Robert Blumenthal
asked:
Any thoughts on why Shakespeare is the only character never mentioned by name?
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Hamnet,
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Yakki the Yakkicorn
I interpreted it this way:
Everyone knows who William Shakespeare is by his deeds, not who he was as a person. The book's focus was on W. Shakespeare's wife, referred to as Agnes in the book. If W. Shakespeare's name was mentioned, the focus would be on him, as he is the better known person, undermining the book. But by never seeing his name, we aren't distracted by it.
Also, I'd like to reiterate that this book is mainly about Agnes. We see W. Shakespeare through her eyes: not the adoring fans, the English royalty, the actors who preformed his plays, but his wife. Agnes sees W. Shakespeare as her husband and the father of her children first, and the great playwright second. And as I have said, "the great playwright" comes with a whole set of memory cues: calligraphy on yellowed paper, dozens of plays, men (and later women) in tights and dresses, etc. By not seeing him portrayed as the great playwright first, we avoid those cues and get to see him as a real person with real attributes and flaws. In essence, we get to see his fictionalized character as a human, not a set of plays.
Everyone knows who William Shakespeare is by his deeds, not who he was as a person. The book's focus was on W. Shakespeare's wife, referred to as Agnes in the book. If W. Shakespeare's name was mentioned, the focus would be on him, as he is the better known person, undermining the book. But by never seeing his name, we aren't distracted by it.
Also, I'd like to reiterate that this book is mainly about Agnes. We see W. Shakespeare through her eyes: not the adoring fans, the English royalty, the actors who preformed his plays, but his wife. Agnes sees W. Shakespeare as her husband and the father of her children first, and the great playwright second. And as I have said, "the great playwright" comes with a whole set of memory cues: calligraphy on yellowed paper, dozens of plays, men (and later women) in tights and dresses, etc. By not seeing him portrayed as the great playwright first, we avoid those cues and get to see him as a real person with real attributes and flaws. In essence, we get to see his fictionalized character as a human, not a set of plays.
Tom Holehan
I'm not really sure but I really loved that his name was never uttered. We all know who he was and I found it fascinating how the author managed to make him such a crucial character without giving him a proper name. She's a brilliant writer.
Ann
In an interview I read she said she felt it would be “preposterous” to write something like “William Shakespeare got up and had breakfast” I suppose because he is such a historical iconic figure.
Colin Greenland
My first and persisting thought about Shakespeare's anonymity is that it stops him taking over the book; returns him, as Yakki says, from the superhuman eminence of universal fame to the level he actually lived on, the same level as the rest of us.
*Hamnet* is the story of a young boy who dies, and what that does to his family. Unusual as they all are, in their daily life and especially in their grief, they could be any family. By withholding Hamnet's father's name, and saying little, for most of the book, about his work, Maggie O'Farrell manages to emphasise his common humanity over and above his individual genius.
Then again, Robert, William Shakespeare is not the only unnamed character; far from it. As Christina points out, the baker's wife is never named, and nor are several others: the cabin boy in Alexandria, just as notably, and the whole of the crew of his ship, in fact; the glassmaker in Murano; William's Latin tutees. Other characters usually named are also frequently referred to by their place, their function, where they fit in a family or social group: Hamnet's grandmother, Agnes's daughter, John's apprentice. Long before we ever learn Agnes's birth-mother's name we have read her entire story, in which she is called only "the girl's mother". John thinks of Bartholomew as "the sheep-farming brother". For all the brilliance of the individual characterisation, it's very much a novel about kin.
*Hamnet* is the story of a young boy who dies, and what that does to his family. Unusual as they all are, in their daily life and especially in their grief, they could be any family. By withholding Hamnet's father's name, and saying little, for most of the book, about his work, Maggie O'Farrell manages to emphasise his common humanity over and above his individual genius.
Then again, Robert, William Shakespeare is not the only unnamed character; far from it. As Christina points out, the baker's wife is never named, and nor are several others: the cabin boy in Alexandria, just as notably, and the whole of the crew of his ship, in fact; the glassmaker in Murano; William's Latin tutees. Other characters usually named are also frequently referred to by their place, their function, where they fit in a family or social group: Hamnet's grandmother, Agnes's daughter, John's apprentice. Long before we ever learn Agnes's birth-mother's name we have read her entire story, in which she is called only "the girl's mother". John thinks of Bartholomew as "the sheep-farming brother". For all the brilliance of the individual characterisation, it's very much a novel about kin.
A Robin Reads
I found this annoying. Sure we know him well, but I know him as Shakespeare and a lot do. You could have just called him William and it would have had the same effect is the others describe in the comments.
Christina
For what it's worth, the baker's wife is always referred to as such, and she appears to have a close friendship of sorts with Agnes. The fact that Shakepeare is never addressed as such definitely bothered me.
Kassi
Maybe because this is Agnes's story and Shakespeare and his masterpieces and legacy have left Agnes unknown? Idk. I haven't read it. Just looking into it because I was thinking of reading it.
Nancy
When I realized he was never going to be mentioned I worried about how it would affect my reading. I, too, read the interview where O'Farrell explained her approach and it made perfect sense to me. This allows him to be human.
Monica
the author must have had a reason, but I'm not literary enough to get it so it bugged me.
Bella (Kiki)
I think she didn't name him to emphasize the fact that he was absent from the home more than present.
Karma
Could his absence through much of the story contribute to his not needing a name? This is Agnes' story, Hamnet and Judith's story, not necessarily his story.
Claudia
I am currently reading this book and I find it confusing. As I continue to read, I may understand the literary quality of this choice, but 75 pages in, it's just annoying.
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