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Hamnet


"Of all the stories...about Shakespeare’s life, [Hamnet] is so gorgeously ...
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What does Agnes learn about her husband's life in London from her attempts to find him? Do you think she forgives him in the end upon witnessing his homage to his son?

Created: 06/16/22

Replies: 17

Posted Jun. 16, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

What does Agnes learn about her husband's life in London from her attempts to find him? Do you think she forgives him in the end upon witnessing his homage to his son?

Describe Agnes's trip to London and her time at the playhouse. What does she learn about her husband's life there from her attempts to find him? What does she discover about his pursuits when she sees him onstage?

Do you think she forgives him in the end upon witnessing his homage to his son?


Posted Jun. 18, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
danielh

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 9

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

The London trip is key to Agnes's understanding of her husband and his method to deal with the loss of Hamnet. She sees that he will have only a tangential relationship with her and their life in the village. Nevertheless, Agnes comes to realize the depth of the father's feeling and love, the magnitude of his own sorrow. Yes, she forgives him.


Posted Jun. 19, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
juliep

Join Date: 04/07/12

Posts: 250

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

Yes, I agree with danielh above. Agnes and her husband have grown apart from their first years together due to his obsession or dedication to his writing and to the theater, which she doesn’t really understand. But her visit helps her to visualize his life in the city and most importantly, his grief for their son and the eloquent way he expresses it.


Posted Jun. 19, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Marcia S

Join Date: 02/08/16

Posts: 505

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

I believe she forgives him when she sees the love shown toward Hamlet and the father's grief at his loss. Since Hamnet's father was never home, she could not assess his loss until it was revealed int the play.


Posted Jun. 20, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
katherinep

Join Date: 07/16/14

Posts: 374

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

She had drawn away from him once she realized there were other women in his life and as she learned more about the society the theatre entailed. When she went to London to find him, she found that he was not living in luxury or frivolity but almost as a monk in his simplicity and austerity. When she witnessed the play and his depiction of Hamlet's death and the grief of the father figure who took the form of Hamlet's ghost, she realized that his grief was a strong as her own. He had tried to tell her that in the garden when he asked if she thought about Hamnet, but the depth of his feelings were not truly clear until she saw the play. Oh, yes, she forgave him and I think in some small measure the grief for both of them was lifted for the sharing and understanding.


Posted Jun. 21, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joanw

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 61

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

I totally agree with Katherinep. When Agnes saw how Will lived in London, how little he had there, the simplicity of the way he lived, she started to have other types of feelings that he may not have been doing all the things she thought he was doing When she saw the play, that is when she understood how much Hamnet's death had affected Will and that he felt as she did - it was then she forgave him and I believe it brought them closer together again.


Posted Jun. 21, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
MariontheLibrarian

Join Date: 05/27/21

Posts: 43

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

I'm not sure I agree that Agnes forgave him completely. She learned a lot about him, but the London and theater world were so foreign to Agnes that she didn't initially even realize what a play was. She had trouble understanding what was going on. The last words, "Remember me" provide a path to more discussion about forgiveness, acceptance, understanding.


Posted Jun. 22, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mtnluvr

Join Date: 10/03/20

Posts: 33

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

I do think that Agnes forgave her husband but did not necessarily completely understand him. I believe Shakespeare carried a lot of guilt and grief over the death of his son. Agnes felt better that he had not forgotten his son or the family. I think she was also relieved that he was not living a rich life of luxury and women.

I think the question is whether he returns home as I don’t think Agnes would move to London.


Posted Jun. 22, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
djcminor

Join Date: 03/14/19

Posts: 208

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

Agnes learns that her husband truly loved Hamnet and is dealing with the death the only way he can. She learns more about him on the trip which turns out to be important.


Posted Jun. 23, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dorinned

Join Date: 10/13/14

Posts: 176

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

This was the most touching part of the book for me. I definitely think Agnes was touched by her husband's homage to his dead son in the play.


Posted Jun. 23, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
BuffaloGirl

Join Date: 01/13/18

Posts: 208

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

I felt that Agnes came to believe that her husband was philandering with other women and that it was important for her to go to London to renew their marriage or to come to some other understanding. When she goes to his quarters she findings that he seems to be living like a monk. This, to me, illustrated two points: He lived very austerely so that he could send money home and provide his family a comfortable life and that the theatre itself was his mistress, rather than another woman. I have no doubt that she forgave him.


Posted Jun. 24, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
arlenei

Join Date: 08/12/21

Posts: 100

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

Definitely agree with mtnluver. I don’t think Alice moves to London nor do I believe her husband will ever leave London. I think Alice does forgive her husband but in doing so loses him.


Posted Jun. 30, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
tracyb

Join Date: 09/22/11

Posts: 102

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

Before her trip to London she had years of imagining the life her husband lead. Abandoned, grief struck, alone to raise her family., living situation, in-laws...all of this she attributed to her husband. She imagined that a life in London must be fun and full of temptations.

What she found was the total opposite. Writing plays in that little room was his focus along with keeping the players together.

Some forgiveness with more understanding.

People in my book group noted many of Shakespeare's plays had twins in them.


Posted Jun. 30, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
terriej

Join Date: 07/28/11

Posts: 422

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

She learned that he lived simply in grief. I think she also learned why he had to stay in London to escape his grief at home. I do think she forgave him.


Posted Jul. 10, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Kris

Join Date: 05/26/12

Posts: 9

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

As Agnes was watching her husbands play, I think at that moment that she realized that he was grieving terribly for his son. The play was one way he could find some comfort with his grief and that is the reason why he could not stay at his home. London afforded him a brief escape from the grief he lived. I believe that at the end of the play is the moment that Agnes forgave him.


Posted Jul. 16, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sharalynnep

Join Date: 12/04/11

Posts: 63

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

I think Agnes went to London expecting to find that her husband was unfaithful but instead realized that he wasn't was but terribly grieving for his son. The play was his way of dealing with the loss and immortalizing his son's memory. I think she forgave him because she realized that he was suffering too but in his own way.


Posted Jul. 17, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lesleyf

Join Date: 05/14/11

Posts: 119

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

For some reason, (maybe deep and true love??) Agnes cannot "read" Will as easily as she sometimes reads others. She does come to realize that Will has to write his feeling rather than express them - it is after all, his form of genius and after seeing that his London life was about his writing, she returns to Stratford comforted. She is able to forgive him because she understands his genius. The real Shakespeare also retired to Stratford, eventually, which makes it historical fiction!


Posted Jul. 21, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joanw

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 61

RE: What does Agnes learn about her ...

I agree with so many of the above answers. I believe when Agnes saw how William was living - like a pauper/monk - that she then realized he was not with other women - and when she saw the play she then realized that he was as heartbroken about Hamnet as she was. I believe she forgives him when she realizes all of the above. I still think of this story and believe it will stay with me for a long time.


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