Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell is a compelling choice for bringing historical fiction into the modern classroom. With its lyrical structure and relevant themes, it invites students to engage not only with the past, but with universal experiences of love, grief, and family ties.

Hamnet thoroughly explores the theme of grief as a lived, complex experience that evolves as time moves on. O’Farrell presents grief through multiple perspectives in Shakespeare’s family, but particularly within Agnes, Hamnet’s mother, allowing students to see how loss reshapes individuals differently. In the classroom, invite students to track how grief changes across chapters, compare character responses to loss, or even connect these portrayals to their own reflections on heartache. This kind of analysis encourages empathy while also strengthening students’ ability to connect with characters and their development.

Another standout feature of Hamnet is its unconventional narrative structure and use of perspective. The nonlinear timeline and shifting points of view challenge students to actively piece together the story. Have students map the timeline of events or analyze why certain moments are revealed out of order. This exploration of nonlinear storytelling introduces students to more sophisticated narrative techniques, helping them understand how structure shapes meaning.

Hamnet offers a unique opportunity to connect to the broader literary and historical context of its subtle relationship to William Shakespeare and Hamlet. Without directly centering Shakespeare himself, the novel invites students to explore the imagined personal experiences that may have influenced one of literature’s most famous tragedies. Students can examine parallels in theme, character, and tone between Hamnet and Hamlet, or debate how personal loss might shape artistic expression. This cross-textual approach not only deepens literary understanding but also helps students see literature as an ongoing conversation across time.

For more helpful tips to inspire you to teach Hamnet, read on!

Summary for Hamnet

Key Facts:

• Publication Date: 2020 
• Length: 320 pages
• Lexile Measure is currently not available 
• Grade recommendation: 11^th, 12^th, AP Level classes
• Winner of: Women's Prize for Fiction (2020),  National Book Critics Circle Award (Fiction) (2020), New York Times 10 Best Books of 2020 

Hamnet is a historically inspired imagining of love, loss, and healing in Shakespeare’s family. It follows various timelines in the life of his wife, Agnes: how she and Shakespeare fell in love, created a family of their own, and lost their young son, Hamnet. As she and the family grapple with grief, Shakespeare channels his anguish into one of his most famous plays, Hamlet.

Content Warning: Hamnet contains some heavy subject matter, including child loss, child death, grief, abuse, and light sexual content.

What Your Students Will Love

• A new perspective on Shakespeare, the bonds between siblings, the deeply emotional and atmospheric description, and the historical context surrounding Shakespeare’s era.

Potential Student Struggles

• Vivid depictions of death, loss, and grief, and the non-linear structure of the book’s timeline. 

Learning Objectives for Hamnet

• Analyze the symbolism of twins and the glass window. 
• Compare Shakespeare’s Hamlet and this fictional story of his inspiration for this famous play.
• Describe the impact of the relationships between siblings, parents, and children in this story.
• Discuss how grief and other deep emotions can shape art.
• Explain the impact of O’Farrell’s unique writing style, which incorporates frequent parallel structure, polysyndeton, and vivid similes.
• Explore the recurring imagery of motherhood and nature.
• Note the effect of the non-linear timeline—the flashbacks to how Agnes and Shakespeare began their family and the present timeline of dealing with grief.

Literary Elements in Hamnet

• Allusions
• Character foils
• Foreshadowing
• Metaphor
• Non-linear plot structure
• Parallel structure
• Polysyndeton
• Simile
• Symbolism
• And more!

Major Themes/Related Works for Hamnet  

Grief and Loss—Every member of Shakespeare’s family handles loss in a different way, which Shakespeare eventually channels into Hamlet. 

Related Works:

• Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer 
• Ordinary People, by Judith Guest 

Motherhood and Family Bonds—Family ties are everything in Hamnet. Agnes’s journey through motherhood is filled with joy and heartache, while Judith’s twin bond with Hamnet greatly impacts her sorrow.

 Related Works: 

• Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
• The Color of Water, by James McBride 
• A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry 

 Memory and Remembering—After Hamnet’s death, the family tries to find ways to keep his memory alive in their hearts.

 Related Works: 

• The Giver, by Lois Lowry 
• Strange the Dreamer, by Laini Taylor 
• The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner

Other Resources for Hamnet

• Pair this book with the famous play that inspired it: Hamlet
• Check out the Oscar-winning performances in the 2025 film: Hamnet
• The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the organization responsible for preserving Shakespeare's home where this story takes place.
• New York Times Book Review
• An interview with Maggie O’Farrell and Chloe Zhao, the director of Hamnet
• Jessie Buckley, the actress who plays Agnes, on what it was like to film Hamnet 
• Needing inspiration on how to teach Shakespeare’s Hamlet? Here’s our teaching unit.