Rosemary

//"Dew of the Sea"//
 * Rosemary **

Rosemary is a symbol of remembrance and friendship, which is why it is often carried by people getting married in order to show their love and fidelity. In fact, hundreds of years ago, it was [|dipped in gold] and tied with a ribbon to be given as a keepsake at weddings. It is also said that if you touch a lover with a sprig of rosemary, they will be [|faithful], therefore further proving why it is used in weddings.The link to the romantics came in the 14th century when Queen Elizabeth of Hungary used rosemary for [|medicinal purposes] to enhance her health and beauty for the King of Poland. According to scientists at the University of Cincinnati, the scent of rosemary is what makes it an effective memory stimulant. It is said that the rosemary plant will grow for thirty three years at which point it reaches [|"the height of Christ]" (when he was crucified) and dies. Another common belief is that rosemary can ward of evil spirits and bad dreams, so some people place it under their pillows. Ophelia gave the rosemary flower, which is symbolic of remembrance and friendship, to Laertes. He had just found out that his father, Polonius, was killed. Since Ophelia is his sister, she is mourning for Polonius as well. When she gives the flower to her brother she says, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember” (Shakespeare 217). She is telling Laertes to remember their father and the flower mirrors her feelings.
 * Who Ophelia gave it to and why?**