BlogEnglishThe Extensive Guide to Analysing ‘Burial Rites’ for English: Summary, Context, Themes & Characters

The Extensive Guide to Analysing ‘Burial Rites’ for English: Summary, Context, Themes & Characters

Raven in flight with wings outstreched - Burial Rites Study Guide

Required to read Burial Rites for English and wish you had a study guide to make it simpler to understand?

We’ve got just what you need! We’ll take you through a summary of Burial Rites, the key characters, context and themes, and you can even download a copy of our analysed textual examples with a sample paragraph.

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Burial Rites Summary
Key Characters in Burial Rites
Context
Themes Explored in Burial Rites
Analysis of Burial Rites

Summary of Burial Rites

Agnes Magnúsdottir, an Icelandic woman, is to be executed as she was involved in the murder of her farmer employer and lover, Natan Kettillson and another man named Pétur Jónsson. She is to face judgement along with her teenage accomplices Fridrik Sigurdsson and Sigrídur Gudmundsdóttir

She is confined to a government-imposed house arrest at the farm of District Commissioner Jon Jónsson and his family, awaiting execution. To psychologically prepare for her imminent demise, she seeks the advice of a spiritual counsellor Reverend Tóti.

Agnes’ guilt, or possible innocence is by far the most important, unanswered central plot point, that is never revealed, even towards the end of the book. Reverend Tóti’s questions offer a glimpse into Agnes’ past, her struggles during childhood, as well as the despicable nature of her lover Natan.

Nevertheless, the book is narrated through various character points and perspectives that complete the emotional weight of the novel. It is set up as a trial, where readers are brought to judge Agnes, despite her fate being already sealed.

Symbol of law and scales of justice on wooden table in Legal office

The Jónsson family who are housing Agnes until execution are diffident and appalled at first of having a murderer (that allegedly killed one of their family members) in their home. Through service work for the family however, Agnes gains sympathy from the household, and despite being single-minded at first, the Jónsson start to doubt and debate the guilt of Agnes.

Coincidentally, the Jónsson farm also happens to be Agnes’ childhood home, shared with her foster mother. It seems that her status has transformed from victim of abuse in the past, to alleged abuser in the present (murderer in this case). 

The family vouch for Agnes, as well as Tóti, as they learn that Agnes had nothing to do with Pétur’s murder, and stabbed Natan out of mercy (to put him out of his misery as he had been mortally wounded by her ‘accomplices’), still participating in the occultation of evidence by burning the murder scene to the ground.

Nevertheless, the commissioner Björn Blöndal remains adamant about the need for execution. As Agnes gracefully embraces death, audiences are left in moral indecision as to her guilt or innocence. 

Key Characters in Burial Rites

Due to the book’s characteristics, the main characters are few, well developed and are easy to unpack, as very little is left unexplained about them. The writer, through different points of view, makes their personalities transparent and clear. 

Agnes

Having suffered from both abandonment and the traumatic death of her foster mother Agnes remains a good person that suffers terribly due to fate. She does not deserve to die really, and her relationship problems with Natan are Natan’s complete fault.

We are shown how compassionate she is when she decides to end Natan’s suffering, and how good spirited she is when she works to gain the respect of the Jónsson family. Agnes is very intelligent, something that others do not seem to recognise. 

Reverend Tóti

The writer uses this character as a tool to reveal as much as possible about Agnes to the audience. Hence the deep questions asked to the protagonist. This character is less of a character and more of an instrument. 

The Jónsson Family

The family in its completeness represents readers. Yes — think of the book as a trial that has no outcome on the fate of Agnes, that is already sealed.

The family asks the same questions we do, and feels the same things we do as we learn more about Agnes and try to establish whether she deserves her fate or not. The family does the exact same thing.

Natan

Natan brings his fate upon himself. The jealousy and hate he draws on himself, and that eventually ends up getting him killed are a result of his harsh personality as well as his manipulative and controlling nature towards Agnes.

Despite this, it isn’t Agnes that strikes him. Nevertheless, she does end his life, either out of compassion or revenge — that is for you to determine. 

Björn

Björn and Natan have a very close relationship, as the latter saved the life of his wife from an illness. It is no surprise that Björn wants to make an example of Agnes and Fridrik.

It evidences how those that are in the power to exact justice are not always unbiased in their decisions. 

Context of Burial Rites

Illugastaðir farm

Image sourced from Jennifer Boyer (Flickr)

The book is set in early 1800s Iceland, a brutal place in terms of living conditions and social mobility. There is a constant struggle to live, unlike mainland Europe where living conditions are much better (the European lifestyle is only shared by those Icelanders of high social class).

Women’s position isn’t great either as you can imagine, and a society wrought with so many faults is susceptible to harsh punishments and judgements, to maintain relative peace and discourage revolt. Agnes, through sheer fate and in no fault of her own, is forced to lead a miserable life.

Themes Explored in Burial Rites

The book stands on three pillars, the existence and morality of which are explored deeply in the novel.

Truth

Due to the highly religious (Lutheranism) context of Iceland at this time, truth is seen as a way to liberation by those that are religious, like Tóti. For those that have experienced the backhand of fate, however, truth is almost non-existent, apart from your basic facts (like “fire burns” and “2 + 2 = 4”).

For Agnes, figurative truth doesn’t exist, as she is executed even though readers and some characters become aware of the fact that she had no murderous intent, and at worst acted out of mercy. Telling the truth doesn’t get her freedom, and definitely has no bearing in evading her death sentence. 

The physical isolation of Iceland also means that physical communications of news via radio or telegram are difficult. What people hear are rumours rather than the truth. 

Justice

Gavel

This theme goes hand in hand with the previous one. As explained above, due to the low value that Icelandic society at the time placed on truth, justice isn’t served by those who uphold truth, but by those with power.

Can we really call it justice then? You need to be the judge of this. 

Hierarchies

There are good ways and bad ways to build hierarchical societies. A bad one would be to give out judicial positions not based on merit, but based on wealth, and judge those on trial not based on deeds, but social status and wealth.

Björn is a prominent example of this. He doesn’t seem to have any typical qualities that would make him an impartial judge. He doesn’t just execute Agnes (who is effectively a low-life and has been for all her life) because he thinks she deserves it, but because he can. 

How to Analyse Burial Rites in 3 Steps

Step 1: Choose your example

The best way to choose an example is to choose a technique. Remember you must include stylistic devices (how images and words are arranged in a text in order to produce meaning), and aesthetic features (elements that prompt a critical response from the reader) in your essays to gain the most marks. 

We’ve made this even easier with our list of quotes from Burial Rites here!

In this case we will use the quote: 

“They will say ‘Agnes’ and see the spider, the witch caught in the webbing of her own fateful weaving. They might see the lamb circled by ravens, bleating for a lost mother. But they will not see me”

Step 2: Identify your technique(s)

The writer here is playing with powerful metaphors. Getting into the head of the execution’s future onlookers, Agnes characterises herself as an innocent lamb or as an evil spider caught in its own web. There is a stress, thus, in the question of her innocence. 

Step 3: Write the analysis

Always be ready to ask yourself what the author intended you to feel/respond emotionally by reading the example quote. This will make sure that you tackle an important part of the analysis, which is the effect on the reader:

The writer masterfully utilises metaphors to provoke careful moral considerations about Agnes in the minds of audiences, especially with regards to her guilt. Agnes metaphorically likens herself to a clumsy spider, trapped and condemned by her own ‘web’, or deeds, or a lamb, a symbolically innocent animal about to be eaten alive by ravens. 

If you’d like some additional examples of how to understand the effect of an excerpt of text, download our sample TEE table below!

Need some help analysing other texts?

Check out other texts (aside from Burial Rites) we’ve created study guides for below:

Practice questions for the QCE English External Exam to help you ace the EA!

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Vittorio Manessi is an Art of Smart tutor based in Queensland studying environmental science. He was one of the first Year 12 students to study under the new ATAR system in Queensland. He enjoys Maths, Science, English and Ancient History and is keen to share his knowledge of the QCE by making awesome resources.

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