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Hamnet


"Of all the stories...about Shakespeare’s life, [Hamnet] is so gorgeously ...
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How do you believe Agnes's special gifts affect her reputation throughout the town and her connection to her husband?

Created: 06/16/22

Replies: 8

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

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

How do you believe Agnes's special gifts affect her reputation throughout the town and her connection to her husband?

How do you believe Agnes's special gifts affect her reputation throughout the town and her connection to her husband? Consider especially the way she feels the space between a person's index finger and thumb, where "a person's ability, their reach, their essence can be gleaned," and how she uses this part of the body to connect with different people in the novel (49).


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

Join Date: 04/07/12

Posts: 250

RE: How do you believe Agnes's ...

Any woman during that time period who was thought to have “special gifts” was considered suspect, even if those special gifts related to using the knowledge of plants to help people. There have been many books about women who use their herbal knowledge to cure illnesses - one of the recent ones I read was The Lost Apothecary, by Sarah Penner. Also books by Alice Hoffman. And all of the women in those books as well were viewed as odd or suspicious by their neighbors. I imagine palmistry was one of those hidden talents, though I don’t know much, if anything, about it.


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

Join Date: 01/01/16

Posts: 434

RE: How do you believe Agnes's ...

People thought Agnes was odd. Most thought her husband was lazy and did not have much of a future. Agnes has the ability to know more about people. She knows this young man she has met will have an amazing future.


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

Join Date: 08/16/11

Posts: 25

RE: How do you believe Agnes's ...

I was honestly thinking that Agnes might be called a witch by people of the community.


Posted Jun. 27, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Andrea

Join Date: 08/31/18

Posts: 32

RE: How do you believe Agnes's ...

Agnes’ special gifts drive her to the periphery of society where she can venture, observe, and intervene at will. Her ability to derive the essence of a person via hand contact is the most unusual but useful curative gift at her disposal. In the case of her husband, it permits her to provide him with the strength that he needs to avoid despondency but costs her great pain.


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

Join Date: 09/15/14

Posts: 84

RE: How do you believe Agnes's ...

They both had their own kind of magic. Agnes's was healing Shakespeare's the magic of the written word.


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

Join Date: 07/28/11

Posts: 422

RE: How do you believe Agnes's ...

I think the townspeople viewed Agnes as an outsider or perhaps, a witch. She was accepted on a case by case basis when she healed someone. Her husband stated that it was difficult for their relationship because she always knew what was going to happen.


Posted Jul. 07, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
emelied

Join Date: 06/23/22

Posts: 7

RE: How do you believe Agnes's ...

I think Agnes was fierce, independent. I think her skills had a bigger effect on her son rather than her husband. Her husband was different, so was she, however, she knows she has specialized skills only to not use them when it came to her son; cant imagine the guilt she must have felt. Also think that today, her skills would be applauded while back then were considered almost witchy.


Posted Jul. 11, 2022 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
amyjo804

Join Date: 04/14/22

Posts: 10

RE: How do you believe Agnes's ...

Townspeople were suspicious of her, but there may have been some that were intrigued and curious about those with "gifts". I wonder whether Agnes would have liked to know another person with "gifts" who she could confide in regarding her visions/premonitions. Did she sometimes feel burdened by these visions when she couldn't (or didn't think it was wise to) share them with others who probably would not understand? I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book, so perhaps Agnes does connect with another like-minded person toward the end of the book. I would like to see that happen,


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