Hamnet Themes

Set in the late 16th century, Hamnet portrays life at a time when loss and grief were all too common. Agnes’s mother dies in childbirth; three of Mary’s children die in infancy and childhood. The midwife’s businesslike attitude toward the apparently stillborn Judith suggests the appallingly common nature of infant mortality. Deadly outbreaks of plague recur so frequently that Susanna counts on them to ensure at least one visit from her father…

From a young age, Agnes moves through the world knowing more or less how things will play out, as she has a gift that allows her to see a person’s future by touching their hand for just a moment. For instance, she knows that she loves the tutor almost immediately, and she knows which family members will have long, happy lives, and which will die young. Importantly, Agnes’s gift doesn’t necessarily spare her pain, but…

At it traces the story of Hamnet’s family before and after his death, the novel Hamnet considers a range of the most intimate human relationships: those between lovers, parents and children, and siblings. Despite its normal share of suffering—deaths, disagreements, and separations—enduring ties of love and affection bind Hamnet’s family together. The love of parents and grandparents teaches children how to make their way in the world. The sympathy and mutual understanding between siblings…

Deep in his grief over the loss of Hamnet, the father looks at Hamnet’s twin sister, Judith, and remembers a moment from their childhood. The twins ate apple slices in perfect unison, as if they were one child reflected in a mirror, or two sides of one creature. This image is but one of many in the book that plays with the idea of doubling and reflection, of one thing split into two…