Character study - The Nurse in 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Character study – The Nurse

Throughout ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the nurse establishes herself as a character of great importance. She is a nurse for the Capulet family but her role in the play is more than her title suggests. The nurse is also a surrogate mother to Juliet and it is apparent that the nurse and Juliet have a bond that is stronger than most, even to the extent of being stronger than the relationship with her birth mother.

She, at times, is the main orcastrater of the storyline. By this I mean that she, on numerous occasions, informs various people of news, which keeps the story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ going. What is also apparent is that the nurse has a real sense of humour. Her jokes and general comical personality relieves some of the tragedy in the play.

The nurse is an ‘employee’ of the very rich and powerful Capulet family and her job is to act as a surrogate mother to Juliet. The fact that the nurse breast-fed Juliet as a baby is one of the main reasons why the two have a very strong bond. Although it is very true the nurse is a motherly figure to Juliet, the two seem to have a sisterly relationship. The two know that they can confide in each other, this means that if either have a problem or secret they can trust the other not to tell anyone, unlike Juliet and her birth mother (Lady Capulet). I am sure that Juliet sees the nurse as a more motherly figure than her mother as in act 1 scene 3 Juliet does not respond immediately to the voice of Lady Capulet. Yet when the nurse shouts Juliet recognises her voice straight away and replies, this suggests that the nurse has spent a lot more time with Juliet and developed a very special relationship with her. The way in which the nurse deals with the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ relationship is interesting. She acts as a go between because she recognises that it is a difficult situation for them in terms of meeting each other etc.

If you read Romeo and Juliet it is no secret that the nurse is a very loud, and at times, a rude character. Which portrays her out going personality. ‘..My maidenhead at twelve years old.’, this is a comment that the nurse says that is basically stating how Juliet is still a virgin. This is quite shocking as the comment is said within the very high status Capulet house and this would give the impression that the nurse is very loud and rude.

The nurse’s personality is also perceived as a teasing and playful one. When the nurse receives news ...

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The nurse’s personality is also perceived as a teasing and playful one. When the nurse receives news for Juliet from Romeo she chooses to keep Juliet hanging by a thread and not tell her immediately, when she knows Juliet is anxious to hear of the news. Instead she changes the subject and tells of her pain in her back, another comical deed carried out by the nurse.

The nurse throughout the play tells of previous times, emphasising on her deceased daughter Susan. So the relationship between the nurse and Juliet maybe particularly strong because Juliet is seen as a replacement for Susan by the nurse.

It is clear that the nurse can be, at times, very eager and does not think before she speaks and this is very inappropriate in some instances. For example she openly speaks to Lady Capulet about sex and this for a very high status women can be inappropriate. As a result of the nurses actions Lady Capulet may feel very uncomfortable and find the nurse disgusting and irritating.

There is no doubt that the nurses intentions are always very good and that she is loyal to most people, especially Juliet. Subjects such as sex are discussed between the two and the nurse tries to give guidance but the information given is normally out dated. This shows that the nurse is somewhat unintelligent and lacks knowledge on important subjects.

The nurse shows great protection towards Juliet and cares abut her immensely. She warns Romeo to treat Juliet well and not to use her, ‘..If ye should lead her in a fools’ paradise as they say it were a very gloss of kind behaviour.’ There are numerous other quotes throughout the play that show the nurses warning to Romeo concerning treating Juliet with the up most respect. Her loyalty is obviously above any other places where her loyalties may lie, for example the Capulet family as a whole. The nurse sets up meetings between the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, this is an act of disloyalty to the family as otherwise the nurse would recognise the Capulet-Montague feud is more important than a ‘pair of love struck’ people. You may also argue that this shows how her judgement is substandard as most people would realise this is a very dangerous thing to do.

The nurse does not worry about her actions. In other words she does not think about the severe consequences of her ‘ludicrous’ actions. But without the actions of the nurse the story itself would become uneventful and the drama of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ would be non-existent.

The nurse at times can be easily swayed to change her mind. An instance of this is where she is very happy for Juliet when she confides in the nurse about her ever-developing relationship with Romeo. When the Capulets start sending out threats though her opinion is very different, ‘ I think it is best you married the county…Romeos a dishcloth to him.’ This is basically saying that Romeo is not good enough for Juliet and that Paris is a much better option. Rather different to prior statements and opinions expressed by the nurse.

This shows that the nurse’s loyalty has changed hands. Juliet feels that before the nurse was loyal and loving towards her and no one else but now the nurse has become a traitor and sided with Capulets. This shows, maybe, a very selfish side to the nurse. The nurse obviously thinks that if she does stick with her original views, these being that Romeo is ideal for Juliet etc, she maybe thrown onto the streets with no job or money.

The importance of the nurse and actions is emphasised again when her ‘change if heart ’, when concerning Romeo and Paris, forces Juliet to take the potion. This inevitably changes the whole course of the story and the characters within it.

Her love for Juliet is though clear when she realises that Juliet is dead. The nurse throughout the play is portrayed as a very bubbly and comical character but in this instance she is devastated. ‘ Alas, alas! Help, Help! My lady is dead! O well-a-day that ever I was born’ this shows the nurses devastation, the fact she is repeating words adds to the sense of disbelief. Her life is not worth living after the loss of Juliet. She meant everything to her and their relationship was one of great importance to her.

All in all the nurse is a very important character throughout the play. If the nurse were absent from this play it would be a great loss. Her humour adds a comical side to the play that takes away some of the very tragic and upsetting storyline. The death of Juliet would be less tragic without the nurses’ reaction and feelings. Basically if the nurse was not in the play the story would not have developed and the play would not be as successful as it turned out for William Shakespeare.