The Nurse in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, really intrigued me almost from the start. She stood out to me, in part, because of how motherly she seemed towards Juliet while her own biological mother seemed so ironically distant and didn’t seem to care for Juliet’s own love for her future husband. However, the Nurse seemed to also simultaneously fill the role of Juliet’s friend and sharer of secrets, escapades, and feelings, sometimes seeming and acting like a girl with Juliet. Despite all these unique traits and actions of the Nurse, her utter devotion and love towards Juliet is prevalent through the entire play, no matter how she shows it, but how she shows this devotion also stood out to me. The Nurse goes through some changes as the …show more content…
When Romeo is exiled, and Juliet’s father is in a rage for her not wanting to marry Paris straightaway, the Nurse begins to realize the implications of Juliet’s marriage to Romeo. Not only may Juliet be cast on the streets to die by her father, or be found with Romeo and have severer punishments, but Juliet could run away to be with Romeo and never see the Nurse ever again. Juliet is like the Nurse’s own child, for hers died long ago, and the Nurse loves Juliet and is utterly devoted to her and wishes the best for her. Not only does the Nurse not want Juliet to be harmed, but she also does not want to be separated from Juliet, because it would tear her apart, I think, to be separated from a “daughter” a second time. The Nurse then, in response to this probable internal turmoil, tells Juliet to forget Romeo and to just marry Paris. “I think it best you married with the County. / O, he’s a lovely gentleman! / Romeo's a dishclout to him” (III.v. 230-232). I noticed this change almost immediately because of how abrupt it was from when the Nurse praised Romeo earlier in the
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
Conversely, Juliet's mother is stiff and cold towards, and uses Juliet as a tool to make the family name look good. As we learn in towards the beginning of the story Juliet is the last child of the Capulet line, and as a result her mother also puts pressure on Juliet for having a two year engagement with the Prince. Nurse obviously seems to be closer to Juliet, than her biological mother. Hence, this is yet another character foil present in Shakespeare’s play involves Juliet’s nurse and Lady Capulet (Juliet’s mother.)
William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, is set in Verona,Italy in the 14th century. It is about two families in Verona that are in a feud. One of the main characters, Juliet Capulet, is taken care of by her nurse, Angelica. Juliet trusts Angelica with all the news about Romeo. She plays an important role in Juliet’s life. Angelica is a lot like a mother that talks a lot and helps Juliet with everything.
She always wanted to keep Juliet happy. As Juliet fell in love with Romeo The Nurse went behind the backs of Juliet’s parents and was sending messages between the two. “By my troth, it is well said. “For himself to mar,”/ Quoth he? Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I/ May find the young Romeo?” (2.4.60). The Nurse was someone Juliet went to whenever she needed help, and The Nurse always delivered, but this time The Nurse helped her do something that was never thought about in the house of a Capulet, to marry a Montague. Furthermore, Juliet’s actions were very childish, but the person that was supposed to guide her did not do anything to stop her. Instead of going to Juliet’s parents and telling them what was going on between the two, The Nurse helped them get married. “Then hei you hence to Friar Lawrence's cell./ There stays a husband waiting to make you his wife.”(2.5. 60-65) She could have put it to a stop by telling Juliet she was not allowed to get married. Instead The Nurse gave Juliet her blessing and was helping her get married. By the time The Nurse realized she should not have been helping Juliet it was already too late. All in all, The Nurse failed as a God Teacher because she had the power to stop all of this, but instead she put Juliet's happiness before her best interest and that did not end well resulting in the death of Juliet
Firstly, Juliet is misguided by the Nurse – a bawdy woman who is too caught up in her own sentimental feelings to support and direct Juliet through hers. She is responsible for encouraging Juliet’s marriage with Romeo (her lover) shortly after they meet, despite knowing that
This shows that the Nurse is following orders from Juliet, because she thinks it will make Juliet happy. Although she does, she does not seem to be bothered about the damage she could cause in the future. This is one reason why the Nurse could be to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Another point in the play where the Nurse contributes to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet is when the proposal of Paris comes along. At this stage in the play, Romeo has been banished.
When Juliet found out she was being forced to marry Paris, Juliet believed Nurse would be on her side about not marrying Paris but she was wrong. Because the Nurse knew that there was no other option, she advised, “I think it best you marry the County./ O, he’s a lovely gentleman!/ Romeo’s a dishclout to him. An eagle, madam, (3.5.219-221)” Nurse was trying to tell Juliet that Romeo isn’t here Paris is and he is way better looking than Romeo. Juliet felt betrayed and hurt for what the nurse said and yelled “Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend (3.5.237)!”
The Nurse was also responsible for the tragic ending of the play. When Romeo and Juliet met, the Nurse became their messenger. She helped them be together even though she knew Romeo was a Montague and that Juliet's family would disapprove. The Nurse brought news to Juliet from Romeo telling her to sneak out so they could get married. She helped Juliet get out of her house by bringing her a rope ladder to climb off her balcony with and telling her parents that she went to shrift. The Nurse kept Romeo and Juliet's marriage a secret from the families. When Juliet's parents said she should marry Paris, the Nurse agreed and said that Juliet should forget about Romeo because he was in Mantua. With the Nurse no longer on her side she had no one to help her and back her up but the Friar. In this way she had a large impact on the terrible ending of Romeo and Juliet.
The Nurse was another ally to Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse loved Juliet and wanted what was best for her.
One reason why the nurse is responsible for this is because she enables Juliet to experience passionate feelings for Romeo. She complimented Romeo when she knew it was wrong. “Your love says, like an honest gentleman, and courteous, and a kind handsome, and I warrant, and a virtuous,” (2.5.40). Instead of saying negative things about Romeo, the nurse says compliments about him. She should be saying bad things to discourage Juliet from falling in love with him. One of the reasons that the nurse is responsible for the deaths is because of all the good things the nurse said about Romeo, therefore causing Juliet to fall in love with him. This causes them to have a relationship which later lead to their
Nurse has betrayed Juliet, she and Friar Lawrence were the two who knew and believed in Romeo and Juliet's love, and Nurse abandons Juliet in a way in this scene, telling her to marry Paris, and forget Romeo. I think that when she is saying this that she is thinking of herself, and of what she could lose if they were discovered, but at the same time she was thinking of Juliet's well-being, and that she would be safe in Verona, with Paris: "I think that you are happy in this second match, For it excels your first; or, if it did not, Your first is dead, or 'twere as good he were As living here and you no use of him. " Lady Capulet shows a very different love for her daughter to the love which Nurse shows her, she has hardly looked after Juliet for much of her life, and is distanced from her. Around the period of time when the play was set there was a social tradition for the upper classes to have a 'wet nurse'. It would not have been accepted in soc... ...
In Romeo and Juliet, to what extent is the Nurse to blame for the tragedy? In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the Nurse, by her thoughtless support of the affair between the lovers and fickle counsel, is partly to blame for the tragedy. However, it is not one factor alone that brings about the death of Romeo and Juliet, but a combination of significant actions and underlying forces. In spite of this, is certain that the Nurse played a serious role in encouraging the lovers?
The Nurse possesses many qualities. For example, she is very hearty towards Juliet, kind, protective, compassionate and a loving lady. In some parts of the play The Nurse can be long-winded, insensitive, arrogant, insecure and stupid at times but she loves Juliet very much, partially as she imagines that Juliet is a substitute for her own daughter Susan. She has a bawdy sense of humor, which brings out the naturalness of sex and childbearing. This is seen when she tells Juliet to look for love, - “Go girl, seek happy nights to happy days';. This displays a realistic attitude to love. Such bawdy realism is, like the ribaldry of Mercutio and company, a contrast with the tender, romantic and passionate feelings of Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse is a practical but rather stupid woman at times. She loves Juliet like her own child. Throughout the play The Nurse is very talkative. She will usually do what she believes is right or what Juliet wants, like secretly meeting with Romeo and arranging the wedding of Romeo and Juliet.
The Nurse’s job is to take care of Juliet and raise her; however, upon learning that Juliet is romantically involved with their family’s enemy, she doesn’t provide any form of counsel to Juliet.” I must another way, To fetch a ladder by the which your love Must climb a bird’s nest soon when its dark.” (2.5.77-79). The Nurse aides Romeo by telling him to go to Juliet’s room, showing her approval of the relationship. She did not provide any form of counsel to Juliet or inform Capulet or Lady Capulet about Juliet’s relationship.
...give you happiness. This is also referring back to the Romeo and Juliet effect because the nurse wants Juliet to find someone else although this just makes Juliet like Romeo even more. Juliet took this advice by staying with Romeo that led to more conflict thus leading to Juliet’s death. Therefor, the nurse is once again responsible for Juliet’s death.