Hamnet, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book club discussion of Hamnet.

Did you enjoy the start of this book? I have to admit that I had a little bit of a hard time getting into the story. I felt frustrated that the story started with Hamnet alone and confused, and I wasn't expecting the second chapter to go back to the past. But, once I got through that chapter where we learned about how William and Agnes met, I got really invested in the story, and I couldn't wait to keep reading. I think I was nervous throughout the first chapter that something horrible was going to immediately happen to Hamnet, so I didn't even want to get started. 

Have you ever read a book about Shakespeare and his personal life before? Did you know anything about his family and his upbringing? I didn't really know anything about his life, especially not his life growing up, so I was really interested in everything I read. It's kind of weird to imagine Shakespeare as a person who did regular people things since he has become a larger than life literary figure. What did you think of Agnes? It was interesting that she was so free-spirited and mystical. I liked that the first image we had of Agnes was her emerging from the trees with her falcon. She seemed so powerful and otherworldly. I don't blame Shakespeare for being immediately intrigued. What do you think of Agnes's gift? It's very unusual that she can see so much about a person just by gripping his hand. 

I felt so sad for Agnes and her sad family situation. Her step mother seemed really awful. It was nice that Agnes and Bartholomew had each other. I don't know what they would have done without each other. Agnes definitely would have been left without anything had Joan been the only one at the house when Agnes's pregnancy was discovered. I was glad that it worked out for Shakespeare and Agnes to be married. I know that Shakespeare's father is a cad and used the marriage for his advantage, but I think Shakespeare and Agnes were meant to be together. It would have been really upsetting if their families had kept them apart or made them jump through a lot of hoops before getting married. 

In the present time, Shakespeare doesn't seem to be around much. I got the impression that when he was around, everyone was really happy, and he was a devoted father. But, he spent so much time away at the theater. I can't imagine what it was like to have him gone so much. I feel like he would feel like a stranger when he came home. It was really hard to read about how desperate Hamnet was to get help for Judith. He tried so hard to get a doctor for her, and he tried so hard to find his family. I just kept thinking about what a little boy he was and how much responsibility was resting on his shoulders. Judith's sickness showed up on the absolutely worst day. I feel like had it happened on any other day, everyone would have been at home and could have started treating her more quickly. 

At the end of this section, Hamnet is finally able to point his mother towards Judith. We know from the historical note at the beginning that Hamnet, not Judith, is the twin that dies. What do you think is going to happen in the next section? Do you think Hamnet is going to catch whatever Judith has? Are you curious to see how Shakespeare and Agnes will interact with each other in the next section? 

Before you go, check out the video below to learn about how the costumes were created for the movie version. Do you think good costumes are essential for good movies? 

Thanks for following along this week! I can't wait to hear your thoughts in the comments. Make sure to read through page 211 before coming back next week.