Hamnet Shakespeare facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamnet Shakespeare
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A 19th-century engraving imagining Shakespeare's family life. Hamnet stands behind Shakespeare, left of centre.
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| Born |
Stratford-upon-Avon, England
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| Baptised | 2 February 1585 |
| Died | Buried 11 August 1596 (aged 11) Stratford-upon-Avon, England
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| Nationality | English |
| Parent(s) | William Shakespeare Anne Hathaway |
Hamnet Shakespeare (baptised 2 February 1585 – buried 11 August 1596) was the only son of the famous playwright William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway. He was the twin brother of Judith Shakespeare. Hamnet was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, and sadly died at the age of 11. Some experts wonder if his death influenced his father's plays, especially Hamlet. They also look for connections to plays like King John, Romeo and Juliet, and Twelfth Night.
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Hamnet's Early Life
Not much is known about Hamnet's life. He and his twin sister, Judith, were born in Stratford-upon-Avon. They were baptised on 2 February 1585 at Holy Trinity Church. The twins were likely named after Hamnet Sadler, a local baker, and his wife, Judith. The name Hamnet was quite common in England during that time.
Hamnet Shakespeare probably grew up mainly with his mother, Anne. They lived in the Henley Street house that belonged to his grandfather.
By the time Hamnet was four years old, his father, William Shakespeare, was already a playwright in London. As his father became more famous, he likely spent less time at home in Stratford. It is thought that Hamnet probably attended Lower School, which was normal for children his age, before he died. He was buried in Stratford on 11 August 1596. During that time in England, about one-third of all children died before reaching the age of 10.
How Hamnet's Death Might Have Influenced Shakespeare's Plays
Many scholars have wondered if Hamnet's death affected William Shakespeare's writing. Unlike other writers of his time, Shakespeare did not write a clear poem or play about his son's death. If he wrote about it, he did so in a more hidden way.
When his son died, Shakespeare was mostly writing comedies. He continued writing comedies for a few years after Hamnet's death. Later, he began writing his major tragedies. Some people believe that his personal experience with loss might have made his tragedies deeper and more powerful.
For a long time, critics tried to find connections between Shakespeare's life events and his plays or sonnets. Famous writers and scholars from the 18th to the early 20th century thought a lot about the link between Hamnet's death and Shakespeare's works. However, in the mid-to-late 20th century, it became less popular to connect authors' lives to their writings. More recently, though, people have started looking at these biographical connections again.
The Connection to Hamlet
Some theories about Hamnet's influence focus on the famous tragedy Hamlet, which Shakespeare wrote between 1599 and 1601. It's usually thought that the play's name is not directly linked to Hamnet's death. The names Hamlet and Hamnet were sometimes used interchangeably back then. For example, Shakespeare himself spelled Hamnet Sadler's name as "Hamlett" in his will.
However, the character Prince Hamlet's name is often seen as coming from an old Scandinavian legend about a character called Amleth. This legend is very similar to Shakespeare's play. More recent studies suggest that while Hamlet might have come from a Scandinavian story, Shakespeare's sadness over losing his only son could be a deep part of the tragedy.
Other Plays and Sonnets
The idea of Hamnet's influence isn't just about Hamlet. Some experts believe Hamnet's death might have affected Twelfth Night. This play is about a girl who thinks her twin brother has died, but then finds out he is alive. One theory suggests that the women who dress as men in plays like The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night might show Shakespeare's hope in his daughters after Hamnet's death.
Another idea is that a speech in King John (written in the mid-1590s) was inspired by Hamnet's death. In this speech, a character named Constance mourns the loss of her son, Arthur. It's possible, though, that Hamnet was still alive when this part was written.
Other plays also have theories about Hamnet. For example, some wonder if a scene in Julius Caesar, where Caesar adopts Mark Antony as a replacement for his dead son, is connected to Hamnet's death. Or if Romeo and Juliet is a sad reflection of losing a son. The guilt of a father over his son's death in The Tempest is also sometimes linked.
Sonnet 37 might also have been written after Hamnet's death. In it, Shakespeare writes: "As a decrepit father takes delight / To see his active child do deeds of youth / So I, made lame by fortune's dearest spight / Take all my comfort of thy worth and truth." This could be a hint about Hamnet, but it is not very clear.
The deep sadness can also be heard in one of Shakespeare's most painful lines, at the end of King Lear. The old king realizes his daughter is dead and cries out: "No, no, no life! / Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, / And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more, / Never, never, never, never, never!"
Some historians suggest that sonnet 33 might be about Hamnet's death, not just about a "Fair Youth." They think there's a hidden play on words between "sun" and "son" in the lines: "Even so my sun one early morn did shine / With all triumphant splendour on my brow; / But out, alack, he was but one hour mine, / The region cloud hath mask'd him from me now".
Another idea is that all of Shakespeare's sonnets were written for Hamnet. This theory suggests that writing the sonnets was Shakespeare's way of dealing with his great loss. It also proposes that Hamnet is the "Fair Youth" mentioned in many of the sonnets.
See also
In Spanish: Hamnet Shakespeare para niños
