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Definition of Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved directly or indirectly, by making... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the... read full definition
Key Examples in Hamnet
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—For the Rest of Her Life:
O'Farrell's use of foreshadowing often arises through fleeting, sensory unease. In one early passage, she writes:
Later, and for the rest of her life, she will think that if she had left there and then, if she had gathered her bags, her plants, her honey, and taken the path home, if she had heeded her abrupt, nameless unease, she might have changed what happened next.
Related Themes:
Chapter 12
Explanation and Analysis—A Vision Foretold:
O'Farrell uses foreshadowing throughout Hamnet to weave a sense of inevitability into the story's rhythm. Early in the novel, Agnes experiences a moment of "foreknowledge" that shapes the reader's understanding of every future scene involving her children:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Agnes has always known how many children she will have. She has foreknowledge of this: she knows there will be two children of hers standing at the bed where she dies.
Related Themes:
