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Yaretzi Mancillas

Ms. Castro

English 1301

11 October 2023

Draft

The painting “Ophelia” was created in the year 1851-1852 by the painter John Everett

Millais. John Millais was inspired by the play “Hamlet,” specifically a scene that was not

depicted in the play as clearly as it was written in “Hamlet.” Millais was fascinated with the

description of the scenery. There was a certain way Shakespear worded the scene that caught the

attention of Millais, especially since the scene in the play did not have as many details as it did in

script.

The painting of Ophelia has remarkable details and more specifically in the flowers. The

flowers hold a meaning that is deeper than just looking aesthetically pleasing. Ophelia is

depicted in this painting floating in the water and she has appeared to let go of the flowers she

was holding. Upon further inspection the flowers floating in the water are rosemary, pansy,

fennel, columbine, herb of grace o’ Sunday, daisy, and violet. Although the flowers appear

exceptionally beautiful, each flower has a certain meaning which connects to Ophelia and how

she might have felt when she was collecting these flowers. Rosemary signifies remembrance, in

theory Ophelia felt like she needed to remember someone or wanted someone to remember her.

The flower pansy signifies lover’s thoughts; merriment, now it is known that Ophelia is thinking

about her lover and his thoughts. The next flower is a fennel, the meaning of a fennel is strength.

Ophelia is more than likely trying to be strong because of a certain event that has happened. The

next flower is a columbine, a columbine flower indicates ingratitude, faithlessness, courage,

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love, desertion. Ophelia is feeling like the confusion of being in love but also fearing not being

appreciated or of infidelity on her lovers part. The next type of is an herb of grace o’ Sunday,

meaning regret, sorrow, repentance; grace, clear vision; disdain. The representation of this flower

to Ophelia signifies that she is feeling a sense of regret and despair in her life. The following

flower is a daisy, a daisy is an indication of innocence, hope, loyal love, purity, faith, cheer,

simplicity. The meaning of a daisy is very important to Ophelia because it is her last hope or a

form of innocence that is perhaps unattainable to Ophelia or something that she looks up to. The

last flower that is depicted in the painting is a violet, a violet’s meaning is faithfulness, loyalty,

devotion; daydreaming; virtue, modesty. Ophelia is feeling as if she either has lack of or too

sufficient loyalty and devotion. Altogether the flowers meant a great amount to Ophelia and the

symbolism of the flowers floating aimlessly in the water signifies her letting all the reasons she

chose the flowers go.

The painting shows what looks like a bush of daisies on the side of the creek Ophelia is

in. The daisy bush is placed in a way as if it is reaching out to Ophelia and offering its’ help.

Especially since the meaning of a daisy is innocence, maybe the daisy representing innocence is

trying to save Ophelia from drowning. There also seems to be a fallen tree trunk right next to

Ophelia’s floating body. Ophelia was possibly climbing on the tree, and the tree broke, and she

fell into the creek where she dropped her flowers. The way Millais made Ophelia’s eyes look, it

seems like if she is very tired and almost like she is finally relaxing. The way Ophelia’s hands

are positioned in the image is like the way old painters used to paint angels or saints. Millais

could have done this on purpose in order to make Ophelia seem very pure like a saint or an

angel. This also ties into the daisies that are right next to both the tree and the body of Ophelia.
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Ophelia also has her mouth slightly open like she is gasping for air. Almost like she knows she is

going to drown and is trying to get a last breath in before she goes beneath the water.

The dress Ophelia is wearing in this painting is the color white and the color white

symbolizes purity and simplicity. Meaning Ophelia is at her purest form with the most simple

intentions of collecting the flowers then unfortunately falling to her demise where she has found

herself helpless and with no hope. The dress Ophelia is wearing appears to be slowly sinking.

The dress also seems to trap air keeping Ophelia afloat. Once Ophelia fell from the tree she then

let go of the flowers she had collected signifying that she has let go of all the meaning of all the

flowers and accepted her fate as she was slowly sinking and eventually going to drown to death.

In conclusion, Ophelia was thinking about her lover and her own emotions toward her

life while she was collecting flowers. These flowers were holding the meaning to Ophelia’s

emotions that she could not express. She then wondered off and found a tree that she chooses to

climb. While climbing this tree the tree breaks causing Ophelia to fall into the nearby creek.

Accepting her fate Ophelia lets go of the flowers she collected in correlation to her emotions.

Ophelia lets her dress keep her afloat for a brief period of time. Relaxing, she takes her last

breath and holds her hands up ever so graciously. Ophelia then drowns silently and comes to her

own demise.