Examine the theme of motherly love in Romeo and Juliet through the relationship Juliet has with her mother and her nurse

The nurse and Juliet have a very close relationship the nurse describes Juliet as a ‘lamb’ and a ‘ladybird’ because the nurse calls her by nicknames and Lady Capulet calls her ‘madam’. The nurse is considered close enough to be involved in discussions about her wedding the nurse is closer than Juliet. The nurse can tell Juliet’s age ‘unto an hour’ this shows the nurse knows Juliet’s age to an hour and Juliet’s mother thinks she is fourteen but the nurse tells her she is thirteen and her birthday is on the eve of a holiday called "Lammastide." The nurse talks about how she breast-fed and weaned Juliet ‘I had wormwood to my dug’ the nurse is saying she looked after Juliet since she was a baby and the nurse breast-fed her and weaned her. This shows Juliet’s mother did not care about Juliet and did not breast-feed Juliet and the nurse nursed Juliet as she was growing up.

Lady Capulet is not interested in the nurses reminiscences ‘I pray for thee hold thy peace’ the nurse cannot and continues to talk fondly of Juliet’s Infancy. This shows Lady Capulet does not care about any doubts the nurse has for Juliet and just does not care. ’Tho wast the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed’ this shows the nurse cares a lot about Juliet because she is saying nice things about her and always complements her and Lady Capulet never complements Juliet like the way the nurse does. Juliet trusts the nurse with her feelings towards Romeo the nurse warns Romeo ‘If ye should lead her in a fools paradise’ this is the nurse telling Romeo not to break her heart. The nurse has a lot of feelings for Juliet and does not want to see her hurt. Juliet is upset at Romeos banishment that the nurse offers to get Romeo to comfort her.

The nurse cares about Juliet than her mother Lady Capulet and is trying to help by subjecting ideas to make Romeo see Juliet. It is the nurse and not Lady Capulet who springs to Juliet’s defence when her father abuses her for refusing to marry Paris this shows the relationship between the nurse and Juliet like a mother and daughter Lady Capulet complains that Juliet is crying too much over the death of Tybalt ‘Therefore have done’ She is saying to Juliet he is dead get over it this makes Juliet feel like her mother doesn’t care about her because she is telling her to get over it instead of comforting her. Lady Capulet offers to have Romeo killed to avenge Tybalt death and assuage Juliet’s grief if lady Capulet had any feelings for Juliet she would not offered to have Romeo killed. Juliet asks her mother to tell her father that she will not marry Paris Lady Capulet refuses. She does not support her daughter and tells Capulet ’I would the fool were married to her grave’ Juliet cannot trust her mother and Juliet’s should get a choice in who she marries not her mother and fathers choice. It is the nurse not the Lady Capulet who springs to Juliet’s defence Lady Capulet supports her husband.'fie, fie, what are you mad' The Lady Capulet Is saying the nurse is mad for defending Juliet. When Juliet appeals to her mother ‘o sweet my mother, cast me not away' Lady Capulet replies 'Talk not to me for ill not speak a word./do as tho wilt, for I have done with thee' this is Lady Capulet saying she does not want anything to do with Juliet and does not show love for her anymore.

However when Juliet is found dead Lady Capulet exclaims my child my only life revive up or I will die with thee. This reveals Lady Capulet true feelings for Juliet and deep down she loved Juliet but was not very good at showing it Shakespeare makes good use of language and you know from the prologue that Romeo and Juliet are going to die because it says ‘From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life’. In conclusion in this essay I have examined the theme of motherly love through the relationship Juliet has with her mother and her nurse. The nurse’s relationship with Juliet is like a mother and daughter they are very close and tell each other everything. On the other hand the relationship Juliet has with her mother is nothing like a mother Lady Capulet does not treat Juliet like a daughter she shows no love for her. When Lady Capulet finds out about Juliet’s death her emotions come out and she shows the love that a mother would for her daughter however these emotions may be put on if she really did not care about Juliet. My personal response to the play is I enjoyed the story and finding out Romeo and Juliet die in the prologue makes it more interesting and sad. I think Lady Capulet really did care about Juliet and loved her but is not very good at showing it