BURIAL RITES TEXT GUIDE
1. Background information
Author: Hannah Kent
Time: 1828-1830
Genre: Historical Fiction
Location: Kornsa, Iceland
The play explores crime and punishment in a conservative, religious society.
The pivotal themes in the play include theology, redemption, morality, freedom,
crime and punishment and humanity.
2. Thematic analysis
Crime and punishment:
This dramatization concerns Agnes role in the murder of a man, Natan Ketilsson,
who had reportedly spurned her, and who was also involved with a 16-year old girl.
We can view the crime as a case of jealousy and domestic homicide; however, it is
important to note that there is no dispute over the veracity of the charges, and the
verdict handed down to the 3 perpetrators is one of unanimous guilt.
Some questions to consider are:
Why does Kent choose to concentrate on the consequences of crime, instead of the
criminal case itself?
What does this say about the purpose of the novel, and of self-exploration/individual
journeys in general?
Religiosity:
Iceland is a deeply religious and conservative society. The reverends are highly
influential in the running of the various townships and parishes, and are as a result
they bear the responsibility of ensuring that Christian norms and traditions are
adhered to.
Reverend Totis task is that of redeeming people who have strayed from the path
back into the faith, and this is clearly the case with Agnes, the stigmatised murderess.
At times religion can be seen as deeply overbearing and hypocritical; there are
references to life after death, entry to heaven, and the infinite mercy of God which is
rather brutally contrasted with the grisly nature of Agnes eventual execution:
beheading by a large axe.
Consider how Kent illustrates two contrasting motifs in religion: one of moral
authority, and one of social humanism. What are the differences between these motifs?
Does Toti successfully carry out his task? How does he accomplish it?
Humanity:
Humanity, and/or the lack thereof, are constantly recurring themes in the novel. We
see that Agnes experiences dehumanisation from birth, evidenced in her experiences
of childhood abuse and parental abandonment. These factors are significant in Agnes
characterisation as a vulnerable character that has lived a life of isolation and poverty.
Agnes attempts to gain emotional security (in her relationship with Natan) are
unfortunately undermined by his scheming and duplicitous nature. Emotionally
scarred, she revenges herself upon his person, not out of a lack of respect for
humanity, but to preserve hers.
This theme is continued when we look at her treatment by her captors at Stora-Borg,
who consider her more animal than human, failing to provide even the basic
necessities for civilised living. However, Margret and Toti perform the role of
redeemers in this story, helping Agnes to piece together and reclaim her lost humanity,
ultimately assisting her in dying a dignified death.
Margrets family, who initially resented the fact that they had to take in a murderess,
provided Agnes companionship and a listening ear to which she could tell her side of
the story. Agnes was a diligent and reliable farmhand. They appreciated her for her
qualities as a person, and were eventually able to dissociate her crime from the way
they judged her character.
Personal Freedom:
Being able to do what we want to do, i.e. freedom, allows us to develop as a person
and experience different aspects of life. Agnes, having her personal freedom restricted
by the penal system, is a constricted individual unable of self-expression. Constant
gossip surrounded her and her mother, and she was looked down upon by the rest of
society as a result. Social stigmatism is rife in Iceland, and it impinges on the
characters freedom in various and palpable ways. Even Margret and Jon, who were
prominent in the district, had their freedom restricted by being forced to house Agnes
until her execution. This tells us that Icelandic society values communitarian needs
over individual freedom.
3. Character Relationships
Agnes Magnusdottir: Agnes was born in 1795 in Flaga, Iceland. She is the main
character of the story and was the illegitimate child of Ingveldur and Magnus. At the
time of the novel, she was 33 years old. She was confirmed as a Christian in 1809 and
she was recorded as having an excellent intellect and knowledge of Christianity.
When she became a prisoner, she became used to being harmed, treated poorly,
beaten and neglected. Agnes dreamed of one day being able to better her position in
life and become a housemistress. Some people believed that her personality tended
her towards murder, and she also had a reputation for being sharp tongued and
morally loose.
Natan Ketilsson: Natan worked as a herbalist, although some believed he was a
sorcerer. He cured people of their illnesses, including Blondals wife. Natan had a
reputation for sleeping with married women, including Rosa. People feared him and
believed that he was associated with Satan because of the similarities in their names.
He was superstitious and mistreated others, including Agnes, because of his wild
accusations. While he was in a relationship with Agnes, he carried on his affairs with
other women, which was emotionally damaging to her. We do not actually know
much about Natan himself, except that which Agnes tells us. Therefore her story may
be one-sided and not very reliable.
Assistant Reverend Thorvardur (Toti): Toti is a priest in training, just like his
father. He appears to be nave and thinks that he is capable of saving Agnes when he
is first introduced. He has not had any interactions with criminals before he met
Agnes, and is of limited help to her. Agnes chose him to be her priest in the lead up to
her execution because he had met him before, when he helped her to cross a flooded
river in the past. Toti suffers a crisis of confidence in his ability as a clergyman
because of Agnes lack of interest in religion, but eventually finds that when he
allows her to talk about her life, both of them are better able to sympathise with each
other. Toti is selfless and travels to see Agnes despite serious illness, eventually
preparing her for her execution despite his physical weakness. This demonstrates his
utter commitment to his duty and to Agnes.
Agnes and Natan: Their relationship is the catalyst for the story. Agnes fell in love
with Natan when she first met him in Geitaskard. He led her to believe that he wanted
her to be his housekeeper at Illugastadir. However, in Agnes recounts, she reveals
Natan to be a manipulative and unkind person. He mistreated Agnes and was prone to
fits of anger. Agnes claimed that she stabbed him in the stomach to put him out of his
misery. It is not known if she regrets this, but she reacts at his name because she
killed him with her own hands.
Agnes and Toti: Agnes believes she is linked to Toti, which is why she requested
him to be her priest preparing her for her execution. At first, when they meet, Toti
does not know how to relate to her, but offers instead a sympathetic ear. Gradually,
they grow to trust each other, and Toti realises that her words had been twisted by the
justice system, and as a result her version of the facts had been silenced. He helps
Agnes realise that her story was valid. Toti is fully committed to Agnes and treats her
humanely and with dignity. He ultimately stands by her, offering him comfort as she
rose to meet her execution.
Agnes and Margret: Their relationship evolves throughout the novel from one of
servant-master to mother-child. Like the rest of her family, Margret is resentful when
she first learned that Agnes was to be placed with her family. However, Margret
treated Agnes humanely, albeit slightly tersely. Margret assures Agnes her personal
freedom, taking off her cuffs and bringing her new clothes to wear. Eventually,
Margret becomes a mother figure to her, recognising that both of them are about to
die. In the final scenes, Margret lays out a set of clothes for Agnes before her
execution, including Laugas brooch.
4. Important Quotes:
Agnes: It seems that with each passing day I become more like an animal to them,
another dull-eyed beast to feed with what can be scraped together. (p. 29)
Agnes: My soul blossomed in that brief moment as they led me out of doors (p. 34)
Agnes: Everything I said was taken from me and altered until the story wasnt my
own (p. 100)
Agnes: To know what a person has done, and to know who a person is, are very
different things (p. 107)
Agnes: No matter how much you try to live a godly life, if you make a mistake in
this valley, its never forgotten. (p. 108)
Agnes: Looking down, I see that Margret has extended her hand. I take it, and the
feel of her skin is like paper. (p. 207)
Margret: Shes nothing like how I imagined a murderessshe sleeps, she works, she
eats. All in silence, though. (p. 116)
Margret: You are not a monster, to Agnes. (p. 323)
Toti: And what of the son of God? Did he die only for the righteous? Toti going to
see Agnes despite his illness.
5. Essay Questions:
I understand that these people did not see me. I was two dead men. I was a burning
farm. I was a knife. I was blood. Discuss how the readers perspective of Agnes is
formed in the novel.
Introduce novel, author and subject matter
Briefly link characters to the themes discussed in the prompt
Explain keywords such as perspective
Tell the reader what the author hopes to achieve
Hannah Kents novel Burial Rites explores the events of the final months of the life of Agnes
Magnsdttir, the last person executed in Iceland. In her Authors note, Kent observes that
many of the published works dealing with Agnes present her as an inhumane witch, stirring
up murder, but Kent goes on to explain that Burial Rites was written to supply a more
ambiguous portrayal of this woman. This ambiguity is fuelled by the very fabric of the novel,
which is composed of many narrative voices and forms, such as official documents and
letters. Through this complex structure we follow Agness story through the viewpoints and
actions of others; however, their unreliability as narrators are clear in their personal
prejudices: I understand that these people did not see me. In this way, Kent creates a
perspective of Agness character that shifts and changes for the reader to the very end.
Begin with a clear topic sentence
Use 1-2 quotes that should be sufficient
Look at the viewpoints of other characters
Kents stated intention to present a more ambiguous portrayal of Agnes is evident
from the very start of the novel. The reader first meets Agnes as she sits alone, meditating
upon her imminent death. She likens human lives to the flickering flame of a candle, so easily
snuffed out. In the prologue, her anger is directed at the men who intend to blow out her life
and send it away in a grey wreath of smoke. For Agnes, her death is part of a conspiracy:
They will blow us all out, one by one, until it is only their own light by which they see
themselves. This also points to the fact that we see Agnes through the biased perspectives of
the other characters viewpoints: men like Bjorn Blndal, the District Commissioner, Fridrik
and Natan men who are convinced of their own rightness in all things. This also applies to
Rsln, and the other folk who accept the official version of the events at Illugastradir.
Explain how characters develop as the story progresses
Remember to link your explanation back to the topic sentence and the main
themes
It is gradually revealed throughout the course of the novel that Agnes is a multifaceted
character, and that her negative portrayal by the authorities is both unsubstantiated
and a product of their bigoted conservatism. Blndal presents the reader with a negative
view of Agness character, describing her as a woman loose with her emotions and looser
with her morals. He tells the young Assistant Reverend Tti that, Like many older servant
women she is practised in the art of deception. Blndal had been in charge of the
investigation of the murders, and his mind was made up on the issue of Agness role long
before the trial. In his view, it was Agnes who was behind a plot to commit the murders. She
was, after all, in her thirties; Fridrik was a boy of 17 or 18, and Sigga was 16. His certainty
was not based on the evidence presented in the case; it emerged from his self - importance
and prejudices: he did not see Agnes as a human, but a rather as a reflection of his
prejudices. These aspects of his personality are shown by the tone of his letters, in the tone of
his voice when he speaks to Steina and Lauga, and in his cavalier references to Agnes
character and deeds. Unfortunately, history is often written by those in power, and the
presence of the official documents included in the text provides what appears to be an
authoritative but one-sided account of her life story. It is this interpretation that
Hannah Kent seeks to challenge by presenting the story from Agnes own point of view.
Compare and contrast the main themes of the novel and their associated
characters/events
Conclude by stating what the author has achieved, and how she has achieved it
Kent thus contrasts the dominant, male-dominated narrative provided by the
authorities with a humane and more intimate exchange between Agnes and Margret in
the domestic sphere, and also between Agnes and Toti, who acts as a redemptory figure.
As Agnes said, to know what a person has done, and to know who a person is, are very
different things. It was Margret who put aside her initial misgivings about taking a prisoner
in, fed her, clothed her, put her to work and treated her humanely. In doing so, Margret comes
to appreciate Agnes qualities as a diligent, uncomplaining and loyal person, whose humanity
has been compromised by her many disadvantages in life. Together, they contemplate the
value of life, and the connection of individuals voice with her biography, which is to say
how he or she will be remembered by the people.
Agnes redemption comes full circle when Margret recognises that she is not a monster,
and when Toti sacrifices his health to be with Agnes once last time before her execution.
Through their actions, they are able to share and re-invigorate some of the human qualities
that they possess and that Agnes once held dear to her. In this way, Kent hopes to provide a
compelling narrative counterpoint; one that liberates Agnes from her shell to emerge as
a wholly human character to the reader.
'All Agnes has wanted in life is be loved and it is because of love she is executed.' Discuss:
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is a work of historical fiction that reimagines the life and death
of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed in Iceland. Hannah portrays love as
one of the major themes of the novel and it plays a signifiant role in Agnes' miserable life,
working as a double-edge sword against her. Agnes was been established as a lonely women
who hungers for emotional intimacy, and all she had wanted in her unstable life was to be
loved and understood by others. However, Agnes's strong concept of self-identity, her
romantic misfortune and her broken family background combine to render her dream
unachievable for her. Although love does bring her temporary happiness, it is also the source
of physical and mental abuse for her, and could arguably be construed as the reason for her
execution.
Agnes' uncommon self-identity and tragic family background gives rise to her loneliness
and engenders within her a deep hunger to be loved. According to the Icelanders'
traditional patronymic naming system, a child's last name is derived from his or her father's
first name, together with an affixation of son or -dottir. However, Agnes's last name is
derived from a servant who falls for her mother instead of her real father who is a married
man. Thus, she was typecasted as an illegitimate child in the community and was subject to
discrimination in a traditionally conservative society bound by the strict ordering of families.
As a result, the townsfolk believe that no doves come from raven's eggs, which belittles
Agnes by equating her to her supposedly promiscuous mother. Agnes's biological mother left
her without saying anything when she was 6-year-old girl. After her foster mamma, Inv who
generously give Agnes love died, her trauma was unmendable. Furthermore, her involvement
in Natan's murder case has also marked her as criminal. As a result, people refuse to view
her for who she is; instead, they see her as two dead men, a burning farm, a knife and blood.
Others' repulsion and misunderstanding makes her more lonely. Just as she says, how other
people think of you determines who you are. Agnes alienation from society is
compounded by their discrimination and deliberate misunderstanding, and she
attempts to compensate for this by seeking to be the object of others desire.
Love does bring a temporary happiness to Agnes, but unfortunately, it causes more
losses in Agnes' life. When Agnes meets Natan for the first time, "he offered me friendship
and I was pleased to have it, for I had precious few friends about me." Natans attention
causes Agnes to love him blindly without thinking of his potential agenda because "for the
first time in [her] life", someone saw her for who she was. Love does support her to think
positively and view the world in a positive way. Although Illugastadir which is not what she
expected when she first arrives, she still believes that her life is going to improve at Natan's
farm. By having sex with Natan, she can't help but think that "I love him because he made me
feel I was enough". However, this happiness was fleeting. Natan manipulates others'
emotions "he always knew what to say to people; what would make them feel good. And
what would cut deepest." He breaks his words to Agnes by making her his mistress, and
Agnes finds out that Natan's true character whose temper is as changeable as the ocean and
only uses her for his pleasure. Because of love, she even loses her friendship with Maria
"the more Natan saw of me, the less inclined everyone else was to be friendly". Both
physical and mental losses "brought a new kind of loneliness" to Agnes, which
highlights how much love had costed her.
All Agnes has wanted in her life is to be loved, however, she loses her life also because of
it. Love in the form of romance fills Agnes's lonely heart, but also blinds her to Natans
faults. Her love towards Natan creates a cage for herself. She decides to work in Illugastadir
without hesitation and she has no chance to move away afterwards, for it was an isolated
place "almost on the edge of the world". Her involvement in Natan's murder case is another
tragedy in her life, where she ends Natan's life to spare him further suffering and yet becomes
a murderess, an evil creature in others' eyes. No one gives her chance to speak out. No one
wants to hear the motive for her action. She loses the only person she had ever loved in her
whole life. On January 12, 1830, the 33year-old Agnes was beheaded by an axe.
During Agnes's life, her heart was filled with loneliness caused by her family's abandonment,
her lover's betrayal, her peers jealously and society's discrimination. Her loneliness drove
her strong desire to be loved by others. Love from her foster-mother and Natan only gave her
short-term pleasure. Ironically, it this could have been the most dangerous thing for
Agnes, because it took her freedom, mind and even life away from her.
