In the 15 plays classified as tragedies, there are 13 definite and 8 possible suicides, ie, a total of 21 incidents for evaluation. Among the 13 overt suicides, at least 7 are depicted as being admirable under the circumstances at the time. Also, in various ways, 4 of these 13 were assisted, and at least 3 others contain an imitative element. Overall, the action of taking one’s life is presented in a neutral or even favorable light, and the audience is left with a mingling of pity and admiration for the victim, not reproach. —Larry R. Kirkland (“To End Itself By Death: Suicide in Shakespeare’s Tragedies,” Southern Medical Journal)
Just ploughing through a list of articles on Antony and Cleopatra. This one caught my eye.
Kirkland, Larry R., Southern Medical Journal, 00384348, Jul99, Vol. 92, Issue 7
We’re still Dr. and ABD for the moment.
Dennis, speaking of your wife, have both of you become the Drs. Jerz yet?
My wife pointed out that this is a biased sample, since Shakespeare knew that actors love performing death scenes, and that death by accident or by random murder is not nearly as dramatic as a suicide.
Cool! Although none of my areas are British Literature, I wonder if Kirkland uses Kenneth Burke at all, especially his book called A Rhetoric of Motives. I am reading it now for a graduate-level modern rhetoric course and he spends a great amount of time on death and killing as an action.