Role of Nurse in Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

Role of Nurse in Romeo and Juliet Essay The Nurse plays quite an important part of this play. Not only does she show her relationship with other characters but she also helps a lot to move the story line on. These points are seen mainly up until the end of act 3. In terms to her and Juliet both of these aspects are seen. Her relationship with Juliet is seen all the time and because of this good relationship, the Nurse pushes the play along by being Juliets messenger to Romeo about the wedding. The best example to show that Juliet is much closer to the Nurse than her own mother is in act 1 scene 3 lines 7 11, where Lady Capulet tells the nurse to go so she can talk to Juliet, but then calls her back as she realises that the Nurse knows more than her about Juliet. This is the matterof a pretty age. Another speech that backs this point is one, which follows on lines 18 48. The Nurse here is reminiscing about Juliets childhood and her husband who could possibly have passed away. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Nurse in Romeo and Juliet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Nurse in Romeo and Juliet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Nurse in Romeo and Juliet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Even or oddand said Ay Along the play there are also other things, which show this motherly relationship between the Nurse and Juliet. For instance in act 2 scene 4. Here is where the nurse meets up secretly with Romeo to plan the wedding. Here the Nurse is going against the family to help Juliet. It is a tough decision to make, to either go against the family and risk loosing her job or help Juliet. The decision she takes shows her love for Juliet and that she is more than just an employee for Juliet. The way she helps Juliet is almost as a mother would nowadays but in those times rich families hired people to take care of their children for them which explains why the relationship is better with Juliet and Nurse than Juliet and Lady Capulet. This relationship is similar to another one, which can be seen in the play between Romeo and Friar Lawrence. In this relationship the Friar takes the role of the Nurse and Romeo replaces Juliet. This relationship follows the same structure as the one between Juliet a nd the nurse. Friar Lawrence offers Romeo advice, is like a father figure to Romeo and helps to move the play along by marrying Romeo and Juliet and also in act 4 by helping Juliet with the plan to run off with Romeo. Notice that I mentioned that Friar Lawrence had to help Juliet to make a plan because by this point in the play Juliet looses all trust in the Nurse because of Tybalts death, Capulet wanted some happiness to come to the family and he thought the best way to do this was to marry Juliet off to Paris. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, both Capulet and Lady Capulet became furious and Juliet turns to the nurse. This time the Nurse chooses hers employers side by telling Juliet that Romeo is gone and tries to show how good Paris is. She feels as if she is betraying Juliet but it is the only thing she can do. As she cannot go against the parents as they might suspect something of Romeo and Juliets wedding. This is shown on act 3 scene 5 lines 213 225. Faith, hereuse of him. On page 154 there is a note from Brenda Bruce who played the part of the Nurse saying, If Nurse sounds as though she believed this (218 219), she will get a laugh from the audience. What I wanted was a reaction of shockI would like the audience to feel let down by someone they trusted. Nurse carries on to the end of the speech with her advice, not believing a word of it, in her heartIn an attempt to make the advice acceptable. At this point in the play her importance begins to diminish as on lines 239 240 Juliet says she can no longer trust her and after this we do not see much of Nurse. Go, counsellor, Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain