On the mention of Juliet’s marriage, the nurse talking about honour bestowed upon Juliet.
Nurse: “An honour. Were not I thire only nurse, I would say thou hads’t sucked wisdom from thy teat”
The nurse is aware of Lord and Lady Capulet’s wishes that their Juliet to be married to country Paris. It is seen to them as a fire match. The nurse sees country Paris as a “man of wax” and the nurse suggests with marriage “Women grow by man” both physically and in status. The closeness to Juliet is such that knowing the family’s that she should marry country Paris, she continues to act as the “ go between” between Romeo and Juliet. On meeting Romeo and the Capulet’s ball the nurse describes her mistress with great admiration.
Her mother is a lady of the house, and a good lady, and a wife of virtuous …I tell you, he that can lay hold of her shall have the chinks.”
She later meets with Romeo passing on the
Message, that she is to meet him at friar Laurence’s cell to be married.
Romeo: “Bid her devise some means to come to shrift this afternoon, and there she shall at friar Laurence’s cell be shrived and married.”
The Nurses loyalty belongs totally to Juliet, she realises the reaction lord and lady Capulet would have to such a marriage. Following the death of Juliet’s cousin typalt by Romeo’s hands the nurse continues to follow Juliet’s instructions in bringing the lovers together. Indeed, after an initial criticism of Romeo by the nurse who says;
“Will you speak well of him that killed your cousin?”
She presents a ring to Romeo, sent by Juliet to express her continued love.
Nurse: “here sir, a ring she bid me give you, sir. Hie you, make haste, for it grows very late.”
After all of this as the nurse follows Juliet’s instructions and now is starting to agree with lord and lady caplets Ideas about Juliet marrying Country Paris.
The nurse advises Juliet to marry Paris rather than being thrown out on to the streets. Lord and lady Capulet insist that Juliet marries Paris or she’ll be left to die or starve, her Father will not be “ for sworn”. The nurse claims that Romeo is a “ dish clout ” compared to Paris. It is from this point that Juliet no longer confides in the nurse. Indeed sh says sarcastically “ Thou hast comforted me marvellous much”.
From arranging Juliet’s marriage, organizing Romeo to see Juliet in her bedchamber despite having killed Tybalt, the nurse now is left in the dark. Juliet plans to take a potion, which gives the appearance of death but does not inform the nurse of her plan. This plan hatched with fryer Laurence is critical to the play and Juliet’s future. How ever her relationship with the nurse, their intimacy has now broken down. The nurse is no longer Juliet’s confident, mother substitute or best friend. The closeness has evaporated. Now only the friar is taken into Juliet’s confidence and even there she places a dagger under her pillow in case the potion fails to work. She wonders whether the potion will kill her hence taking the secret marriage to her grave. From the point where the nurse advised Juliet to marry Paris the relationship had broken down. It was tragic that the nurse was unaware of the depth of Juliet’s love for Romeo.
By Wayne Angell 11Axf