The plague: history, causes, and societal impact

Plague was probably one of the most devastating events in the history of mankind and this is reflected by the high number of victims that it caused and the economic and social harm that it provoked. Almost all of the world was exposed to the 'Black Death' and it was virtually impossible for individuals to avoid interacting with people suffering from it. In addition to the number of deaths that it caused, the plague also inflicted great damage on economies and politics. It took more than a century and a half for some countries to recover from the horrible condition that they were in.

There are many skeptics who believe that society has exaggerated reports concerning the damage caused by the plague with the purpose of emphasizing the gravity of the event. Even with this, it is practically impossible for someone to ignore the malady's effects and the fact that it was likely to be one of the most horrible events that human has ever experienced. People suffered not only because of the fact that they experienced the disease from a firsthand perspective or because they lost someone that was close to them, as they also suffered because they lived during the scanty years following the plague.

The disease manifested itself in three different ways: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. Individuals who contracted it suffered greatly as a result of its symptoms and most experienced death, considering that the world of medicine was particularly faulty at the time and it was almost impossible for doctors to do something in order to stop the disease from progressing.

The plague did not only inflict physical damage into the communities where it spread, as it also left individuals who saw these events from a firsthand perspective with significant distress. It was especially traumatizing for them to see close-ones as they were hurled in wagons and buried extremely fast.

The fact that many of those infected with the malady held high positions made it difficult for their communities to continue to function effectively. Also, thieves did not hesitate to rob individuals who were too sick to defend themselves and their property. Conditions in Europe were particularly critical, considering that almost half of the population in some large cities died as a result of the disease. This makes it possible for one to understand the economic and social consequences of the malady.

Some influential figures from across the world tried to come up with diverse solutions meant to stop the disease from affecting even more individuals and communities. They attempted to devise strategies that they believe would control the malady, but little to no methods actually experienced any success. In some cases strategies actually proved to provoke even more harm and individuals were forced to take on harsher attitudes concerning the disease.

Conditions in England and Scotland were critical, considering that the two countries were at war and were suffering as a result of the fact that the plague was spreading at the same time. The economic crisis experienced by these two countries consequent to these events was one of the worst in the history of the world. Society and the economy have experienced much change during the period and one of the most intriguing concepts that happened consequent to the plague was the fact that the church's power dropped significantly. It is very probable that this happened because people were starting to lose interest in supporting the church. Prayers and great religious efforts were unsuccessful in removing the plague and thus influenced many in believing that it was pointless for them to be religious as long as they did not experience any benefits out of the enterprise.

The fact that the world was experiencing great progress during the 14th century made matters even worse as people went from success to disaster in a matter of years. The plague was a large biomedical catastrophe and it actually halted the progress of intellectual and scientific work for more than a century. Individuals also started to express less happiness consequent to the disease, as they had become acquainted with the harmful effects caused by a seemingly unimportant bacteria and no longer felt that society provided them with everything they needed in order to be happy.