Early Modern English Attitudes Toward Suicide
Part 1: Suicide during the time of Shakespeare was highly looked down upon because it was “a criminal against himself” (Jordan 212). Although this was the popular belief, this did not stop writers at this time from portraying it in their plays or writings because they either felt sympathetic towards people who committed suicide or condemned it no matter the situation.
Michael de Montaigne, a French writer, thought differently than his Christian peers when it came to suicide because he allowed for justification of suicide if it were the best solution if someone were living in fear constantly or expected a more severe death. The problem with de Montaigne’s claims was his exploration of ideas and not definite answers which created vagueness for his audience. Michael de Montaigne is the author of “A custom of the Isle of the Cea” which gives several explanations on the classical thoughts and beliefs at the time on suicide. The classical idea of suicide at the time meant that the person would have been the body being detached in several pieces, being emptied of our blood, and not given a proper burial (Montaigne 213). Suicide victims were treated so poorly after their deaths because the crime was thought as so egregious during this time period. He then transitions into his own beliefs of justification for suicide, for example, a woman who gets raped would not be shunned because she is living with grievances on her conscience or escaping a worse death is another excuse (Montaigne 214-215). John Sym was another English writer during the seventeenth century who justified suicide morally, but also believed it was wrong from a theological standpoint. Sym writes in “Life’s Preservation against Self-Killing” why killing oneself would be understandable if love does not turn out how the person intended or hoped for or if a person does not view their self-worth and is shameful of themselves (Sym 216). John Donne is another English writer who gives a different perspective on the idea of suicide. He is famous for quoting the Bible from several different passages to explain why suicide could occur. Self-preservation is looked at as the most important natural law, this idea of laying down one’s life for another person, martyrdom, goes along with this because we are self-preserving the best part of our body, the soul (Donne 217). Donne believes the idea of achieving a greater good through suicide shows our love for others. He also writes several examples from the Bible that condones suicide, but also finds several other counterarguments this with one of those being Jesus laying down his life for us as a martyr (Donne 218-219).
Part 2: Act 5, Scene 1, reflects early modern English attitudes toward suicide the best from Part 1. Ophelia is getting prepared for a proper Christian burial by two ‘clowns’, but she had just committed suicide by drowning herself in the river after she found out her father, Polonius, has died. The first clown questions why she is receiving a proper burial, saying “Is she to be buried in Christian burial, when she willingly seeks her own salvation” (V.i. 1-2). The two clowns are confused as to why because people who committed suicide at the time were not given proper burial and their bodies were even tampered with so they would not have them in the afterlife. The two clowns make jokes at her receiving a proper burial because they believe the only reason why is because she was of higher class. They begin to quote Scripture why people who kill themselves are not given proper burial, but Ophelia is given a grave that is stronger than the Church, saying “the gallows maker, for that frame outlives a thousand tenants” (V.i.40-41). Hamlet and Horatio then enter the graveyard to witness the clowns digging a proper grave for the unknown deceased. They both become suspicious of the burial when the clown will not say who the grave is for because the clown first says it is for himself, but they soon find out it is for a woman. The clown does not want Hamlet and Horatio to know Ophelia killed herself and she is receiving a proper Christian burial, but Hamlet was also in love with her.
There are two other examples from play that were contrary to how suicide was viewed at the time. Hamlet in Act 3 Scene 1 contemplates suicide himself because he has begun to go mad after his conversation with Ophelia. Hamlet begins to speak to himself, saying “to be, or not to be, that is the question” (III.i.56). This famous line from Hamlet begins to explain why people may consider killing themselves. Hamlet knows that suicide is considered a very serious crime because the Church professes only God can decide when we die and not us ourselves. Hamlet has these thoughts because he knows it would be easier if he just kills himself to be with his father, King Hamlet, and not to deal with the pain or suffering any longer. The other example comes at the end of the play, Act 5 Scene 2, when Horatio also wants to kill himself by drinking the poison because everyone else has died or is going to die, saying “never believe it, I am more an antique Roman than a Dane, Here’s yet some liquor left” (V.ii.325-327). Horatio was grieving at the sight of seeing everyone die, especially Hamlet, and wants to drink it so he will not have to suffer alone. Hamlet prevents Horatio from drinking it because he wants Horatio to stay alive to tell the story of what happened and for Hamlet to live on forever.
The proper Christian burial of Ophelia after she drowned herself, Hamlet’s contemplation of suicide, and Horatio’s attempt to drink the poison are all examples why people do or might commit suicide. People faced troubles and hardships they thought they could not overcome alone and believed suicide was their only way out of suffering. The idea towards suicide was beginning to change during the early English modern period and Hamlet brings reason to this.
Donne, John, Biathanatos: Suicide, William Shakespeare, edited Constance Jordan, Pearson, 2005, pp. 217-219.
Jordan, Constance, Hamlet: Suicide, William Shakespeare, New York, 2005, pp.212-219.
Montaigne, Michael De. A custom of the Isle of the Cea: Suicide, William Shakespeare, edited by Constance Jordan, Pearson, 2005, pp. 213-215.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Constance Jordan, Pearson 2005.
Sym, John, Life’s Preservation against Self-Killing: Suicide, William Shakespeare, edited by Constance Jordan, Pearson, 2005, pp. 215-216.