Question

Rosemary: the symbol for remembrance and faithfulness "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember." Who does Ophelia give this flower to? Why?

Answer 1

Answer:

Ophelia gives the rosemary to her brother Laertes.

She gave the flowers to him to most probably means she wants him to never forget her even after her death. it could also mean that she wants him to never give up on until he avenged their father's death.

Explanation:

In Act IV scene v of the play "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, the scene projects the event where Laertes had arrived back to the kingdom to try to avenge the death of his father. He was given the rosemary flower by his "mad" sister Ophelia who had supposedly gone insane after being torn by the death of their father Polonius.

In her 'mad' scene, Ophelia uses the different flowers to present her inner feelings through them. She gave Laertes rosemary "for remembrance", signifying that she wants him to remember her (most probably). This flower which stand for fidelity, lover and romance 'lasting memory' is given to Laertes so that he may never forget to take revenge on their father's killer. Or it could also act as a foreboding act of what is to happen in the coming scenes, meaning she wants him to remember her after she dies.