Hamnet: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

In 1596, startled by something he cannot identify, Hamnet wakes with a start. The angle of the sun through the window tells him it’s late afternoon, and for a second, he wonders what he’s doing in bed. Then he remembers. He twists his head to look at Judith, whose breath comes at uneven intervals. He feels unwell himself, with pain in his head that feels like an angry, cornered animal crouching in his head. He staggers to his feet.

Agnes comes through the front door. She unloads the fruits of her labor—rosemary, a jar of honey, a lump of beeswax, and a small bouquet of comfrey. She opens the window in case any clients call. Then she heads for the cookhouse, where she finds Mary and Susanna making dinner. Mary greets her gruffly, asking what took her so long. Agnes responds noncommittally. She’s partway through answering Mary’s question about how her family is doing when it occurs to her that she hasn’t seen the twins. Mary, expressing her displeasure that they shirked their chores, says she has no idea where they are. Agnes looks for them in John’s and Mary’s house first, then walks through her own front door again. Hamnet, pale and unmoving, stands at the foot of the stairs. He points to the bedroom, and she rushes upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.