Agnes of God is a dramatic play by American playwright John Pielmeier, which premiered in 1979 at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. It is set at a convent, where a novice nun named Agnes unexpectedly gives birth to a baby that dies shortly after the birth. During the ensuing investigation, a psychiatrist and the Mother Superior clash, as the psychiatrist is determined to get to the bottom of the events at the convent. The play explores themes of Science and Religion as Competing Arbiters of Truth, The Rationalization of Harm Through Faith, and The Sexual Politics of Sin and Purity.

Agnes of God was critically acclaimed and had a successful 1982 Broadway run that was nominated for two Tony awards. It later went on to play at the Greenwich Theatre in London. It is most widely known for the 1985 film adaptation, directed by Norman Jewison and starring Meg Tilly, Anne Bancroft, and Jane Fonda in the three leading roles. 

This guide is based on the 1982 Samuel French edition of the play.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of death, child death, mental illness, sexual violence, rape, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, substance use, addiction, self-harm, disordered eating, sexual content, child sexual abuse, gender discrimination, ableism, graphic violence, and pregnancy termination.

Plot Summary

The play opens with Dr. Martha Livingstone, a court-appointed psychiatrist, arriving at a convent to evaluate Agnes, a young novice nun accused of killing her newborn child. The child was discovered strangled in Agnes’s room, wrapped in bloody sheets and hidden in a wastebasket. Agnes claims to remember little about the event and insists that she does not understand how she became pregnant. Miriam Ruth, the Mother Superior, pushes back against Dr. Livingstone’s investigation, believing Agnes to be innocent and spiritually touched rather than someone experiencing a mental illness.

Dr. Livingstone begins a series of interviews with Agnes and quickly observes her childlike demeanor, her emotional fragility, and her profound religious devotion. Agnes frequently sings hymns and speaks in simple, literal terms. When questioned about the pregnancy, she states that the baby grew inside her and implies that its origin was divine rather than physical. Dr. Livingstone becomes increasingly determined to uncover the truth, while Mother Miriam attempts to shield Agnes from what she sees as an invasive and destructive inquiry.

Through conversations with Mother Miriam, Dr. Livingstone learns about Agnes’s background. Agnes was raised in isolation by an abusive mother who kept her out of school and exposed her to religious delusions. After her mother’s death, Agnes was sent to the convent at age 17, where she appears peaceful and devout. Further questioning, however, reveals that Agnes experienced severe physical and sexual abuse. She was humiliated, controlled, and harmed by her mother. These experiences continue to shape her sense of guilt and fear.

Dr. Livingstone requests permission to hypnotize Agnes to access repressed memories. Agnes agrees and—under hypnosis—begins to recall fragmented details of the night she gave birth. She describes being alone in her room, in pain, and convinced that she had been poisoned. She experienced intense contractions and fear, believing that the other nuns were absent and could not hear her. During the hypnosis, she reacts as if someone else is present in the room, pleading for them to leave and accusing them of trying to harm her and take her baby.

Mother Miriam interrupts the session, disturbed by Agnes’s distress, but Dr. Livingstone insists on continuing. Agnes eventually identifies the presence in the room as her mother, suggesting that her hallucinations are tied to past trauma. After the session, the tension between Dr. Livingstone and Mother Miriam escalates. Dr. Livingstone argues that Agnes requires treatment, while Mother Miriam maintains that Agnes may be the subject of a miracle and should be protected from psychological interference.

Dr. Livingstone becomes increasingly obsessed with the case, experiencing vivid dreams and emotional turmoil. In one dream, she imagines performing a cesarean operation and being drawn into the body of the patient. She wakes to find herself bleeding despite not having menstruated for years. This experience unsettles her and deepens her personal involvement. She obtains a court order to continue treating Agnes, convinced that she is close to uncovering the truth.

In a confrontation with Mother Miriam, Dr. Livingstone forces her to admit that she knew about Agnes’s pregnancy before the birth but chose to keep it secret to avoid scandal. Mother Miriam reveals that she planned to arrange for the baby to be taken away quietly, but the situation escalated before she could act. Dr. Livingstone accuses her of negligence and possible involvement in the child’s death, suggesting that she may have attempted to dispose of the baby during the birth.

Dr. Livingstone conducts a second hypnosis session, focusing on an earlier event in which Agnes experienced a vision and began bleeding from her hands. Under hypnosis, Agnes recalls seeing a figure in her room and describes a vivid, symbolic vision involving light, blood, and divine presence. She becomes overwhelmed, expressing both awe and terror, and eventually identifies the figure as God. Dr. Livingstone interprets this as evidence of psychological trauma, possibly linked to sexual assault, while Mother Miriam views it as a sign of divine contact.

Dr. Livingstone presses Agnes further about the birth of the baby. Agnes initially resists but eventually admits that the child was born alive. She recalls that Mother Miriam was present and then left her alone with the infant. Believing the baby to be a mistake and fearing its existence, Agnes states that she decided to give it back to God. She confesses to tying the umbilical cord around the baby’s neck, wrapping it in sheets, and placing it in the wastebasket.

Mother Miriam reacts with grief and anger, acknowledging that Agnes has remembered the truth. She accuses Dr. Livingstone of destroying Agnes’s innocence by forcing her to confront reality. Agnes, meanwhile, appears increasingly detached, speaking to unseen figures and reliving past experiences of abuse and religious imagery. She expresses fear of abandonment and punishment.

In the aftermath, Dr. Livingstone withdraws from the case. Agnes is placed in a hospital, where her condition deteriorates. She stops eating and singing. Eventually, she dies. Dr. Livingstone reflects on the events, questioning the nature of what she witnessed. She considers whether Agnes’s experiences were purely psychological or if they contained elements of something beyond rational explanation.

The play concludes with Dr. Livingstone expressing uncertainty about the meaning of Agnes’s life and death. She questions whether Agnes was a victim of abuse, a murderer, or a figure touched by something extraordinary. Dr. Livingstone admits a desire to believe that Agnes was blessed, despite the lack of evidence. She is left with unresolved questions.