Compare and contrast the roles of the Nurse and Friar Lawrence in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

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English – Shakespeare Coursework Essay

Compare and contrast the roles of the Nurse and Friar Lawrence in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the following ways:

  • Consider their contribution to the plot
  • Select short sections from the play involving these two characters for close study, showing appreciation of dramatic structure and stagecraft
  • Analyse what they tell us about Elizabethan society

This essay will focus on the Nurse and Friar Lawrence, and how their actions and opinions affected Romeo and Juliet.

From the outset of the play the prologue dooms them both by stating their “death-marked love”. This makes the part of the Friar and the Nurse in their deaths unclear, as we do not know whether the “star-crossed lovers” would have died without them intervening on their behalf since it was written in the stars. As well as this, it also describes that the consequences of their actions “bury their parents’ strife” giving a twist to the plot which, if the observer was removed from the emotional aspects of the play, could find balanced out the tragedy with a ‘greater good’.

Romeo and Juliet are the children of two wealthy families in Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets. Friar Lawrence and the Nurse are both lower down the social scale than Romeo and Juliet but act as confidants and close friends to them both, the Friar being a spiritual adviser as well. Romeo and Juliet depend on them both and treat them as extended family. In this way they value their advice and have very strong bonds between them. Although the guidance given by both the Nurse and Friar is valued equally, the actual opinion of each character may differ greatly.

The Nurse is an out-going character who has wet-nursed and cared for Juliet since she was a baby and, due to the detached supervision of her own mother, Juliet is more likely to turn to the Nurse for advice and guidance.

The Nurse is very affectionate towards Juliet, and dotes on her as her own child. In this way, she wants the best for Juliet and gives her the ‘best’ possible advice according to her beliefs. Unfortunately, since she lacks the greater wisdom of other characters, her guidance is sometimes flawed and she is easily swayed by other characters conflicting opinions.

The class boundary between Juliet and the Nurse is easily apparent whenever she talks, probably due to her lack of education. Her language is colloquial and repetitive and often full of irrelevancies. The coarseness and vulgarity with which she talks to Juliet is also apparent, and she does not refrain from talking about sex in her company.

“I am the drudge, and toil in your delight.

But you shall bear the burden soon at night”                 – Act 2 Scene 5

Her extroverted nature does not lend itself to caution, and the only moment of prudence on the part of the Nurse is when she warns Romeo that he must take the relationship seriously or not at all.

“If ye should lead her in a fool’s paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behaviour”

        - Act 2 Scene 4

For all the care and attention Juliet is given, the Nurse relishes in teasing Juliet, for example the Nurse goes out to meet Romeo and ask him whether he would marry Juliet, she delays telling her the news for as long as possible. When she finally tells Juliet what he said, she seems more concerned about his appearance than his personality.

“Though his face be better than any man’s, yet

his leg excels all men’s; and for a hand, and a

foot, and a body, though they be not to be talked

on, yet they are past compare.”                         – Act 2 Scene 5

It is this flaw, taking objects, situations and people at face value that leads her to hurt Juliet later in the play when she is confronted with the dilemma of obeying her father and marring Paris but betraying Romeo. She refuses her father’s offer and he then directs violent abuse at her. Juliet looks towards the Nurse for comfort saying “What sayest thou, hast thou no word of joy?”, but is astonished and distressed by her seemingly unfeeling attitude towards her. She does not seem to take into account Juliet’s loyalty and intensity of feeling for Romeo, and instead contradicts her previous praise towards him.

“I think it is best you married with the County.

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O he's a lovely gentleman.

Romeo's a dishclout to him”                         – Act 3 Scene 5

In these lines, “dishclout” is used as a derogatory metaphor. It is also used earlier in the play when she speaks to Romeo.  She informs him that Juliet “looks as pale as any clout in the versal world” when she suggests that “Paris is the properer”.

This is the last point in the play at which the Nurse has a part, and the next time she is seen, it is following discovery of Juliet's 'dead' body the morning after taking the Friar’s potion. ...

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