Suicide in Shakespeare's time was a paradoxical issue. On one hand, it carried the medieval Christian associations of shame and despair, yet, on the other hand, it was seen as a noble and courageous act in the growing Renaissance tradition of secular, gentlemanly honor. The motto, "death before dishonor," was at the heart of the courtly ideals which many Renaissance humanistsderived from classical sources. Both Donne and Montaigne defend suicide (under certain circumstances) in their writings.
