Pansies

=Pansies =

Flower Symbolism: One of the flowers Ophelia discusses is the pansy. Throughout the world, the pansy is most commonly seen as a symbol for free thought and in fact the word 'pansy' comes from the French word [|"pensee"] meaning "thought". The flower is said to resemble a human face and [|"in the month of August, the pansy is thought to nod forward as if deep in thought."] In addition to resembling a face, the pansy is also seen as a symbol of the [|Holy Trinity] because of its distinct three-fold forms and three dominant colors that are seen to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The definition that most closely represents what Ophelia intends the flower to mean is one of a [|"loved one, memories, loving thoughts, and souvenirs"]

Character choice: In Act IV Scene V, it would make the most sense if Ophelia presented the pansy to her brother, Laertes. Her brother is obviously someone she loves and shares memories with. The both of them are experiencing the same pain and suffering after having lost their father, Polonius. It would be understandable if Ophelia wishes her brother to focus on thought during his time of anger and confusion. This offering of a symbol of thought would hopefully prevent Laertes from acting on a whim and making any mistakes in the wake of his father's murder. Picture Links: http://sallieb.googlepages.com/phototips http://www.americaswonderlands.com/Flower_Pictures.htm http://www.flickr.com/photos/neddy/144734528/