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4114800-11430000OPHELIA’S FLOWERSOPHELIAThere’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, that’s for thoughts.LAERTESA document in madness; thoughts and re-membrance fitted.OPHELIAThere’s fennel for you, and columbines.There’s rue for you, and here’s some for me; wemay call it herb of grace o’Sundays. You (must) wearyour rue with a difference. There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they withered all whenmy father died. They say he made a good end.Rosemary The distilled water of the ‘floures of Rosemary being drunke at morning and evening first and last, taketh away the stench of the mouth and breath, and maketh very sweet, if there be added thereto, to steep or infuse for certaine daies, a few Cloves, Mace, Cinnamon, and a little Annise seed.The Arabians and other Physitions succeeding, do write, that Rosemary comforteth the braine, the memorie, the inward senses, and restoreth speeth unto them that are possessed with the dumbe palsie, especially the conserve made of the floures and sugar, or any other way confected with sugar, being taken every day fasting. 0912495Rosemary (B): Most memorable is Ophelia who distributes plants with sadness and deliberation so that they speak in a very different way…The likely recipient is Laertes who responds, “A document in madness” (Line 175)…rosemary is a common component of the marriage bouquet but is also placed on the deceased. (Thomas and Faircloth 297)00Rosemary (B): Most memorable is Ophelia who distributes plants with sadness and deliberation so that they speak in a very different way…The likely recipient is Laertes who responds, “A document in madness” (Line 175)…rosemary is a common component of the marriage bouquet but is also placed on the deceased. (Thomas and Faircloth 297)The floures made up into plates with Sugar after the manner of Sugar Roset and eaten, comfort the heart, and make it merry, quicken the spirits, and make them more lively. (Gerard 1292)Pansies0904240Pansy (B): Ophelia chooses to distribute plants to key figures, presumably as a mode of expression suited to her mental state, and possibly out of a need to communicate her feelings obliquely rather than directly…Pansies were planted at Theobolds for the Queen’s visit to symbolize thoughts, love, and courtship. (Thomas and Faircloth 256)00Pansy (B): Ophelia chooses to distribute plants to key figures, presumably as a mode of expression suited to her mental state, and possibly out of a need to communicate her feelings obliquely rather than directly…Pansies were planted at Theobolds for the Queen’s visit to symbolize thoughts, love, and courtship. (Thomas and Faircloth 256)The Hearts-ease or Pansie…[is] pleasing to the eye, for smel they have little or none at all. The Hearts-ease growth in fields in many places, and in gardens also, and that oftentimes of it selfe: it is more gallant and beautiful than any of the wilde ones. (Gerard 173)Fennell0964565Fennel (B): Editors have failed to agree on the recipients of Ophelia’s gift...some believe it to be Claudius – fennel for flattery and columbine for ingratitude. (C): …Shakespeare was playing on the knowledge of his audience that Ophelia’s flowers were linked by their use as an antidote to poison and for their sexual connotations. (Thomas and Faircloth 124-125)00Fennel (B): Editors have failed to agree on the recipients of Ophelia’s gift...some believe it to be Claudius – fennel for flattery and columbine for ingratitude. (C): …Shakespeare was playing on the knowledge of his audience that Ophelia’s flowers were linked by their use as an antidote to poison and for their sexual connotations. (Thomas and Faircloth 124-125)The pouder of the seed of Fennell drunke for certaine daies together fasting preserveth the eye-sight: whereof was written this Distichon following: Of Fennell Roses, Vervain, Rue, and Celandine, Is made a water good to cleare the sight of eine. (Gerard 1032)ColumbineThey are set and sowne in gardens for the beautie and variable colour of the floures…They are used especially to decke the gardens of the curious garlands and houses. (Gerard 1093-1094)0224790Columbine (A): Its name was suggested by the flowerer’s apparent resemblance to the shape of a dove…but it was also associated with sexuality and cuckoldry from the horned shape of the flowers. (B): Though horns generally signify the cuckold himself, they can also refer to the woman who provides the horns. (C) Gerard (1597) says Columbine speeds childbirth, and Rowland (1981) records the medieval use as a contraceptive. (Thomas and Faircloth 297)00Columbine (A): Its name was suggested by the flowerer’s apparent resemblance to the shape of a dove…but it was also associated with sexuality and cuckoldry from the horned shape of the flowers. (B): Though horns generally signify the cuckold himself, they can also refer to the woman who provides the horns. (C) Gerard (1597) says Columbine speeds childbirth, and Rowland (1981) records the medieval use as a contraceptive. (Thomas and Faircloth 297)Rue, or Herbe GraceThe herb a little boiled or scalded, and kept inpickle as Sampier, and eaten, quickens the sight. The same applied with hony and the juice of Fennell, is a remedie against dim eies.The juice of Rue made hot in the rinde of a pomegranate and dropped into the eares, takes away the pain of thereof.Dioscorides saith, that Rue putup in the nosthrils stayeth bleedin. So saith Pliny also; when notwithstanding it is of powder rather to procure bleeding, through its sharpe and biting quality.Dioscorides writeth, That a twelve penny weight of the seed drunke in wine is a counter poison against deadly medicines or the poison of Wolfes-bane, Mushroms or Toad-stooles, the biting of Serpents, the stinging of Scorpions, Bees, hornets, and wasps; and is reported, That if a man bee anointed with thejuice of Rue, these will not hurt him; and that the serpent is driven away at the smell thereof when it is burned: insomuch that when the Weesell is to fight with the serpent, she armeth her selfe by eating rue, against the might of the Serpent.The leaves of Rue eaten with the kernels of Walnuts or figs stamped together and made into a masse or paste, is good against all evill aires, the pestilence or plague, resists poison and all venome.Wild Rue is more vehement both in smel and operation, and therefore the more virulent or pernitious; for sometimes it fumeth out a vapor or aire so hurtfull that it scorches the face of him that looketh upon it. Raising up blisters, wheals, and other accidents: it venometh their hands that touch it, and will infect the face also if it be touched before they be clean washed: wherefore it is not to be admitted to meat or medicine. (Gerard 1255)-114300151765Rue (A): Its yellow flowers and bitter strongly scented leaves can cause skin irritations. It was used extensively to treat sight problems and also used as an abortifascient. It was associated with sorrow, repentance, distress and regret…to rue is to regret, grieve, to feel sorrow or to cause someone else to do so. (Thomas and Faircloth 299)00Rue (A): Its yellow flowers and bitter strongly scented leaves can cause skin irritations. It was used extensively to treat sight problems and also used as an abortifascient. It was associated with sorrow, repentance, distress and regret…to rue is to regret, grieve, to feel sorrow or to cause someone else to do so. (Thomas and Faircloth 299)Daisy01725295Daisy (A): The daisy, an early flower, was a symbol of spring; it also suggested innocence, humility, purity and modesty, although it later came to be associated with dissembling and faithlessness. Because each flower only lasts a short time, it also represented grief, sadness, and death. (Thomas and Faircloth 100)00Daisy (A): The daisy, an early flower, was a symbol of spring; it also suggested innocence, humility, purity and modesty, although it later came to be associated with dissembling and faithlessness. Because each flower only lasts a short time, it also represented grief, sadness, and death. (Thomas and Faircloth 100)The Daisies to mitigate all kinde of paines, but especially in the joints, and gout, if they be stamped with new butter unsalted, and applied upon the pained place…The juice of the leaves and roots snift up into the nosthrils, purgeth the head mightily…The same given to little dogs with milke, keepeth them from growing great. The leaves stamped take away bruises and swellings…whereupon it was called in told time Bruisewort. The juice put into the eies cleareth them, and taketh away the watering of them. (Gerard 134)0457200Violets (A): Violets were particularly valued for their sweet scent…they symbolize humility, faithfulness and gentleness…and were associated with the Virgin Mary. Violet was used as a soporific (to make sleepy), to improve the sight and as an antidote to anger. (Thomas and Faircloth 347)00Violets (A): Violets were particularly valued for their sweet scent…they symbolize humility, faithfulness and gentleness…and were associated with the Virgin Mary. Violet was used as a soporific (to make sleepy), to improve the sight and as an antidote to anger. (Thomas and Faircloth 347)Violets12573001207135002857500120713500Gerard, John. The herbal or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by John Gerard of London. 1597.EEBO. STC (2nd ed.) / 11750, Copy from Henry E. Huntington and Art Gallery and Bodleian Library. Thomas, Vivian and Nicki Faircloth. Shakespeare’s Plants and Gardens: A Dictionary. BloomsburyArden, 2016. ................
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