ones at each different times of the plague.