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The role of the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet
romeo and juliet act 3 scene 5 importance
The importance of act 3 scene 1 in romeo and juliet
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Recommended: The role of the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet
Act 3 Scene 5 of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
There are several strong cases for Act 3 scene 5 being the pivotal,
most important and significant scene in the play. To begin with, it is
the last time that Romeo and Juliet are together, alive and well,
after this scene Romeo goes to Manchua, and returns only to be near
Juliet to die.
Until this scene the audience will be convinced that Juliet has a very
strong relationship with Nurse, they are obviously a lot closer than
Juliet and her mother are, and Juliet relies on Nurse for advice and
support. During Art three scene five, the audience's perception of
Nurse changes, and Juliet no longer looks to her for support. 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...
... middle of paper ...
... guidance her whole live realy believes. Juliet should say this
with emotion, trying to show Nurse how deeply she cares, she could
grip Nurse's hand look her in the eyes, to convey her emotions to the
audience, show them how she is feeling, as she cannot tell them here.
Nurse replies: "And from my soul too, else beshrew them both" Juliet
goes on to tell her "Thou hast comforted my marvellous much."
she means this to be sarcastic, knowing that Nurse is illiterate, and
will miss the sarcasm, taking the words for what they literally,
without thinking about the tone of voice Juliet uses. Juliet turns
away from Nurse, showing that she has chosen to walk away from Nurse,
Nurse does not walk away from Juiet here, as she is not disowning
Juliet, Juliet leaves her, as Nurse has disowned Romeo, something
which she will not do.
First and foremost, following Juliet's refusal of the marriage with Paris, her father tells her that she is “one too much and that “ {he has} a curse in having her”(III. V. 166-167). Juliet considers her father's reaction as a form of abandonment. This strengthens her isolation from her parents. Juliet is also affected by the nurse's advice to marry Paris and thinks “it is more sin to wish {her} thus forsworn” (III. V. 237). Juliet is hurt by the unsettling advice the nurse gives her at difficult circumstances. This causes Juliet to isolate herself from the nurse and does not confide in her anymore. Besides the nurse, Friar Laurence also betrays Juliet at a critical moment by saying that “stay is not to question, for the watch is coming…{and he} dare{s} no longer stay”(V. III. 158-159) and leaves her. This abandonment influences Juliet's isolation from the friar. Since the Friar is one of her most trusted advisors, this heavily impacts Juliet. The betrayal of her trusted friends results in Juliet’s isolation from them.
Nurse was a fickle character, her changeability was significant in partly causing Juliet’s pseudo death. Juliet confided in Nurse when she met Romeo. Nurse not only encouraged the marriage, but went as far as arranging it. However, when Capulet made plans for Juliet to marry Paris, Nurse told Juliet that Paris was better for her.
Throughout the play Romeo and Juliet were aided in their love. It was according to Romeo and Juliet love at first sight and with the help of Juliet’s closest companion the nurse and Friar Lawrence it was made possible for the lovers to exchange vows and continue their relationship behind the twos houses backs. The nurse plays a role in Juliet’s life ‘when it did taste the wormwood on the nipple’ we find out that Juliet’s and the nurse have ad a close and long term friendship with Juliet even feeding off her as a baby, this close relationship is important alter on in the play when the nurse betrays Juliet’s trust.
The Nurse has a stronger relationship with Juliet over her own mother, Lady Capulet. The nurse really cares for Juliet and loves her like a daughter because she lost her daughter Susan. “Susan and she-God rest all Christian souls!-/Were of an age: well, Susan is with God…”(Ⅰ,ⅲ,20-21). The Nurse lost her daughter, Susan, and she was born on the same day as Juliet. This leads me to believe that the Nurse must be replacing her own loss with the life of Juliet. The Nurse did do many things that only mothers do. “She was wean’d,-I never shall forget it…”(Ⅰ,ⅲ,26). This quote says that the nurse will never forget the day that Juliet was weaned off of her breast milk. Breastfeeding is something
and hate in the play. Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first sight at
... marriage to Romeo). “Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence’s cell; There stays a husband to make you a wife. [...] Hie you to church; I must another way, to fetch a ladder, by the which your love must climb a bird’s nest soon when it’s dark” (II. v. 69-77). Nurse is willing to go to certain extents to help Juliet because she is like a daughter to her. She brainstorms the plan so the two young lovers can be together. Also, her actions improve the tale overall. “This afternoon, sir? Well, she shall be there” (II. iv. 175). In a way, Nurse is Juliet’s ‘wing-man’. She helps her get the chance to be with her suitor, which is what the whole plot revolves around.
The Significance of Act 3 Scene 5 in Relation to the Mood of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
The Nurse is Capulets servant, and she is a very good servant as she tries her hardest to please the Capulets and Juliet at the same time. She is also a very important character in the play and in the Capulets lives. Through out the play The Nurse is Juliet’s confidant. The Nurse is a crucial character who strongly influences Juliet’s thoughts and actions. The main reason why the Capulet employed her was to breast feed Juliet. The Nurse was perfect for the job because she had just lost her little baby Susan, and The Nurse will now have unwanted breast milk that is ideal for Juliet as Lady Capulet does not want the role of breast feeding. The relationship between The Nurse and Juliet is like a mother daughter relationship, she is like Juliet surrogate mother towards Juliet.
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.
Act 3, scene 5 is one of the most dramatic and crucial scenes of the
The nurse acts as a parental figure to Juliet, where she cares for her as if Juliet is her own child, and gives advice and help whenever she is in need for it. The nurse believes that Juliet is still gentle and young, therefore is always on the look out for Juliet, making sure she doesn 't get hurt. The nurse 's motherly love is highlighted primarily when, lack of love is shown between Juliet and her mother. Lady Capulet is shown to be neglecting love towards Juliet. This is seen in Act 1 Scene 3, when Lady Capulet sent The Nurse out and they immediately calls her back in as the Nurse knows Juliet so well. “Nurse come back again”. The strong relationship between The nurse and Juliet is so strong, that the Nurse knows Juliet better than her mother. Another factor showing the lack of love is when Juliet uses the word ' 'Madam ' ' formaly towards her mother. This points out that there is no real relationship towards Juliet and Lady Capulet; the only relationship between them is blood and name. Shakespeare portrays a distant and cold relationship between Juliet and lady Capulet. This is juxtaposed with the affectionate and loving relationship between the nurse and Juliet. The nurse helps Juliet to be with her love Romeo, even after knowing they are from feuding families. The Nurse being a Capulet servant has to side with Juliet’s father when she tells her to marry Paris “I think it best you married with the
She arranges the wedding of Juliet, exiting the Capulet household to locate Romeo to inform him about “[proposing] to [Juliet], which [she thought was] the gentlemanly thing to do”. Now that the two ‘star-crossed’ lovers were married, their bond in the sense of love was absolutely unbreakable, introducing more unique actions they would commit simply to physically be near each other. She was constantly supportive of Juliet’s feelings and strived to “find Romeo To comfort [her]” whenever they were separated due to the town’s banishing of Romeo. Coordinating the unity of Romeo and Juliet under the circumstances of two families possessing an immortal hatred for each other wielded many risks and potential sacrifices for the Nurse. The risk resides within her efforts to support Juliet in pursuing a relationship with Romeo and the irony of the second quote. Her motive to find Romeo was simply for the sake of “comforting” Juliet, however taking the risk of having her cling to this long distant relationship resulted in an abundance of tragedies rather than the long awaited comfort. She risked her connection with the Capulet family, as well as her personal relationship with Juliet. Due to the Nurse, Juliet was submerged into an environment of a true ‘star-crossed’ love, causing her thoughts and emotions to be hindered by the influence of her new
Act 3 Scene 3 Of Romeo And Juliet by William Shakespeare Act 3 Scene 3 is a perfect example of Romeo's despondent persona. The events that take place in Friar Laurence's cell occur right after Romeo's marriage to Juliet. Romeo's devastation by the news that he is to be banished from Verona after murdering Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, had led him to seek guidance from Friar Laurence. Although this may seem understandable, Romeo is melodramatic and gives the impression that he is an over-the-top teenager. He illustrates this when he says; "Ha, banishment!
The Nurse’s job is 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 a way 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. Due to the fact that the Nurse does not do her job and doesn’t tell Juliet to end her relationship with Romeo, it caused this ill-fated relationship to continue. To add to the issue, the Nurse later betrays Juliet when Juliet begs her for help. “I think 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.” (3.5.226-238). The Nurse goes against her previous actions and expects Juliet to forget about Romeo by dispraising him. Juliet wants to remain faithful to her husband and this betrayal along with Capulet’s ultimatum causes Juliet to act hastily and want to die if she wasn’t with
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...