Hamnet

Agnes prepares Hamnet for his burial. With Mary’s assistance, she makes a winding sheet for him. As Judith cries over her twin, Agnes is heartbroken when she has to tell her that he will never come back.

The husband returns to Stratford surprised to see that Judith survived and Hamnet is dead. At the funeral, he bears his son’s weight and lowers him into the earth at his riverside grave.

The family is mired in grief, and Agnes is angry at her husband for not being present. Although he is devastated by the loss of his son, he wishes to return to the playhouse in London and his company. A perplexed Agnes insists that he stay and accuses him of being caught by “the place in your head”—the land of his imagination which is more real to him than any real-life place (240). He leaves them and says that he hopes to return before Christmas.

Beset by grief in her husband’s absence, Agnes neglects her routine chores and medicinal work. Her husband’s letters seem briefer and more slapdash, and he postpones his return by a year. He stays in London, as keeping busy with his playhouse enables him to temporarily forget their family

Unlock all 46 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,500+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App

+ Printable PDF

+ Literary AI Tools

Unlock Full Library