Wear Your Rue With a Difference

[Homers_child]

Hi. I never really understood what Ophelia meant by 'wear your rue with a difference'. Rue stood for sorrow, right? But I still don't understand what she meant by 'difference'. Can anyone explain?

I'm not too comfortable on the whole scene with her actually. Could someone explain what the whole significance with the flowers and what they stood for was for? I'd really appreciate it. :)

[Gladys]

Luke 11:42___ But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Rue: a bitter-tasting garden herb (Ruta graveolens) which the Pharisees were careful to tithe.

[Wilde woman]

You're talking about the scene where Ophelia is handing out flowers, correct? Well, I think the first thing to remember is that Ophelia is mad by this time; I'm not sure we can read much from her ravings.

But a lot of people have chosen to read symbolic meanings into each of the flowers. For example, rosemary commonly represents remembrance, violets sometime symbolize innocence, and rue (as you said) is sorrow or regret.

So it depends on who she gives the rue to. I've read speculation that she handed the rue to Gertrude. If so, it may be that she means Gertrude should regret marrying Claudius so soon after her husband's death. Or it could be we're not supposed to know who she gives each flower to, so that the rue just means we should mourn her (impending) suicide. I don't know but there's a lot of room for speculation.