Hamnet

Agnes in the forest summons a hawk and encounters William, who leaves his Latin lessons to visit. They talk, kiss, and the townspeople gossip that she is a forest witch’s daughter. Agnes warns him to stay away, setting a tension that will run through their lives.

William returns to tell a story and recounts Orpheus and Eurydice, charming Agnes. She holds his hand and foresees a future of greatness for him and a life with her, even glimpsing herself dying with two children. They share a passionate moment and soon after conceive their child.

Agnes’s family banishes her from their house, and William’s kin are wary of the match. Despite the opposition, Agnes and William marry and begin their life together in Stratford. Their union faces continued scrutiny but marks the start of their family journey.

Agnes gives birth to Susanna in the woods, and William and Bartholomew find the new mother and child safe. The family starts to establish itself in Stratford as they welcome their first child. The woods scene emphasizes the couple’s bond and the world's gossip about Agnes.

William’s father, John, sees his son as worthless and forcibly tries to keep him in brutal labor. After a heated confrontation, William pushes John against the wall and declares that he will endure abuse no longer. This moment cements a turning point in William’s independence.

As Agnes’s pregnancy continues, William realizes he must go to London to immerse himself in the theater world. Agnes resists the separation but eventually accepts the parting as a necessary step toward his art. Her mother urges caution about the woods during birth.

Agnes gives birth to a boy, Hamnet, and then to a girl, Judith, who seems stillborn but is revived by her mother's faith. The two newborns start a fragile family arc as Agnes balances motherhood with William’s absence. Judith’s life hangs in the balance as Agnes reflects on heaven and faith.

The twins Hamnet and Susanna bond and even trick their father by dressing as each other. The children delight the family as they enact the witches’ scene in Macbeth, foreshadowing Hamnet’s own future on stage. Agnes also shares legends that stir hope for Hamnet’s path.

William’s career flourishes, and the family moves into Stratford’s largest house. After the death of a beloved bird, they bury it in a forest ceremony, and Agnes tells a story of the bird carrying away their wishes, which Hamnet accepts with his mother’s mystic calm.

In a plague-fraught year, Judith contracts illness in Stratford while Hamnet grows gravely ill. Hamnet dies in agony, and Agnes screams in sorrow as William returns home. The loss shatters the family and reshapes William’s future work.

Agnes is angry that William returns to London so soon after Hamnet’s death, and they argue before reconciling. She finds that she cannot predict the future any longer, and the sense of foretelling fades with grief.

In London, the Tragedie of Hamlet is announced and then performed, with William directing the intense speeches. Agnes attends the first performance with Bartholomew, initially outraged by Hamnet’s name being used, but gradually sees it as a tribute to her son. The production’s energy includes the ghost scene and Hamnet’s legacy on stage.