Hamnet

William Shakespeare's father is shown repeatedly denigrating and hitting his adult son, which culminates in Will hitting his father back to end the abuse. There are emotionally intense scenes depicting a child's prolonged death from the plague, with the child, Hamnet, writhing in agony. A dead child's body is visible as he is wrapped in a shroud. Agnes has a flashback to seeing her dead mother's body after she died in childbirth, depicted with a bloodstained smock.

Scenes show a man and woman (Agnes and Will) kissing and engaging in sexual activity where the woman is fully clothed, but the man's back and a portion of his buttocks are visible. Agnes becomes pregnant before marrying William, after they flirt and have sex against a table in a woodshed. There are two scenes of a woman in labor, one involving brief glimpses of her abdomen, and another where Agnes gives birth, with bare leg and stomach visible through a sheer shift.

Agnes is described as having a mysterious, 'witchy' reputation, being an herbalist and a 'seer' with an unusual connection to the earth, trees, and sky. She prepares herbal remedies while reciting incantations, suggesting engagement in white magic. Agnes is shown curled in a red dress beneath a giant tree, and later gives birth to her first child in a forest, emphasizing her elemental connection.

William Shakespeare's father repeatedly denigrates his adult son, calling him useless, which leads to William slamming his father against a wall and declaring the abuse will stop. Agnes's choice to live an unconventional life, including her connection to nature and herbalism, is viewed with suspicion and disapproval by Will's mother, Mary, who considers Agnes 'a witch's daughter'.

Agnes denies the idea that her son, Hamnet, has gone to heaven after his death and identifies herself as a dissenter from the Anglican faith, refusing to join in prayers at church. Her deep connection to nature, including falconry and preferring to give birth outdoors, is implicitly presented as a form of rebellion against an oppressively patriarchal society and traditional religious norms, with the film encouraging sympathy for her outlook.