Subject & Meaning

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Female Suicides  |  Other Ophelias

Symbolism

Most of the flowers in Ophelia are included either because they are mentioned in the play, or for their symbolic value. Millais observed these flowers growing wild by the river in Ewell. Because he painted the river scene over a period of five months, flowers appear next to those that bloom at different times of the year.

The following flowers and foliage are mentioned in Act IV, Scene VII (all images on this page © Tate, London 2003), click on the small images to view larger versions:

Crow flowers in the foreground look similar to buttercups and symbolise ingratitude or childishness		The weeping willow tree leaning over Ophelia is a symbol of forsaken love.		The nettles that are growing around the willow's branches represent pain.
The daisies floating near her right hand represent innocence. Ophelia also mentions 'There's a daisy' in act 4, scene 5.		The purple loosestrife on the upper right hand corner of the painting, near the edge of the frame, alludes to 'long purples' in the play. Shakespeare actually meant the purple orchid.
The pink roses that float by her cheek (above left) and her dress (above middle) and the white field roses growing on the river bank (above right), may refer to Act IV, Scene V when Laertes calls his sister, 'rose of May'. They are also included for their many symbolic meanings such as youth, love and beauty. The crownet weeds mentioned in the text refer to garlands of weeds. They may symbolise entanglement, choking, death and decline.
		The garland of violets around Ophelia's neck refer to Act IV, Scene V. 'I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died: they say he made a good end.' Violets are a symbol of faithfulness and they can also symbolise chastity and death in the young.
The following flowers were added to the scene by Millais:
The Meadowsweet flowers to the left of the purple loosestrife may signify the futility (the lack of purpose or uselessness) of her death.		The pale blue forget-me-nots on the river bank below the purple loosestrife and in the immediate foreground, carry their meaning in their name.		The pansies that float on the dress in the centre, refer to Act IV, Scene V where Ophelia gathers flowers in the field ('that's for thoughts'). They represent thought and they can also mean love in vain (the name comes from French, penses).
Ophelia's sorrow is symbolised by the pheasant's eye floating near the pansies (similar to the poppy) ...		...and the fritillary floating between the dress and the water's edge in the bottom right hand corner.		The vivid red poppy with its black seeds represents sleep and death.

Millais originally included some daffodils in the painting not observed in Ewell but later bought from Covent Garden in London as he felt the painting needed more yellow. But his friend and poet, Tennyson, suggested that they were not appropriate as they symbolised false hope. Perhaps they are primroses? There is a reference to primroses in Act 1, Scene 3, when Ophelia speaks to Laertes:

There are similar phrases in Macbeth Act 2, Scene 3, 'the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire' and All's Well That Ends Well Act IV, Scene 5, 'the flowery way that leads to the broad gate and the great fire'.

Other symbols Some people believe there is a skull hidden within the painting. Before the location is revealed, have a look and see if you can see it (once it is pointed out, it is hard not to see it). Look to the left of the forget-me-nots on the right of the painting, a nose and two hollow eyes can just be made out. This may well be just the light and shade in the foliage or the skull may be a reminder of death and hint at what is about to happen.

The robin in the branches of the willow tree may refer to the line 'For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy', which she sings as she loses her mind in Act 1V, Scene V. This may be a reference to the fictional character Robin Hood, or as birds are also symbolic of the spirit, it could suggest that as she floats down the river, her spirit flies away. Rebecca Virag, Interpretation Assistant in the Interpretation and Education department, Tate Britain writes:

For the robin, I am tempted to suggest that Millais chose it specifically for its red breast. Red is traditionally the colour of martyrdom (deriving from the Catholic church), bearing connotations of spilled blood and thus death. These associations are made more dramatic because it is difficult to spot the bird in the undergrowth, save for its red breast which provides a startling colour note of scarlet amidst all the brown. In the summer, robins, male and female, are fighting for territory and finding mates. Perhaps Millais's use of the lone robin is a reference to Ophelia's abandonment by Hamlet, which leads to her death?

Ivy on the frame Text by Rebecca Virag: Ivy was often used to symbolise the notion of gendered spheres for men and women in the Victorian period, where the ivy (woman) needs the sturdy oak (man) for support. This idea derives from Christian doctrine, as does the association of ivy (an evergreen plant) with the notion of resurrection. (Ophelia is holding her arms out in the shape of a cross). Ivy also has associations with melancholy and decay; the image of ivy covered ruins was a popular motif of the Romantic movement.