Shakespeare's Hamlet - Symbolism of Plants

Although famous for certain flowers, Hamlet is not necessarily the first of Shakespeare’s plays that one would expect to go to for garden design inspiration. However, the herbs and plants are used by Shakespeare in Hamlet are heavy with symbolism. It can be fascinating to discover what earlier generations thought of the plant life around them; we have become more prosaic in our manner, treating plants merely as pretty or practical.

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, many of the flowers and herbs mentioned within the play are named by the characters as part of a sad occasion or memory. Death and dying had become taboo subjects during the last decades; perhaps a result of the horrors of two world wars. But there are signs that we are becoming more willing and able to discuss this aspect of our humanity to acknowledge that within life we are.

Perhaps as gardeners we are more accustomed to death; we see it all the time in the garden. Certainly in Shakespeare’s time life was acknowledged as being transient; there were so many things which could kill you, from wars to plague, from inadequate diet to lack of medical techniques.

Primrose

The pretty, pale yellow spring flowering primrose symbolises inconstancy in young love.
“the primrose path of dalliance treads” refers to leading a life of pleasure.

But this meaning, generally assumed to be the one meant within the context of the play, is not the only one. Primroses are sacred to Freya, the Norse goddess, and as such also symbolise youthfulness. The botanical Latin name for primrose, Primula vulgaris, reminds us that the flower is one of the first to bloom in spring.

And for interest, the flowers are edible and the young leaves taste a bit like lettuce.

Ophelia’s Speech

The most famous plant orientated speech in the play comes from Ophelia, when she has turned mad from being spurned by her lover Hamlet, who has also killed her father.

Once you start to consider the symbolism of the flowers and herbs that Ophelia gives to the other characters, you may begin to question how mad she really is.

There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance;
pray, love, remember.
And there is pansies; that’s for thoughts.
There’s fennel for you, and columbines.
There’s rue for you; and here’s some
for me: we may call it herb of grace a’ Sundays.
You may wear your rue with a difference.
There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets,
but they withered all when my father died.
They say he made a good end—

Act 4, scene 5

Shakespeare’s plays don’t really have full stage directions, and this speech doesn’t tell us to whom Ophelia is speaking and giving her posies to. I have used the currently accepted theatre directions.

Rosemary

Rosemary has long been associated with memories and is a traditional herb to use at weddings, christenings and funerals.

An evergreen herb with strongly aromatic foliage, useful in the kitchen, and for a decorative hedge alongside a path.

Ophelia is surely encouraging her brother Laertes to remember their father and to discover who killed him.

Pansies

From the French ‘pensee’ for thoughts. The pansies in Hamlet were not the large, cultivated pansies we use in our winter bedding schemes today. These were only developed during the nineteenth century. they do appear in Millais’ famous painting of Ophelia

Shakespeare probably meant Viola tricolour, one of the ancestors of our modern pansy.

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare is a tall herbaceous perennial herb and represents marital infidelity and flattery. Ophelia hands this herb to the king.

Fennel seeds were frequently used during the Mediaeval period to suppress appetite during the many fast days.

With foliage feathery enough to see through, why not be bold and plant fennel at the front of the border rather than the rear? Easier to reach for some when you want to add it to a fish dish.

Columbine – Aquilegia

Another symbol of male infidelity and faithlessness; a symbol of foolishness. The symbolism of the columbine and fennel together would not have been missed by the audience in Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.

If Ophelia was not mad, then she was bold!

Rue

Ruta graveolens, the herb for repentance, particularly for women. As it is also an abortifacient, Ophelia could be suggesting that she may have need of this herb, or she could be accusing the queen of adultery.

Daisy

Daisies, Bellis perennis. A symbol of innocence. Which is perhaps why Ophelia picks up the flower and puts it down again, as if acknowledging a lack of innocence amongst the company.

Violets

Sweet violets, Viola oderata, are a symbol of fidelity and faithfulness. Ophelia, it seems, finds little faithfulness in the Danish court since her father died.

Other Plants mentioned in Shakepeare’s Hamlet

There are other plants featured in Hamlet, weeds; willow; poisonous plants to kill Hamlet’s father, the queen, Laertes (Ophelia’s brother) and Hamlet himself.

Poison was a not uncommon form of murder in the sixteenth century.

Henbane

The Ghost of Hamlet’s father tells the prince that he was killed by his own brother, whilst sleeping in the orchard

“With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
And in the porches of my ears did pour
The leperous distilment”

Hebenon or Henbane, Hyoscyamus niger, is probably not native to the British Isles but was common in the sixteenth century.
It is mentioned in Gerard’s Herbal as bringing on ‘an unquiet sleepe’ which is ultimately ‘deadly’. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Wolfs bane

Aconitum, monkshood. Laertes is to use a sword tipped with wolfs bane to be sure of killing Hamlet in a so-called friendly duel.
It is one of the most poisonous plants to be found in Britain.

Willow

Willow, or Salix symbolises grief, healing and everlasting life. So it is perhaps fitting if it was the cause of Ophelia’s death.

A brief sojourn with Shakespere and plant symbolism – food for thought and a blog to help you discover the mysteries of your garden.

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