We are lucky to have several editions of Gerard’s Herbal in our library: two are hand-coloured. People not only admired them for their aesthetic value but also their medicinal benefits. Elizabeth I, the virgin queen, used the rose as her emblem - the white eglantine. At Europe’s royal courts, roses were legal tender. The world Shakespeare lived in was filled with roses. Shakespeare even employs the flower as a symbol of war to represent two warring factions. Too rude, too boist'rous, and it pricks like thorn.' 'Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, In Juliet's lament on love, the rose is a metaphor for the darker aspect of love. Shakespeare also used the rose to convey the painful side of love and the passing of time. Roses’ conventional positive associations with love, beauty and sweetness are familiar to all and border on the cliché. He mentions roses over seventy times, more than any other flower. Nor would I be surprised if Shakespeare’s favourite flower was the rose. I am sure many flower lovers would agree with Emilia’s view on roses that she so eloquently expresses in Shakespeare’s and Fletcher’s play Two Noble Kinsmen. ![]() Information to help you plan your visit to Shakespeare's family homes ![]() Prices, booking, opening times and more to help you get organisedĮnjoy seasonal activities and special events throughout the year Walk in Shakespeare's footsteps at Shakespeare's New Place Relive Shakespeare's love story at Anne Hathaway's Cottage Visit William Shakespeare's Birthplace and explore his childhood world, right where it all began.
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