Rosemary and Rue

Rosemary and Rue, herbs that on two occasions Shakespeare placed near to one another.

“For you there’s rosemary and rue …
Grace and remembrance be to you both,”

- The Winter’s Tale, Act IV, Scene 3

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray you love, remember ...

  there’s rue for you, and here’s some for me: we may call it herb-grace o’ Sundays: 

O, you must wear your rue with a difference”

- Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

 

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalus)

Rosemary in bloom

Rosemary has been associated with remembrance since ancient Greece where students would wear garlands of rosemary whilst studying to aid their memories. Its botanical name comes from the Latin meaning “dew of the sea”, a reference to its blue flowers and its original habitat on the coasts of the Mediterranean. In Shakespeare’s day it was highly valued and had a variety of uses. It was used in cooking, in floor strewings, it was distilled to make medicinal simples and when grown tall its stems were used to make lutes.

As an evergreen Rosemary represented both remembrance and constancy and played a part in both Elizabethan weddings and funerals. The 17th century poet Robert Herrick wrote “Grow it for two ends, it matters not at all, Be it for my bridal or burial.” At weddings Rosemary was carried by the bridesmaids and sprigs of it were strewn on the ground. As a symbol of fidelity the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet remarks:

"Doth not rosemary and Romeo begin both with a letter?"

- Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene 4

There was an old folk belief that if a man could not smell Rosemary he was incapable of loving a woman.

Rosemary also formed part of burial wreaths, which later appear when Juliet is thought to have died.

“Dry up your tears, and stick your rosemary
On this fair corse”

- Romeo and Juliet, Act IV, Scene 5

No doubt another reason for Shakespeare using it earlier in the play was to foreshadow the future tragic events.

Scene from Romeo and Juliet

Sir Thomas Moore wrote  

“As for Rosemarie I let it run alle over my garden walls, not onlie because my bees love it, but because tis the herb scared to remembrance and therefore to friendship, whence a sprig of it hath a dumb language that maketh it the chosen emblem at our funeral wakes and in our burial grounds.”

Type: Perennial Evergreen

Height: 1 to 6 feet

Flowers: Summer

 Rue (Ruta graveolens)

 

Rue

 

 “Here did she fall a tear; here in this place,
I’ll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace;
Rue, even for ruth here shortly shall be seen
In the remembrance of a weeping queen.”

- Richard II, Act III, Scene 4

Rue has a strong aromatic smell and a bitter taste. The first part of its botanical name comes from the Greek reuo, meaning to set free. In ancient times it was thought to be an antidote for poison and disease, in Elizabethan England it was carried around as protection against the plague and witchcraft and was used in herbal strewings to repel insects. Due to its bitter taste the plant has long been symbolic of sorrow, regret and repentance, hence the expression “you’ll rue the day” meaning “you’ll be sorry for this.” When Ophelia hands it to Queen Gertrude in Hamlet, it is a subtle rebuke of her faithlessness.

Another name for the plant was Herb of Grace or Herb Grace o’ Sundays as it was used in the early Catholic Church to sprinkle holy water and to wash away sins. The word ruth comes from the word rue and more usually meant to feel pity for or to grieve.

In large doses Rue is toxic and is not generally recommended for internal use. It may also be dangerous to grow in your garden if you have pets. In medieval times it was sometimes used to hasten labour or in extreme cases as an abortifacient. This has led to speculation that when Ophelia utters the lines "there's rue for you, and here's some for me", she is confessing to an unwanted pregnancy, revealing another reason for ending her life.

Type: Perennial Evergreen

Height: 20 to 34 inches

Flowers: Summer