Biathanatos

work by Donne

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June 22, 2026

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Biathanatos is a work by John Donne, written around 1608. It is a treatise that explores the concept of suicide, presenting arguments for and against it. Donne's motivation for writing Biathanatos stemmed from his own contemplation of suicide, leading him to offer a "charitable interpretation" of those who choose to end their lives. The work is notable for its philosophical and theological examination of a sensitive subject, written in Donne's characteristic complex and intellectual style.1

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John Donne
Prose of John Donne
…casuistic defense of suicide entitled Biathanatos. His own contemplation of suicide, he states, prompted in him “a charitable interpretation of theyr Action, who dye so.” Donne’s Pseudo-Martyr, published in 1610, attacks the recusants’ unwillingness to swear the oath of allegiance to the king, which Roman Catholics were required to do…
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…casuistic defense of suicide entitled Biathanatos. His own contemplation of suicide, he states, prompted in him “a charitable interpretation of theyr Action, who dye so.” Donne’s Pseudo-Martyr, published in 1610, attacks the recusants’ unwillingness to swear the oath of allegiance to the king, which Roman Catholics were required to do…
Read More