Agnes (Aunt Victoria) decides to become an Aunt instead of marrying Commander Judd

Agnes Jemima, the daughter of the late Tabitha and the stepdaughter of the manipulative Paula, was being forced into a marriage with Commander Judd, a man whose previous wives had all died under suspicious circumstances. Facing a future she found unbearable, Agnes made the desperate decision to become an Aunt, a choice that would fundamentally alter the course of her life and ultimately lead her out of Gilead.

Desperation and the Call to Higher Service

With only three days left before her wedding, Agnes was in a state of utter despair. She had been presented with three candidates for marriage, but Paula and Commander Kyle had already decided on Commander Judd, the most powerful and terrifying of the three. Agnes lay in bed at night, picturing each of the eligible men on top of her, trying to shove his loathsome appendage into her stone-cold body. She considered running away, but had no notion of geography and knew she would be pursued. She contemplated suicide, thinking of the secateurs Becka had used, or a bathrobe sash, or bleach, but she lacked the resolve. It was in this state of desperation that Aunt Lydia paid her a visit. Aunt Lydia told Agnes that her friend Becka was safe and happy at Ardua Hall, having chosen to become an Aunt. She hinted that if Agnes herself had a "calling" to higher service, she still had time to tell them, but that she must make the first approach herself. This was the opening Agnes needed.

The Risky Escape to Ardua Hall

Agnes devised a plan to contact Aunt Estée, her former teacher. She asked Paula if she could visit Shunammite to discuss her wedding dress, and Paula agreed. At Shunammite's house, Agnes pretended to admire the dress and then asked to see Aunt Lorna. After that, she asked her Guardian driver to stop by her old school so she could thank Aunt Estée. When the driver hesitated, Agnes used the only power she had: she placed her hand on his and hinted at future rewards from her powerful husband-to-be, then pulled her skirt up just a little to display an ankle. The driver complied. At the school, Agnes broke down in front of Aunt Estée, confessing that she would kill herself before marrying Commander Judd. Aunt Estée, understanding the gravity of the situation, took Agnes to Ardua Hall for safekeeping, telling her Guardian driver that she would take responsibility for the girl.

The Interviews and Acceptance

Paula came to Ardua Hall to try to force Agnes to return home, but Aunt Lydia intervened. After a private conversation, Paula left looking sick, and Commander Kyle signed the formal permission granting authority over Agnes to the Aunts. Agnes then had to undergo interviews with the Founding Aunts. With Aunt Elizabeth, she spoke of dedication to the greater good. With Aunt Helena, she was dismissed as boring. With Aunt Vidala, she groveled and humbled herself, praising Vidala as a shining example. Her final interview was with Aunt Lydia, who welcomed her and revealed that she had already proposed Shunammite as a more appropriate wife for Commander Judd. Agnes was accepted as a Supplicant.

A New Life and Hidden Knowledge

At Ardua Hall, Agnes was reunited with Becka, now called Aunt Immortelle. She began the difficult process of learning to read, a skill forbidden to most women in Gilead. She was given a room with a desk and a book, and Becka helped her decipher the marks on the page. Agnes passed her six-month examination and was accepted as a permanent Supplicant. She was given access to the Hildegard Library and, eventually, the Reading Room, where she had her own desk. One of her tasks was to make fair copies of Aunt Lydia's speeches. It was there that she began to find secret files left on her desk—blue folders containing the crimes of Wives, black folders for Commanders. She learned the truth about her stepmother Paula's murder of her first husband, and the true nature of Commander Judd, who had disposed of all his previous wives. This hidden knowledge hardened her and prepared her for the role she would eventually play in Gilead's downfall.

The character of Agnes has been central to the television adaptation of The Testaments, which was developed in coordination with the ongoing The Handmaid's Tale series. Atwood kept the producers informed of the sequel's direction, ensuring that character arcs in the show would not conflict with the novel's events. In March 2023, Bruce Miller stepped down as showrunner of The Handmaid's Tale to focus on adapting The Testaments. By February 2025, the series was nearing a greenlight, with Chase Infiniti cast as Agnes, joining Ann Dowd, who was expected to reprise her role as Aunt Lydia. The series was officially ordered by Hulu in April 2025, with Miller and Warren Littlefield executive producing alongside Elisabeth Moss and others. Mike Barker was set to direct the first three episodes, and the cast expanded to include Lucy Halliday as Daisy, Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite, and Mattea Conforti as Becka.