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The character of the nurse in Romeo and Juliet
Transition of maturity in romeo and juliet
How does Juliet develop as a person
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Over the course of Act III, Juliet’s state of mind transforms from naïve and innocent to impulsive and independent due to the aspects of loyalty, love and maturity. Although conflicts begin to unfold, Juliet, despite the loss of her cousin Tybalt, remains faithful and honest to her newly wedded husband, Romeo. Juliet lived in a rather obedient lifestyle, as she was growing up – obeying her parent’s orders and everybody’s expectations, but as her affections towards Romeo continues to flourish, so does she as an independent human being. After encountering Romeo at her father’s party, Juliet has only continued to fall even deeper in love with him, which is abundantly presented by her loyalty. In Act III, the reader learns about the death of Mercutio, as well as the slain of Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, who was stabbed by Romeo as revenge for his friend’s demise. When the Nurse rushes to inform Juliet about the tragedy, Juliet instinctively curses Romeo’s name, even mentioning that he is “a damned saint” and “an honorable villain” (III, ii, 79). However, when the Nurse begins to echo her in cursing her husband’s name, Juliet immediately denounces and faults her for the sin that she has committed. Juliet too, is quickly ashamed of her actions and as a token of their love, gives the Nurse a ring to deliver to Romeo. Although trouble has risen for the two lovers, where Juliet’s close cousin is murdered, Juliet decides to remain loyal to Romeo, who did in fact kill Tybalt himself. Juliet’s rapid action of attacking the Nurse for cursing Romeo’s name demonstrates her newly developed impulsive trait. This illustrates Juliet’s development as an independent human being because for the most part of her lifetime, she had lived under her parent’s ... ... middle of paper ... ...in her trust. The Nurse plays an exceptionally big part in Juliet’s childhood and was someone who Juliet could always count on to support and care for her. Juliet’s vow as she lets go of the Nurse from her trust, represents the freeing of her past and her childhood – where she was much more ignorant and naïve. Juliet’s impulsivity and independence is majorly impacted by the blindness of love and emotions that she has for Romeo. Juliet’s state of mind symbolizes her new, and much more developed character traits. It creates a definite wrinkle in her life as she struggles to overcome the obstacles that keep her limited and restricted from being with Romeo. Juliet provides glimpses of her determination, strength, and sober-mindedness as she perseveres through her hardships as she transitions from naïve and innocent girl to a much more impulsive and independent woman.
This shows that the nurse is really more like a maternal figure in Juliet’s life. Juliet trusts the Nurse and turns to her for support in times of need, especially after the dispute with her father about marriage. Juliet was upset about the arranged marriage, and she was already married to Romeo, so after her parents left she turned to the nurse for guidance. “O God!-O Nurse, how shall this be prevented?/ My husband is on earth, my faith in heaven…”(Ⅲ,ⅴ,205-206). Juliet asked the Nurse how she can prevent the arranged marriage from happening. She stated that her husband, Romeo, is on earth, but she loves her parents and doesn't want to disappoint them. Juliet had the opportunity to talk to her mother at this part, because her father left giving her the opportunity, however she waited for her mother to leave so
In an attempt to push away from medieval love conventions and her father's authority, Shakespeare's Juliet asserts sovereignty over her sexuality. She removes it from her father's domain and uses it to capture Romeo's love. Critic Mary Bly argues that sexual puns color Juliet's language. These innuendoes were common in Renaissance literature and would have been recognized by an Elizabethan audience. Arguably, Juliet uses sexual terms when speaking to Romeo in order to make him aware of her sexuality. When he comes to her balcony, she asks him, "What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?" (2.1.167). Bly asserts that "satisfaction in her hands, becomes a demure play on the sating of desire" (108). Following this pun, Juliet proposes marriage. She teases Romeo with sexual thoughts and then stipulates that marriage must precede the consummation of their love. Juliet uses "death" in a similar sense. She asks night to "Give me my Romeo, and when I shall die / Take him and cut him out in little stars" (3.2.21-22). Death holds a double meaning in these lines. It connotes both "ceasing to be and erotic ecstasy" (Bly 98). Based upon this double meaning, one can infer that "she sweetly asks 'civil night' to teach her how to lose the game of love she is about to play for her virginity" (Wells 921). She tells her nurse, "I'll to my wedding bed, / And death, not Romeo, take my maidenhead!" (3.2.136-137). Placing death opposite Romeo highlights the irony of the situation; both death and Romeo should claim her maidenhead together. These sexual puns reveal Juliet's awareness of her sexuality. She entices Romeo, forcing her sexuality to act as emotional currency.
When Juliet discovers Romeo’s banishment for his sinful act of murdering her own blood-related cousin, Tybalt, Juliet is more than fine with him doing it because of blindness in her love for Romeo. In the text, it states, “Shame come to Romeo! Blister’d be thy tongue...That ‘banished’ that one word ‘banished,’/Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Tybalt’s death/Was woe enough, if it had ended there...” (63-64). Juliet show her loyalty for Romeo by defending Romeo’s actions when Juliet’s nurse speaks illy of Romeo. Juliet is essentially justifying Romeo’s actions because of the relationship they have with one another and is more biased towards Romeo. She is more distracted about Romeo’s banishment rather than the death of her own blood-related cousin because of her loyalty towards Romeo. Also, Friar Laurence shows his loyalty to Romeo and Juliet by being an ally for them throughout their whole relationship. In Act IV Scene I, Friar Laurence tells Juliet his plan of how to get her and Romeo back together. He tells her to drink some sort of poison that will make her go to sleep and make her look dead (81). Friar Laurence shows his loyalty because even though things seem very horrible for Romeo and Juliet’s, he continues to assist them. He takes the risk of being caught in the crossfire of the families for assisting Romeo and Juliet to go behind their parents’ backs. Thus, the characters illustrate their loyalty for their loved ones
the Nurse wants Juliet to be safe and happy and that she is not just
She fired Juliet’s passion in her relationship with Romeo, then told Juliet it all meant nothing and to go marry Paris. This brought Juliet’s death. Even though the Nurse meant the best for Juliet, her actions still brought the demise of Juliet and Romeo (although her actions had a larger consequence on Juliet’s death rather than Romeo’s). Juliet was told by Nurse that “his name is Romeo… he’s the only son of your worst enemy” (a1, s5, l136). Unknowingly, the Nurse was hyping their relationship from the start onwards, setting Romeo and Juliet up to their unfortunate fates. The Nurse was Juliet’s advisor and she should’ve stayed loyal to Juliet’s decisions and remained her confidante. However, she suddenly switches over to Juliet marrying Paris. This changeover was rash, unexpected and too sudden for poor Juliet to cope, who was being forced to wed Paris, while wanting to be faithful to Romeo. Therefore, the Nurse brought Juliet and Romeo’s death upon
In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Romeo and Juliet, two young lovers from opposing households make impetuous decisions which ultimately lead to the suicide of both lovers (Romeo and Juliet). Juliet, one lover, has mentors that fail her in the play because of their ignorance of her emotional needs and growing independence as a teenager. These mentors are Juliet’s former wet nurse and guardian, the Nurse, Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet, and Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet.
In the play of Romeo and Juliet, the reader is introduced to two young star-crossed lovers who hope to fall in love and have the happily ever after. However, through the twists and turns of the play, the reader finds the story has a twisted ending. For the project, my group chose Juliet as our portrayed character. In our portrayal of Juliet, the character is well summarized as well as the characters role in the play. Beginning at her head, we summarize Juliet’s family life in a discrete but well thought out way. Upon Juliet’s head sits a golden headband to represent being of a higher family. While Juliet is no princess, she is the only child of Lord and Lady Capulet. “Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch! I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday, Or never after look me in the face. Speak not. Reply not. Do not answer me. My fingers itch.—Wife, we scarce thought us blest That God had lent us but this only child, But now I see this one is one too much And that we have a curse in having her. Out on her, hilding!”(3.5.160-168). Because she is the only daughter of the Lord and Lady, one can suspect a life filled with pressure for young Juliet.
The Way Juliet Feels in Act 3 Scene 2 of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Juliet is very pragmatic; rather than swooning over Romeo when he intrudes on her property, Juliet is appalled considering “The orchard walls are high and hard to climb” (II, ii, 63). Juliet is not a blind fool; she is conscientious of the dangers that accompany falling for her family’s mortal enemy.
Secondly, the imbecile wet nurse of Juliet plays an unsupportive parental role during Juliet’s misery of losing Romeo in ba...
In the poem “Juliet’s Soliloquy”, Juliet is alone in her chamber as she holds her vessel of poison. As Juliet expresses her fears in the heart-felt soliloquy, the complete severity of the situation weighs heavy on her mind. She thinks, “What if the potion is unsuccessful or does not work?” She wonders has the Friar deceived her and given her real poison instead of the nonpoisonous, so that no one discovers that he dishonorably wedded her to Romeo in disclosure. Juliet quickly gets rid of these difficult and unbearable situations and thoughts to be untrue. She still worries that she will find herself conscious in the hot and cr...
In spite of this, is certain that the Nurse played a serious role in encouraging the lovers? relationship to blossom. Instead of advising Juliet on the dangers of a love that is ?too rash, too unadvis?d, to sudden?, she continues to place Romeo upon a pedestal, proclaiming his ?face be better than any man?s, his leg excels all men?s, his [body parts] are past compare?. Her haste for Juliet to ?hie hence to Friar Lawrence? cell?, and preparations for ?cords? to be brought for Romeo to ?convoy [to Juliet] in the secret night?, are gestures that illustrate her desire for their relationship to progress quickly. Therefore by offering her approval of Romeo, the Nurse inadvertedly strengthens Juliet?s devo...
The audience’s first impression of Juliet however, is through her interaction with her mother (Lady Capulet) and the Nurse. From the Nurse’s remarks, the audience learns that Juliet is thirteen and “Come Lammas-eve at night shall [Juliet turn] fourteen” (Act I.3.18-9). As Juliet enters the presence of her mother and the Nurse, Shakespeare portrays Juliet as a very faithful daughter. When summoned by the Nurse, Juliet comes promptly then responds politely to her mother “Madam, I am here, what is your will?” (Act I.3.7). When Juliet refers to her mother as ‘madam” (Act I.3.7), the audience also gets the impression of Juliet being compliant to her elder’s wishes. This can be observed when her mothe...
Romeo’s numerous rash decisions demonstrates his great impulsiveness. Romeo at first grieves over his unreciprocated love for Rosaline, but after he sees Juliet; he forgets about Rosaline entirely. His hastiness leads him to make decisions that are not intelligent or to his benefit. Shortly after meeting Juliet, he asks her to “exchange [her] faithful vow” for his ( 2.2.132). Romeo’s recklessness is evident that he does not think before he makes important decisions; prompting him to propose to Juliet just hours after their first meeting. Yet the morning before, Romeo was suffering from depression because he could never have his Rosaline. After what seems like a lifetime of loving Rosaline and promising to never love anyone but her, Romeo sees Juliet and instantaneously all his thoughts of Rosaline vanish. Romeo becomes infatuated with Juliet, with whom he exchanges less then fifty words before “falling in love.” The next morning he begs Friar L...
Juliet cries a lot when she finds out about her husbands fate. Her parents think that she is grieving about the death of her cousin, but instead Juliet is crying for the murderer of her deceased cousin. The nurse brings Juliet the bad news about Romeo (Juliet’s husband) and Tybalt (Juliet’s cousin). She tells Juliet that Romeo has been banished form Verona for murdering Tybalt, who killed Mercutio. Juliet is devastated by this news and starts to mourn about her banished husband (Romeo). Later that day, Paris comes over to the Capulet residence to talk abou...