From ‘Hamnet’ to ‘Hamlet’: the theory that Shakespeare’s personal tragedy gave rise to his most famous work

British writer Maggie O’Farrell published ‘Hamnet’ in 2020, a novel that recounts several chapters of the tragedy of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway (the death of their son Hamnet) and the composition of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by the playwright born in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom. ‘Hamnet’, the film by Chloé Zhao that has received eight Oscar nominations for 2026, addresses the tragedy that gave rise to Shakespeare’s play.

In the film, William Shakespeare’s wife is an expert in medicinal plants who is unable to save the life of her son, a victim of the plague in the 16th century. This tragedy led William to write Hamlet, but is this true? Is that what really happened? It is a widely held theory, accepted by the vast majority, but the truth is that none of this has been officially verified, and probably never will be.

According to American biographer Park Honan, Hamnet, Shakespeare’s son, died at the age of 11, but the causes of his death were never officially certified. According to Stratford municipal records, the body was buried on August 11, 1596, and at that time it was not unusual for children to die, as it was normal for a third of them to lose their lives before reaching the age of 10. That is why many people believe the theory that the boy died of the plague, although there are theories that suggest it could also have been typhus, a disease that also claimed many lives at that time.

In other words, there is no way of knowing whether the story of the film Hamnet, based on the novel of the same name, is true.

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