The witch Hamnet is a character from William Shakespeare's play "Macbeth." Although Hamnet does not physically appear in the play, she is mentioned by the three witches in Act 1, Scene 3. The witches describe her as a sailor's wife who refused to share her chestnuts with them. As a punishment for her greediness, they planned to send a wind that would toss her husband's ship at sea. This reference to Hamnet serves as an example of the witches' malevolent nature and their ability to cause havoc in the lives of innocent people. While Hamnet is a minor character in the play, her mention is significant as it demonstrates the witches' power to manipulate the natural order of things and their willingness to harm innocent individuals.
While Hamnet is a minor character in the play, her mention is significant as it demonstrates the witches' power to manipulate the natural order of things and their willingness to harm innocent individuals. This aligns with the overall theme of the play, which explores the destructive nature of ambition and the consequences of actions. Hamnet's story also reflects the Elizabethan belief in witches and their association with malevolence and supernatural powers.
Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’ reimagines the life and death of Shakespeare’s only son
On Aug. 11, 1596, William Shakespeare’s only son, Hamnet, was buried. He was 11 years old.
Almost nothing more is known about the boy’s brief life. Four centuries later, his death is a crater on the dark side of the moon. How it impacted his twin sister and his parents is impossible to gauge. No letters or diaries — if there were any — survive. The world’s greatest poet did not immortalize his lost child in verse.
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Instead, we have only a few tantalizing references in Shakespeare’s plays: the laments of grieving fathers, the recurrence of twins and, of course, a tragedy called “Hamlet.” But aside from the name — a variant of Hamnet — attempts to draw comparisons between that masterpiece and the author’s son are odorous. We’re stuck, as we usually are, projecting our own sympathetic sorrow on the calamities of others.
AdvertisementTo this unfathomable well of grief now comes the brilliant Irish writer Maggie O’Farrell with a novel called “Hamnet” told with the urgency of a whispered prayer — or curse.
Unintimidated by the presence of the Bard’s canon or the paucity of the historical record, O’Farrell creates Shakespeare before the radiance of veneration obscured everyone around him. In this book, William is simply a clever young man — not even the central character — and O’Farrell makes no effort to lard her pages with intimations of his genius or cute allusions to his plays. Instead, through the alchemy of her own vision, she has created a moving story about the way loss viciously recalibrates a marriage.
The novel opens in silence that foretells doom. “Where is everyone?” little Hamnet wonders. He wanders like a ghost through the empty house and the deserted yard, calling for his grandparents, his uncles, his aunt. “He has a tendency,” O’Farrell writes, “to slip the bounds of the real, tangible world around him and enter another place.” But he’s no spectral presence yet. His twin sister, Judith, has suddenly fallen ill, and Hamnet needs to find their mother. She’ll know what to do. She’s an herbal healer, equally revered and feared in the village. “Every life has its kernel, its hub, its epicenter, from which everything flows out, to which everything returns. This moment is the absent mother’s,” O’Farrell writes. “It will lie at her very core, for the rest of her life.”
Soon after giving birth to their first child, Susannah, Agnes becomes aware of her husband’s misery, trapped in the small apartment attached to his parents’ house on Henley Street. It is she who encourages, even engineers his relocation in London to expand the market for his father’s gloves, leading to an ingenious explanation of how Shakespeare’s celebrated career came about. Selling gloves to various vendors, he is awarded a contract to make gloves for the players at a theatre: “long gauntlets for fighting, fine gloves with jewels and beads for kings and queens,” and so he falls in love again—this time with the theatre.
During Shakespeare's time, witches were commonly believed to possess the ability to cause storms, harm individuals, and interfere with daily life. By mentioning Hamnet, Shakespeare taps into this popular belief and highlights the witches' dangerous and unpredictable nature. Overall, the witch Hamnet is a minor character in "Macbeth," but her mention serves to deepen the portrayal of the supernatural and malevolent forces that drive the events of the play. While her actual presence is absent, her mention adds to the dark and ominous atmosphere of the play and enhances the portrayal of the witches as powerful and dangerous beings..
Reviews for "The Witch Hamnet: An Intriguing Case Study in Witchcraft Allegations"
1. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars - I found "The Witch Hamnet" to be quite disappointing. The story seemed promising at first, but it quickly became convoluted and confusing. The characters lacked depth and the plot felt rushed. Additionally, the writing style was overly descriptive and heavy-handed, making it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, I didn't feel a strong connection to the story and it left me wanting more.
2. Michael - 2.5 out of 5 stars - While "The Witch Hamnet" had an interesting premise, I felt let down by the execution. The pacing was off, with the story dragging in some parts and rushing through others. The supernatural elements, which were supposed to be the highlight, felt forced and underdeveloped. The characters didn't have clear motivations, making it hard to root for or relate to them. It had potential, but ultimately fell short for me.
3. Emily - 1 out of 5 stars - I really struggled to finish "The Witch Hamnet." The writing was pretentious and overly flowery, making it difficult to follow the actual story. The plot itself lacked cohesion, jumping from one event to another without any clear connection. The characters were forgettable and lacked depth, making it hard to care about their fates. Overall, I found this book to be a frustrating and tedious read.
4. Jason - 2 out of 5 stars - "The Witch Hamnet" had an interesting concept, but it failed to deliver. The pacing was inconsistent, with slow and repetitive sections that made the book feel much longer than it needed to be. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural, making it hard to connect with the characters. The resolution felt rushed and didn't provide a satisfying conclusion to the story. Overall, I was disappointed by this book and wouldn't recommend it.
5. Jessica - 2.5 out of 5 stars - I had high hopes for "The Witch Hamnet," but it fell short for me. The narrative structure was confusing and disjointed, making it hard to follow the story. The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked growth throughout the book. The historical elements were interesting, but they weren't explored in enough depth to make them truly engaging. While it had some redeeming qualities, overall, I found this book to be underwhelming.