Nurse in Romeo and Juliet Essay Example For Students

Nurse in Romeo and Juliet Essay I am doing an essay about the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. I will be looking at her character functions in the play, with the language and her impact of her in the play. The Nurse is employed by the Capulet family since the birth of Juliet, and the Juliets upbringing has been left entirely in her hands. The Nurse has a lot of affection for Juliet. She plays more of a mother figure to Juliet than her natural mother does. She provides entertainment by making jokes and bawdy comments. She also relieves the tragedy with her humour in the play. The nurse is an imperative character in the play because Shakespeare uses her to moves the plot forward. She is like a messenger informing Romeo and Juliet of the news and keeps the story going. Shakespeare also uses her to bring humour in the play which contrasts with the tragedy waiting to happen in the end of the play. In the play she is described as being as a capacious lady, she is written to wear a flowing dress. Romeo pretends that she is a ship and that her headscarf is a sail, A sail, A sail. From the way she looks, moves and wares bring humour in to the play. She audience laugh at her and from the Act 2 Scene 4 we can expect that she will be bringing humour in the play. All of the absurdity that she brings contrasts with the Tragedy of Rome and Juliet. She also heightens the problem or the tragedy and raises even more tension there is. The Nurse is very talkative, she loves to make speeches and talk about the past The Nurse frequently tells stories and is reminiscent about her past. E.g. She often talks about her daughter Susan, who became deceased when she was only months old. Susan and she- God rest all Christian souls- were of an age. This all make Lady Capulet and Juliet infuriated towards her. She often does not think before speaking, she frequently talks about sex to Juliet and says that marriage is not about love, but it is about sex. Yea, quoth he, fallst upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age wilt thou not, Jule? It stinted and said, Ay. She uses a lot of rude and sexual language in the play. She also recall what her husband said to her daughter dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou will fall backwards when thou hast move wit She tell Juliet another vulgar stories, which contrasts with the more noble language of Lady Capulet .She talks about sex in the presence of Lady Capulet, which is not very appropriate as she is a high status women and she is married, so when the Nurse talks about marriage being just about sex, Lady Capulet may feel uncomfortable. These types of characteristics irritate characters such as Lady Capulet but keep the audience humoured and entertained. This shows us that she is really close to Juliet in person closer than her own mother. The Nurse is totally devoted to Juliet and is also loyal towards her. Although she is thoughtless at times, her intentions are always good. Even when talking about uncomfortable issues such as sex to Juliet, she is only trying to warn Juliet about life from her experience, it might have been her own marriage which was based on sex. The nurse doesnt understand that times and people have changed. This shows the Nurses ignorance, as she is not well educated and not very intelligent The relationship of the Nurse and Juliet is more like a mother and daughter relationship where as lady Capulet and Juliet isnt. The Nurse takes care of Juliet and is very protective of Juliet. She tells Romeo to not mistreat Juliet But first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her in a fools paradise as they say it were a very gloss kind of behaviour. When Juliet speaks to her mother she speaks very formally, calling her madam. The conversation is stilted and proper, whereas with the Nurse she talks very openly. The Nurse uses many different terms when she is referring to Juliet, What, Lamb? What Ladybird? That is another sign of a close bond. The language in which they use to communicate is far less formal than that of the language with Lady Capulet. There seems to be a relaxed atmosphere around them. She is also a confidante towards Juliet, Juliet can tell her secrets and personal things to the Nurse. There relationship is like a relationship between two sisters and also a relationship between a mother and her daughter. This bond has been developed because the Nurse has looked after Juliet ever since she was a child and has treated as a daughter, as she has been wet Nurse for Juliet. As they spend so much time together, they feel they can trust each other and confide in one another. Lady Capulet relationship with Juliet is complete different, she doesnt fell comfortable being alone with Juliet Nurse, come back again, have rememberd me, thous hear our counsel The Lady wishes to discuss things with Juliet, but finds it uncomfortable. She calls the Nurse back immediately. She is seen as a trusted family servant to the Lord Capulet in Verona. Lady Capulet cant even talk to Juliet in private she need the nurse with her. This shows us that Lady Capulet is doesnt had close relationship with her own daughter while the Nurse does. We also see that Nurse tring to protect Juliet from her father, Lord Caplet when Capulet threatens and insults Juliet for refusing to marry Paris, the Nurse tries to intervene. She says Christmas Carol EssayNurse realises the depth of Juliet feelings for Romeo Ill to my wedding-bed And death, not Romeo, take my maidenhead Through the impact of these lines, which say that, not Romeo, will take her maidenhead but it will be death. At this point the Nurse shows sympathy and goes to fetch Romeo from the Lawrence cell, Ill find Romeo and Juliet tell her to gives her a ring to give to Romeo. Here the Nurse is also used as a messenger from Juliet to send Romeo a ring and tell him to come back to Juliet. The nurse does stand up for Juliet in Act 3 scene 5 against Juliets father violent rage against Juliet. The nurse was the only person that Juliet could turn to for help and comfort. At act 3 scene 5 Juliet gets threatened to marry Paris and she need the Nurse to help her to persuade her parents. She is in an impossible situation, she is already married to Romeo and the Nurse knows that. After all the outburst of Juliets parents the nurse advice Juliet to marry Paris, Romeo is banished hes as good as dead, disclout. From this point Juliet turns against the Nurse from this point she changes. When the Nurse confirms what she really thinks, that Juliet should marry Paris, Juliet says Amen I agree. But she doesnt mean it, she turns against the Nurse, she has changed and has her own mind. The nurse is no longer the person to whom Juliet can turn to. Juliet is angry and let down by the Nurse. Thou and my bossom henceforth shall be twain Now see will ask friar to know his remedy she will go to Friar Lawrence for help now. The nurse was being realistic when she was telling Juliet to marry Romeo which contrasted with Juliet romantic vision of her love. I think the Nurse still has Juliets best interest at heart and has not betrayed in any way. I feel the only reason the Nurse is telling Juliet to wed Paris as opposed to Romeo is because then she will still keep a good relationship with the Capulet family and so she doesnt end up on the streets, with no money and not a healthy life. As Romeo is banished, he cannot provide a good home and family for Juliet while Paris can and Juliet does not break her bonds with her family. For all her upbringing of Juliet, she is unable to understand her true feelings and fails to read her intentions when she apparently accepts Paris. At this point the audience would be shocked from what the Nurse has advised Juliet to do and would feel angry toward The Nurse. But as wee see the Nurse reaction towards the death of Juliet after drinking the potion we see that she really does care for Juliet. At act 4 Scene 5 we see .The nurse at Juliet chamber try to wake Juliet up for the wedding. She was the first person to find out that she was dead because she has a close relationship with Juliet and familiar intimate relationship When the nurse find out that Juliet is dead she is in horror Shes dead, deceased, shes dead Here Shakespeare uses repetition shes dead. He also uses the hard d sound alliteration, all this language get the horror impact for that scene. All this shows us the Nurse really cares about Juliet; she is like her own daughter. Its a very dramatic moment, she is distressed. In the play she would be in panic and it all shows us that she really cares about Juliet. On the other had her mothers reaction to Juliets death is completely different, she just thinks about herself. O me, O me, my child, my only life She is upset but Shakespeare uses interesting word to describe that, which implies that she is thinking about herself, me my. She only uses o my child o my life she just cares about herself. The father of Juliet has a deep regret over the death of Juliet, Shakespeare uses poetic language to describe the regret over the death, Death lies on her like an like an untimely frost Here Shakespeare uses simile to describe the death, he uses natural images which are very beautiful; Upon the sweetest flower of all the field. Here we have very beautiful images while the situation is very horrible. Shakespeare also uses gentle, soft sound images sweetest, he also uses alliteration flower field In line 85- 91 Shakespeare compares what the day would have been like, the sorrow of the death of Juliet that make the family change. That is the last scene in which we see the Nurse. Throughout the play, she appears, however when she loses Juliets trust, she is lost from the play. The Nurse plays a critical role in Romeo and Juliet. Without her, the play would be less entertaining as she adds humour to the play, but also makes the sad moment even more depressing as when Juliet dies, we feel sorry for the Nurse the most as she has brought her up from when she was born and she has to witness her tragic death, which she may feel partly responsible for, as she advised Juliet to forget about Romeo and wed Paris. The plot could not have been developed and the story could not have been facilitated if it was not for the essential character of the Nurse!