Transcript Rosemary and Pansies

Act IV, scene v: Ophelia’s Flowers and Laertes’
Sword
• Ophelia is not doing well after find out about her father’s death by
her crazy ex-boyfriend’s hand. She has understandably lost it and
begins babbling in rhyme and what seems to be non-sense facts
about flowers.
• Laertes arrives seeking furious and swift vengeance, but Claudius
talks him into waiting for justice to be done elsewhere.
Act IV, scene v: Ophelia’s Flowers
• Rosemary and Pansies: Ophelia gives
these flowers to Laertes, she even cites
them as being for remembrance and
thoughts.
• Fennel and Columbine: To the King
Claudius, Ophelia gives a brave message.
Fennel is the symbol for flattery and
columbine is considered the flower for
“deceived lovers,” a symbol of male
adultery and faithlessness.
• Rue: Rue is the symbol for bitterness,
thought to be the cause of most
abortions in that day, and often
connected with adultery. Ophelia gives
this flower to the Queen Gertrude as
well as keeping some for herself.
• Daisy: Ophelia picks up and sets down the daisy
without giving it to anyone. This is interesting
because the daisy is the symbol of innocence and
gentleness. Evidently Ophelia thought there was no
place for innocence in the Danish court anymore.
• Violets: Finally, Ophelia says that she would have
brought violets but that they all withered when her
father died. This is a fascinating note for Ophelia to
leave on because violets are the symbol for
faithfulness and fidelity.
Ophelia’s monologue is not just a chaotic ramble about flowers, but a very specific set of accusations spoken out of
extreme grief.
Act IV, scene v: Laertes’ Sword
• How does Claudius
manipulate Laertes into
siding with him?
• What does this tell you
about Laertes? What about
Claudius?
• What might Shakespeare
have been saying about
action-based mindsets like
Laertes versus carefully
planning like Hamlet?
Act IV, scene vi: The Unseen Pirate Adventure
• Hamlet sends a letter to Horatio telling of how his ship encountered
pirates at sea. Hamlet took his newfound assertiveness to heart and
boarded the pirate ship, convincing them to sail him back to
Denmark. He also switched Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s letter
with one of his own before departing.
Why would Shakespeare skip
something like this? Think about it
from a practical standpoint.
Act IV, scene vii: Ophelia joins the underworld.
There is a willow grows aslant a brook,
That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream;
There with fantastic garlands did she come
Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples
That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them:
There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds
Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke;
When down her weedy trophies and herself
Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide;
And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up:
Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes;
As one incapable of her own distress,
Or like a creature native and indued
Unto that element: but long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.
Act IV, scene vii: Laertes joins the dark side
Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,
And therefore I forbid my tears: but yet
It is our trick; nature her custom holds,
Let shame say what it will: when these are
gone,
The woman will be out. Adieu, my lord:
I have a speech of fire, that fain would
blaze,
But that this folly douts it.