Of Death
by
Sir Francis Bacon
(Summary)
Sir Francis Bacon has written the essay ‘Of
Death’ to end the fear of death from human minds. He says, that a person should
overpower the fear of death. He says, that monks and religious scholars have
exaggerated death, due to which it has become dreadful. He also mentions proverbs
of old philosophers.
Bacon
says, that people are afraid of death just like children afraid of the darkness,
because children listen stories of ghosts; elders tell them that ghosts appear
at night; therefore, they feel afraid of darkness. Similarly, agonies of death
are told to human beings due to which they fear from it. When a person thinks
about death, he imagines it from one of the two perspectives: religious and
natural. If he is thinking that death is a procedure to travel from one world
to the other and he would be punished because of his sins, then he is thinking
from a religious perspective. Conversely, a person may think from a natural
perspective; he may think that death is certain; it is the law of nature.
However, Bacon thinks that in case of natural death, fear is an act of
cowardliness.
Bacon
criticizes religious beliefs. Scholars have mixed religion with superstition. In
some books, it is mentioned that death is painful suffering. He then quotes an
example of squeezing a finger; “a man should think with himself what the pain
is if he has but his finger’s end pressed or tortured, and thereby imagine what
the pains of death are, when whole body is corrupted and dissolved”. According to
Sir Francis Bacon, death has been exaggerated due to which people are afraid of
death.
Bacon
refers to Roman Philosopher Seneca, who said that it is not the death but its
concept, which is fearful. When people put their feet in shoes of the person,
who is near to death, they become frightened; his groans, his face and his
convulsions increase the fear of people. Moreover, the dead body of near and
dear one also enhances the fear of people. Death itself is not as dreadful as
circumstances and funeral ceremonies are. Thus, it is not death but its
concept, which is horrible. Bacon believes that anyone can overpower the fear
of death. He should have the wish to do so. He can control his fear.
Bacon
gives a list of people, who do not afraid of death. They even deliberately
pursue death.
A
person who wants revenge has no fear of death. Even if he knows that his enemy
would kill him. He just wants revenge.
Passionate
lover can die for his beloved.
A
man of honor can die to protect his honor.
Downtrodden
man would prefer death to sufferings.
The Roman
Emperor, Otho committed suicide. His followers also killed themselves because
they were his true supporters. The author refers Seneca, who says that a person
may commit suicide if he is fed up from life. Due to boredom and feelings of
monotony, a person may kill himself.
Bacon
then mentions the people who do not afraid of death, even when it approaches
them and who remained calmed at the time of death.
Augustus
Caesar, the Roman Emperor was so calm that he gave a compliment to his wife.
Tiberius,
a Roman Emperor, died during maintaining up appearances. His death was
fearless.
Vespasian,
a Roman Emperor said, he was going to be a god and died.
Galba,
a Roman Emperor died gladly for the welfare of his people.
Septimius
Severus, a Roman Emperor was curious to die after realizing that death is
approaching him.
There
are many examples in the world, when people died gladly.
Sir
Francis Bacon supports the opinion of Juvenal, a Roman writer, who has said
that we should not afraid of death. It is natural; it is certain. When a person
came into the world, he bore pain; the same pain which the elders go through at
the time of death. Bacon does not support the concept of preparing for death, because
it increases the fear. A person, who remains busy in his works and suddenly
dies, suffers less pain as compared to a person, who prepares for it. A person
should concentrate on doing good deeds; if he does so, he would suffer less
pain at the time of death.
Bacon
quotes an example of Simeon, who wished to see Christ and when he achieved his
goal of seeing Christ, he happily died. Thus, everyone has goals in this world.
If a person achieves them, he can gladly die.
Bacon
also mentions the benefits of death:
The
first benefit of death is that people glorify good deeds of the dead. However,
in his life, fewer people talk about his good deeds. The second benefit of
death is that when a person dies, his enemies do not feel jealous for him.
Sir
Francis Bacon encourages his readers to accept death as a law of nature.
Instead of being cowards and running away from death, we should become brave
and feel its beauty. The essay is highly optimistic, as death has been
presented as a natural thing.
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