Hamnet: The Book vs The Film — What Jessie Buckley & Paul Mescal Missed

How does Maggie O'Farrell create the historical figures of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes Hathaway, in her novel Hamnet? What does the film adaptation starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley do differently to the book? How do the themes of fate and loss affect the characters and the reader? Join Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett as they delve into the fascinating story behind the writing of Hamnet, the world it was born of, and the novel itself. You can order Hamnet and explore our favourite Folio books at ⁠⁠https://foliosociety.com/thebookclub⁠ 0:00 Intro 1:18 Hamnet, Hamlet, and the tragedy at the heart of the story 4:03 First impressions: why Hamnet is so moving 6:02 The book’s structure, style, and plague storyline 7:18 Hamnet searching the house as disaster closes in 9:44 Agnes, young Shakespeare, and the book’s fairy-tale origins 11:43 The plague strikes the family 13:00 Hamnet’s death and the grief that follows 13:31 Maggie O’Farrell: the writer behind Hamnet 16:03 Why O’Farrell waited years to write this book 19:36 The real Anne Hathaway and what history actually tells us 22:07 What we know about Hamnet’s real death 24:02 Shakespeare’s will and the mystery of the second-best bed 26:34 How Anne Hathaway was remembered... and misremembered 29:09 Hamnet, Hamlet, and the Shakespeare connection 32:23 Hamnet as a character: twinhood, childhood, and fate 35:12 Death in the room: the novel’s haunting vision of mortality 37:13 Hamnet’s sacrifice and the devastating death scene 40:33 Agnes: witchy, watchful, and the soul of the novel 44:22 Motherhood, domestic life, and the world of women 46:01 Grief, depression, and the breaking of a family 49:05 Shakespeare’s grief and the moment he sees Hamnet’s body 51:33 Why Shakespeare is never named in the book 55:44 Hamlet on stage: how art brings Hamnet back to life 58:54 The film adaptation: where it works and where it overreaches 1:01:30 Final ratings for the book and the film