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The correlation between being virtuous and succumbing to personal desire develops one of the largest themes in Hamlet, that virtue is a threatened passion of human nature.

Examples:

Queen Gertrude's marriage - "takes off the rose (3.4.5)"

Hamlet contemplates killing himself - "'tis an unweeded garden (1.2.7)"

Hamlet's task of revenge and hesitation with killing Claudius - "there's fennel for you, and columbines (4.5.180)"

What's its importance?

Hamlet uses the symbol of the rose to question Queen Gertrude's virtuous intentions as she “takes off the rose” for her vow to King Claudius, and the marriage itself (3.4.5).

Hamlet contemplates killing himself and compares life to an unweeded garden to emphasize his consideration, but decides against it because it is a mortal sin against God. He certainly entertains the idea of committing suicide, though.

Fennels and columbines symbolize flattery and adultery. Hamlet has more than enough reason to kill Claudius because of the sin he has committed but hesitates because of fears of no longer being virtuous.

One of the most prominent motifs used by Shakespeare is the notion of desire as it appears in many forms throughout the play itself. Many characters want to appear virtuous but are hiding their corrupt nature in fear of the consequences they face socially or morally.

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In Act 1, dramatic irony is created when only Hamlet and the readers learn the truth about the King's death as Claudius spreads the rumor that Hamlet's father died because of a snake bite, and the people of Denmark believed him.

Examples:

The serpent is an allusion to the Bible's Garden of Eden, where it led to the demise of Adam and Eve.

Snakes are associated with lies, evil, and temptation in the Christian tradition, while Adam is used as a symbol for mankind.

Besides dramatic irony, there is irony present in the scene where the King sleeps in his orchard and dies within its confinements despite it being "upon [his] secure hour (1.5.31)."

What's its importance?

Allows the audience and readers to know important facts above the leading characters.

Mirrors life when a situation is happening, and yet the person within the situation is unaware of what is transpiring.

Provides the audience and readers with another perspective by which they can judge the character.

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In Act IV, Ophelia hands out flowers before she dies. Coincidentally, she gives out flowers to the same characters who die later on.

Examples:

Flowers are often used to represent death and mourning, hence why we use flowers at funerals

Ophelia gives out flowers right before she drowns, foreshadowing her death

Ophelia also gives flowers to each of the individuals who die in Act V during the duel.

What's its importance?

Foreshadowing gives the reader a hint as to what is going to happen, adding to the suspense of a tragedy

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An Analysis of Hamlet
Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 40-51

J.B. Horsely

"Hamlet uses a rose to symbolize a girl’s virginity, or more bluntly, her vagina, which is commonly referred to as a flower. So when a girl loses her virginity, or is 'deflowered,' she loses her virtue and becomes an undesired whore."

Examples:

Gertrude's marriage “calls virtue [a] hypocrite” (3.4.5) for its virtuous appearance, but hidden, corrupt nature. It is nothing more than sinful incest.

Hamlet uses the symbol of the rose to further humiliate Queen Gertrude as she “takes off the rose” for her vow to King Claudius, and the marriage itself (3.4.5).

"The “blister” could refer to an STD, as the blister of an STD now replaces where the flower, virgin vagina, once was. By comparing 'such an act' (line 40) of Gertrude marrying Claudius to the girl made prostitute, Hamlet claims that Gertrude’s marriage is nothing more than prostitution, and is thus a false representation of love: a lie."

Examples:

Hamlet draws attention to the parallels between her marriage and prostitution and personifies “modesty” as a girl who must maintain her “grace” and her “blush” so that Queen Gertrude might realize her sin (3.4.4).

Through the mortification of Queen Gertrude’s sexuality, she sees “black and grained spots” (3.4.55) as she realizes what her overwhelming desire for King Claudius has resulted in Denmark’s political corruption.

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Flowers in literature can be used as a symbol for many things, in Hamlet they mainly represent the innocence and purity of women. However, flowers also are used as an infamous symbol for death.

In Hamlet, gardens symbolize consciousness because of their enclosed characteristics.

Examples:

Ophelia handing out flowers before she drowns

Gardens, including the orchard King Hamlet died in

Flowers blooming

Overgrown weeds(destroying purity)

What's its importance?

used as a way to foreshadow what is to come

make the reader better understand characters' perspectives about women/purity and death

appears as an allusion to the Bible (Garden of Eden)

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The motif of gardens and flowers in Hamlet portrays a common theme in which a woman's purity determines her worth.
Examples:

Gertrude and Claudius's unorthodox relationship

Gertrude's inability to "resist" Claudius

Ophelia lusting after Hamlet

What's its importance?

Gertrude's marriage, often represented as unflattering parts of nature, allows Claudius to gain and remain in control

Hamlet's anger towards his mother's relationship drives him into madness, where he resorts to murder

Hamlet's distaste for Ophelia's so called promiscuous behavior drives her into an even deeper level of instability

A woman's modesty in Hamlet, used in metaphors such as gardens and flowers, helps the progression of characters and ultimately lead to a reoccuring theme in the play.

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"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, that's for thoughts..."(4.5.199-201)

The motif of flowers is used by Ophelia in Act 4 right before she drowns. The different flowers Ophelia hands out all relate to grievance over a death. Since Ophelia hadn't died yet, the flowers were used as a symbol to imply to the reader, death may soon follow.

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Flowers and gardens typically have a positive connotation.

When you think of flowers you think of things like beauty, femininity, romance, love.

Flowers are typically given as romantic gifts, or placed on graves to show love.

In Hamlet however, flowers and gardens typically come with a negative connotation and/or negative symbols.

For example: Claudius dying in his garden, Ophelia giving out flowers to everyone before she dies, and everyone who received flowers eventually dying.

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Shakespeare wrote his work in the late 1500s and early 1600s. With historical context, the motif of flowers representing purity is much more understandable.

Why?
In this time period...

Women were seen as merely fragile figures created to produce babies

A woman's virginity was a crucial aspect in deeming her worth; f she lost her virginity before marriage, no man would want her

Women had very little say in who their husbands were, marrying  because you love someone was simply foolish(for men and women)

Shakespeare often used the motif of flowers when referring to Gertrude and Claudius' unconventional marriage especially because Gertrude's worth had considerably decreased after she'd already been married and conceived once prior.

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"And do not spread the compost on the weeds to make them ranker." (3.4.151-152)

Hamlet again uses the motif of weeded flowers to convince his mother to no longer associate with Claudius. Hamlet refers to Gertrude's chaotic marriage as weeds. The use of flowers on Shakespeare's literature is used to represent purity and righteousness. Therefore, the mention of weeds insinuates Hamlet believes Claudius is lacking morality. When Hamlet tells his mother to stop spreading "compost" on the already disorderly situation between the marriage and the murder of King Hamlet, he is suggesting she stop making the situation worse.

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"'tis an unweeded garden, that grows to seed; things rank gross in nature possess it merely."(1.2.7-9)

The motif of a garden is thoroughly displayed in Hamlet's soliloquy. The reference of an "unweeded garden" refers to the impurity of his mother and Claudius's marriage. A garden symbolizes both grace and virtue, therefore signifying the corruption of his mother's relationship. The quote suggests only things "gross in nature" can lack such qualities, explaining Hamlet's reasoning for his repulsion for Claudius's marriage.

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- the seed-bearing part of a plant, consisting of reproductive organs (stamens and carpels) that are typically surrounded by a brightly colored corolla (petals) and a green calyx (sepals).

- the finest individuals out of a number of people or things.

- (of a plant) produce flowers; bloom.

- be in or reach an optimum stage of development; develop fully and richly.