The acclaimed new film Hamnet, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s eloquent 2020 novel, offers a poignant and imaginative exploration of William Shakespeare’s domestic life and the soul-crushing loss of his young son. In this telling, Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, is a gifted herbalist with an almost supernatural ability to sense the future. However, she is powerless to save her son, Hamnet, from the plague—a tragedy that is depicted as the catalyst for one of literature’s greatest plays, Hamlet.
This powerful story is spun from the barest of historical facts, filling the void left by centuries of scholarly research. As a work of inspired imagination, the screenplay, co-written by O’Farrell and director Chloé Zhao, cannot be said to distort history, as very little is actually known about the Shakespeare family’s private life.
The verifiable record is sparse, leaving far more questions than answers. In 1582, an 18-year-old William Shakespeare married the 26-year-old, and pregnant, Anne Hathaway. They had a daughter, Susanna, followed by twins, Judith and Hamnet—a name then interchangeable with Hamlet. In 1596, at just 11 years old, Hamnet died and was buried on August 11. Shakespeare, who was traveling with his theatre troupe, was almost certainly unable to return to Stratford for the funeral. Approximately four years later, he wrote Hamlet.
It is within these historical gaps that Hamnet finds its narrative power. Whether Shakespeare’s marriage was one of love or obligation and the true character of his wife—whom the story renames Agnes—are all lost to time. The film envisions a passionate romance between William (Paul Mescal) and a strong-willed Agnes (Jessie Buckley, in an Oscar-tipped performance). Ultimately, the story centers not on the famous playwright but on his wife, crafting a profound tale of grief and resilience around a woman largely absent from the historical record.
