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Symbolism Of Ophelia's Flowers In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

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Ophelia's Flowers Flowers have been an incredible part of different societies for generations; flora has expressed and symbolized every social message that can be imparted to another, causing this phenomenon to make its way into the theatre. Hamlet is a wonderful picture of this showing the earliest impact flowers have had on theatre, entertainment, and culture. Although no one coined the technical term floriography until the early 1700s, the concept of plant symbolism has existed for an untraceable amount of time (Weiner). Ophelia’s fennel, columbines, daisies, and violets show that flowers were a part of the culture in the Elizabethan era; however, history shows that floriography as a concept did not. As stated before, flowers …show more content…

Even though her songs and insanity, she was lucid enough that her floral messages were intentional quips and attacks; additionally, the Shakespearian and Elizabethan eras were a time of sacred politeness, meaning that even were Ophelia sane, she could not have felt free to express her opinions in words for fear of the ridicule she would have endured in their face. Consequently, Shakespeare created a setting for Ophelia's flowers. Because of the cultural implications of extreme civility and politeness regarding social standing and appearance, everyone (especially women) would have understood the messages that Ophelia was sending even without her singing what they were (Huntington). With that said, the plants the princess used were these: rosemary for remembrance and faithfulness would go to her beloved brother Laertes, urging him to remember what happened to their father and help her; pansies, also refer to her brother for thoughts in addition to remembrance. However, the king’s “gift” is not heartfelt, Ophelia gives him fennel representing false flattery that fades as quickly as the root itself, and Columbines symbolizing adultery, ingratitude, faithlessness, and foolishness. Rue, a message of adultery, everlasting suffering, and womanly repentance, is given to her mother, the queen. By this, she draws attention to the suffering caused by her disgusting and almost adulterous actions. A frail daisy, Ophelia does not give …show more content…

Social convention imposed severe restrictions on what could be expressed directly, so people used flowers to flirt and send secret messages. ‘Le Langage des Fleurs’, the first dictionary to explain the meanings behind various flowers, was published in 1819 in Paris and introduced a code that became extremely popular with the middle and upper classes of Victorian society, who were bound by strict etiquette. Popular floral meanings in the Victorian era included honeysuckle for the sweetness and bonds of love, and roses representing love – a symbol still understood today. Messages were traditionally conveyed via bouquets of herbs and flowers called ‘tussie-mussies’; the receiver would respond by holding the bouquet in a certain way to display acceptance, acknowledgment, and approval. (“Floriography | The Victorian Language of

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"I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died." (Act 4, Scene 5). This quote reveals Ophelia's depression following the death of her father, with her inability to enjoy even small things such as flowers. Her words suggest a sense of mourning and a lack of hope or joy. The idea that the violets have withered away mirrors the loss and decay Ophelia is experiencing in her own life, contributing to her

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Garden Motif in Hamlet The garden motif in Hamlet contributes to characterization and theme. The character Ophelia finds characterization within the motif, and the theme of corruption is depicted through the garden motif. Flowers and weeds, the most common representations of the garden motif, are intimately intertwined with Ophelia’s characterization. Initially, the flowers speak to Ophelia’s innocence and purity.

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(Shakespeare 4.5.199-201, 204-209)” From the quote above the reader clearly starts to realize that Ophelia is giving someone flowers. As Ophelia states a flower's name she would then

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As the innocent victim of Hamlet’s feigned madness, Ophelia’s insanity is a product of her inability to cope with Hamlet and her father’s death. Her songs show hidden grief and sorrow; her flowers represent the fact that beneath the innocent exterior, there is a weakness or flaw in everyone. Hamlet was able to look past his grief for his father’s death, but he caused someone he loves to be in pain. Whether it is the frailty of women, sorrow, or death, anything, including love, can appear to be pleasant, but can be the ultimate cause of a person’s

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The violets symbolize faithfulness, but Ophelia states that they all died with her father, giving us a theory that her faithfulness in her father died with him. He may have controlled her when he was alive, but now that he is dead, he no longer has that emotional hold on her. When Ophelia dies, the Queen comes to relay the message that Ophelia has died. She states, ¨One incapable of her own distress¨(4-7-203). The Queen wants us to believe that the insanity was too much for poor Ophelia.

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The “crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples” are all very important because they are coded in flower language (169). Crow-flowers symbolize childishness and indicate the loss of Ophelia’s mature mind. The nettles represent Ophelia’s pain over losing her father, Polonius, and her lover, Hamlet. Daisies represent Ophelia’s innocence or purity (their white

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Then Hamlet lies to her saying he never really loved her which made her situation worse. And she was set up to see why hamlet is acting crazy and is spied on by Claudius to see where hamlet is week. So, as you can see Ophelia is put

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This is best shown when Ophelia starts to ramble on about flowers. “There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies that's for thoughts.” (Hamlet.

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The character of Ophelia is well known for her tragic ending in Hamlet. She was driven mad by her love for Hamlet and her father’s death; she tragically drowned and died because of the separation from the men she loved most. Ophelia was instructed by her father, Polonius, to break off her relationship with

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Sometimes in life people do not portray things how the really mean to. Sometimes people treat the people they truly love harshly. Sort of like how in the play of Hamlet, Hamlet acts like he does not really love Ophelia. But, in the tragedy of Hamlet, the protagonist, Hamlet, really did love Ophelia. This can be seen through his actions toward her before he found out about his father’s death being a murder, pretending to be crazy simply to prove to the king and Polonius, and by his actions after Ophelia 's death.

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Ophelia was the daughter of polonius, the love interest of hamlet who was brutally torn up mentally throughout the novel. At the beginning of the novel all was well for her as well, her boyfriend was off at college and she was perfectly fine at home with her father. It was until her father took away a note from hamlet to her that things started going downhill. She was a weak person not like hamlet who when faced with injustice takes thing into his own hands to seek justice or revenge. She was a quite simple girl who had a gentler soul.

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Ophelia is grieving the loss of her father after Hamlet kills him. Ophelia doesn't know that Hamlet killed her father. But Ophelia has gone mad from learning about her father's death. Also, after Hamlet telling Ophelia that she needs to go to a nunnery, Ophelia is a little bit discouraged. She is discouraged because Hamlet had told her before that if Ophelia would sleep with him that they would get married.

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In “Hamlet” a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, the death of a character is an occurring event. William Shakespeare uses imagery and allusion to demonstrate the result of manipulation from other characters upon Ophelia, daughter of Polonius, and leading up to her death. Her death was not the consequence of disgraceful actions of her own, but rather by the involvement of others and their influence on her life. Hamlet’s apparent rejection of her love and her father’s personal vindictive leads up to her simple-minded state, entering a world of madness. She has now gone mad, singings nonsense songs and giving people flowers that she has picked from the garden.

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