Agnes Nutter Character Analysis in Good Omens

Agnes Nutter is Anathema Device’s ancestor. A 17th-century witch, Agnes is the only person in all of human history who could see the future correctly. Thus, she published her book, The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, in the mid-1600s, just to receive her free copy from the publishers. In almost all ways, Agnes was ahead of her time: she advocated for jogging and a high-fiber diet, for instance. All of this put her on the radar of the Witchfinders’ Army, so in 1612, Agnes was burned at the stake by Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. In the moments before her death, she warned everyone in attendance to take note of what happens to people who meddle in things they don’t understand—and as the flames consumed her, the gunpowder and roofing nails hidden in her pockets blew up the village square and everyone in it. Agnes left behind her book of predictions, which her ancestors then dedicated their lives to decoding. This is no easy task: Agnes could, according to Anathema, see things like cars, electricity, and flying saucers. But since she had no idea what she was seeing, her predictions often make little sense. Indeed, many of her prophecies don’t make sense until after something has happened that aligns with something she wrote. After Armageddon fails to happen—something that Agnes seemingly predicted but that none of her descendants could figure out—Anathema is delivered Agnes’s second book of prophecy, which concerns life after Armageddon.

Agnes Nutter Quotes in Good Omens

The Good Omens quotes below are all either spoken by Agnes Nutter or refer to Agnes Nutter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“I’ll call him Dog,” said his master, positively. “It saves a lot of trouble, a name like that.”

The hell-hound paused. Deep in its diabolical canine brain it knew that something was wrong, but it was nothing if not obedient and its great sudden love of its master overcame all misgivings. Who was to say what size it should be, anyway?

It trotted down the slope to meet its destiny.

Strange, though. It had always wanted to jump up at people but, now, it realized that against all expectation it wanted to wag its tail at the same time.

Related Characters: Adam Young/The Antichrist (speaker), Wensleydale, Pepper, Brian, Agnes Nutter

Related Symbols: Dog (The Hell-Hound)

Page Number and Citation: 75

Explanation and Analysis:

As the Antichrist, Adam is supposed to receive a hell-hound for his 11th birthday. Though the hell-hound initially seeks out Adam in the form of a massive and terrifying dog, it shrinks in size when it hears Adam say that he wants a small dog. It then accepts its name, Dog—which is supposed to define its purpose in life. When Crowley and Aziraphale discussed the hell-hound prior to this, Crowley remarked that the Antichrist will likely name the dog something like Killer—and that if he does, all is lost. This is because giving the hell-hound an evil name will indicate Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus.

“Tye yt well,” she said to the astonished witchfinder. And then, as the villagers sidled toward the pyre, she raised her handsome head in the firelight and said, “Gather ye ryte close, goode people. Come close untyl the fire near scorch ye, for I charge ye that alle must see how thee last true wytch in England dies. For wytch I am, for soe I am judgéd, yette I knoe not what my true Cryme may be. And therefore let myne death be a messuage to the worlde. Gather ye ryte close, I saye, and marke well the fate of alle who meddle with such as theye do notte understande.”

And, apparently, she smiled and looked up at the sky over the village and added, “That goes for you as welle, yowe daft old foole.”

Related Characters: Agnes Nutter (speaker), God, Mr. Shadwell, Newton “Newt” Pulsifer

Page Number and Citation: 185

Explanation and Analysis:

This passage addresses the circumstances surrounding Agnes Nutter’s execution in the mid-1600s. Modern-day witch-finder Newt Pulsifer’s ancestor, Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer, burned her at the stake for the crime of being witchcraft. As a prophet—the only one to ever come up with entirely correct predictions—Agnes foretold her own death. So, in considering this passage, it’s important to keep in mind that Agnes knew exactly how her words and actions would impact people. In her address to the villagers, Agnes makes it clear that in her opinion, being a witch isn’t a crime that warrants being burned at the stake—and indeed, isn’t a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum. Omnis vel voluptatum. Assumenda officia maiores. Voluptatem sint velit. Quod quia sapiente. Cum sunt quo. Accusamus veritatis voluptatum. Rerum est et. Aut autem sit. Soluta dolor fuga. Debitis ut est. Inventore qui voluptas. Velit corporis saepe. Distinctio veritatis enim. Natus inventore perspiciatis. Eaque labore vel. Libero sunt eum. Est libero qu

“You see, it’s not enough to know what the future is. You have to know what it means. Agnes was like someone looking at a huge picture down a tiny little tube. She wrote down what seemed like good advice based on what she understood of the tiny little glimpses.”

Related Characters: Anathema Device (speaker), Agnes Nutter, Newton “Newt” Pulsifer

Page Number and Citation: 199

Explanation and Analysis:

Anathema is trying to explain to Newt how her ancestor Agnes Nutter’s prophecies work. Agnes, she explains, saw things but didn’t understand what she was seeing—so it’s not surprising that her predictions are vague and use language that makes little sense to those reading them hundreds of years later. Most important here is Anathema’s insistence that knowing what the future holds isn’t nearly as important as being able to interpret it. This is why Anathema and her family have spent the last several hundred years trying to make sense of all Agnes’s prophecies: Agnes’s work isn’t meaningful without the help Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque

1111. An the Great Hound sharl coom, and the Two Powers sharl watch in Vane, for it Goeth where is its Master, where they Wot Notte, and he sharl name it, True to Ittes Nature, and Hell sharl flee it.

Related Characters: Agnes Nutter (speaker), Newton “Newt” Pulsifer, Anathema Device, Adam Young/The Antichrist, Crowley/Crawly, Aziraphale, Warlock

Related Symbols: Dog (The Hell-Hound)

Page Number and Citation: 208

Explanation and Analysis:

Newt is flipping through some of Anathema’s notecards containing Agnes’s prophecies, and he comes across one that none of Anathema’s family members have been able to figure out. But readers, at this point, will be able to figure it out—a testament to the fact that different people will inevitably interpret prophecies differently, depending on the background information they bring to the table. Readers will likely recognize the “Great Hound” as the hell-hound, and the “Two Powers” as Aziraphale and Crowley—after all, they watched in vain as Warlock, whom they believed to be the Antichrist, didn’t receive a hell-hound for his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. S

Agnes Nutter Character Timeline in Good Omens

The timeline below shows where the character Agnes Nutter appears in Good Omens. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...a children’s book, and it has few pictures in it, aside from a woodcut of Agnes Nutter being burned at the stake. But Anathema likes to read about herself, so the... (full context)

...Bible was the publisher’s first great publishing disaster; their third was their decision to publish Agnes Nutter’s book of prophecies in 1655. It should’ve been a success, since everyone wanted prophetic... (full context)

...must be in The Book—but the book is unintelligible unless a person can think like Agnes, who’s a brilliant but crazed witch from the 17th century. Suddenly, with horror, Anathema realizes... (full context)

...realizes that she left it in the back of the men’s car. She’s sure that Agnes Nutter’s descendants are laughing at her. Anathema hopes that the men won’t know what The... (full context)

Anathema explains to Adam that the book is called The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. Back when the book was written, “nice” meant “precise.” She thinks of how... (full context)

People have spent centuries trying to make sense of Agnes Nutter’s prophecies. Anathema has, thus far, done the best, but none of those people were... (full context)

Meanwhile, Aziraphale sits with a stack of notes. He never met Agnes; she was too bright. Usually, Heaven and Hell are able to identify the “prophetic types”... (full context)

...potential witches. He might be interested to know that of the 39,000 women stabbed, only one—Agnes Nutter—said anything but “ow.” (full context)

One of the first entries in The Nice and Accurate Prophecies concerns Agnes’s death. She met the mob at the door, walked herself to the bonfire, and told... (full context)

Agnes left behind her book and a box, and instructions for how to deal with each.... (full context)

...He looks back at the card she gave him: on one side is one of Agnes’s nearly unintelligible predictions, and on the other side is Anathema’s translation. It predicts Newt’s car... (full context)

Anathema continues that Agnes was pretty good about predicting things relating to her descendants. Agnes thought of The Nice... (full context)

...on the flying saucer. Anathema has also heard about the aliens; she tells Newt that Agnes foretold all of this. She pulls out a card index and pushes a card toward... (full context)

While this is going on, Anathema patiently explains to Newt that Agnes didn’t see the future; she was remembering it, albeit poorly. Newt reminds himself to be... (full context)

...and reaching for each other as red, white, black, and pale approach. Newt jokes about Agnes wanting him and Anathema to get together, but privately, he feels weird. He hates Agnes... (full context)

...suggests that they do it again, but she says they’re only supposed to do it once—Agnes said so. She hands Newt a card. He reads it, blushes, and hands it back;... (full context)

Shadwell is dreaming that he’s watching Agnes walk to the pyre. She says something that Shadwell can’t hear to the crowd and... (full context)

...is stopped everywhere in London, so Crowley takes the opportunity to reread Aziraphale’s notes and Agnes Nutter’s prophecies. He concludes that Armageddon is happening in Tadfield, and there’s nothing he can... (full context)

...smoke as flames engulf it. Crowley fumbles for the Nice and Accurate Prophecies, wondering if Agnes predicted this. She did—she wrote that “the black chariot of the Serpent will flayme, and... (full context)

...fallen on the floor. But Newt insists that any card she picks up will be significant—Agnes will have predicted it, after all. He says that it’s more important to figure out... (full context)

...local lovers hang out. They get out, and she leads him to a fallen ash tree—Agnes was right. They walk past a guard and decide to wait around to see what... (full context)

Meanwhile, Newt stares at the electronics. Anathema suggests they consult Agnes’s prophecies, but Newt bitterly points out that a 17th-century witch won’t be much help. Anathema... (full context)

...hear more than most people and he hears a laugh—and for an instant, he sees Agnes Nutter in the smoke. She winks at him. (full context)

Agnes Nutter Character Analysis

Agnes Nutter Quotes in Good Omens

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Agnes Nutter Character Timeline in Good Omens