Hamnet

I'll be brave, Father. I'll be brave. According to the classic Kübler-Ross model, there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But William Shakespeare depicted a special stage in Hamnet, referred to as sublimation in modern psychology. It is a way of channeling the destructive energy of grief into a more productive and creative art form. Here William created his masterpiece Hamlet to thrive through the grief of losing his beloved son. He was essentially resurrecting and transforming Hamnet into Hamlet, he refuses to let his son be forgotten, so he created a world for him where he breathes everytime the curtain rises. This interpretation adds more layer to the final moments of Hamnet, where he envisions himself on a stage calling for his mother. It symbolises his migration to the world created by his father. It’s a beautiful and heartbreaking way of showing that he is walking into the play that his father hasn't even written yet. And finally, Hamlet made Agnes 'accept' the death of her son. She was stuck in a cycle of 'depression' which caused a strained relationship with William. But after witnessing what he had done for Hamnet, made her realize the depth of his love and it helped her find closure. The moment when Agnes realizes the whole world will be mourning for her son for generations, that moment, portrayed through a wide range of emotions by Jessie Buckley, from joy to sorrow to quiet satisfaction, is just picture perfection.