Comparing The Nurse In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Juliet's Relationship With Her Parents and The Nurse in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

The play Romeo and Juliet is about two star crossed lovers who's lives end up in a tragedy that brings two feuding families together.

Before the start of this scene, there had been a fray between the Montague and the Capulet families. The fray ended with the death of Romeo's cousin Mercutio and the death of Tybalt, Juliet's cousin who is killed by Romeo. The death of Tybalt causes Romeo to be banished from the city of Verona. Juliet hears of the incident and is upset, but grateful Romeo is still alive. In Act 3 Juliet impatiently waits for the arrival of Romeo. The nurse brings her news, that Romeo had

"Speak not, reply not" Lord Capulet accuses Juliet of her ingratitude. He calls her a "young baggage!" and a "disobedient wretch" He then threatens to strike her "my fingers itch" He threatens to disinherit her if she fails to obey his commands. " I tell thee what, get thee to church o' Thursday, or never after look me in the face!" The irony that Shakespeare uses is that in her own mind she has already been exiled from her family. In this scene between Juliet and her father, Lady Capulet tries to calm him down with no luck. Then the nurse tries and gets insults back from Lord Capulet. They can do nothing else but watch. In those days the father was usually the master of the house who gave out orders and decided things.

Juliet turns to the nurse in a hope of comfort. But her only hope of comfort fails to give her the comfort she needs and does the opposite. The nurse tries to talk to Juliet into seeing sense in the matter, and tells her to forget Romeo. "your first is dead- or' twere as good he were, as living here and you no use of him." She also mentions

She pretends to take her advice and says she is going to confession for acting bad and disagreeing with her parents. From then on her relationship with the nurse has changed. She vows to no longer confide in her. "Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain" As the scene comes to an end with a soliloquy with Juliet very angry and displeased with the nurse. "Ancient damnation" She cannot believe that "with that same tongue which she hath prais'd him" is the same tongue talking.

Juliet decides to turn to the friar for her only last source of hope. The scene ends with Juliet stating, "If all else fail, myself have power to die! She is saying if all hope fails her life is in her hands and she can kill herself. In that statement Shakespeare uses foreshadowing, to give the audience a hint about what is going to happen later in the play.

This scene is very important to the whole play. Shakespeare portrays the characters in different aspects. Shakespeare uses a lot of dramatic irony in this scene. Lady Capulet believes Juliet is mourning over Tybalt, but Juliet is mourning over the loss of Romeo. When