We see another action of comedy from the nurse in Act 2 Scene 4. Where the nurse is approaching Romeo to find out what his intentions are with Juliet. When she appears seeking Romeo, Mercutio directs his sexual teasing at her, saying how ugly she is. “My fan Peter. Good Peter, to hide her face, for her fan’s the fairer face.” The audience would find this funny because at that time it would have been a man dressed up like a woman, in make-up and taking about men. The audience would have laughed with Mercutio, which would have made the nurse uncomfortable.
The second function the nurse fulfils in Romeo and Juliet is being a confidente to Juliet. Here the nurse is like a second mother to Juliet. She weaned her, took care of her when she was young and knows everything about her. Juliet is anxious and impatient to find out what Romeo has said about the wedding. So it shows Shakespeare has used the nurse as a source of getting across the message to the audience about Juliet’s feelings. Shakespeare also did this to portray that Juliet can talk to the nurse about personal things but not to her real mum. The nurse would tell what is right and wrong.
Another way the nurse fulfils this idea of confidente is when Juliet is being forced by her parents to marry Paris. So Juliet turns to the nurse for advice as she is the only one that knows about the marriage with Romeo. Juliet is seeking help from the nurse, who urges her to marry Paris. The quote she uses is “Beshrew my very heart, I think you are happy in this second match, for it excels your first, or if it did not, your first is dead, or ‘twere as good he were as living here and you no use of him.” Juliet then replies “Speak’st thou from thy heart?” These quotes portrays that Juliet has been deceived by the nurse, as she didn’t stick up for her. The nurse gives her advice on what is best for her and her parents. This is a use of dramatic irony as Juliet’s parents don’t know about her marriage with Romeo but the audience do. The audience can also see that the nurse doesn’t know anything about the love between Romeo and Juliet. She thinks that she can substitute Romeo for Paris as Romeo has been banished. So the nurse has a lack of understanding of Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another.
The contrast between the Nurse and the rather formal Lady Capulet would also give this sense of comedy. The Nurse’s language is very bawdy even though she communicates with Juliet rather well. The way the Nurse speaks to Juliet is how a mother should talk to her daughter, but we see how different Lady Capulet is. Her language to Juliet is formal and straight. Straight meaning that if she says something it must be done, she doesn’t compromise. That’s why Juliet trusts and listens to the Nurse as she is gentle with her. So she tells her the personal things she doesn’t inform her mum as she knows the way she reacts.
The behaviour of the Nurse to Juliet shows the comedy of the Nurse, she likes to express her views on Paris to Juliet (but in a sexual way). This idea again how a mother should joke and laugh around with her daughter. The one time the Nurse’s behaviour alters with Juliet is when the Nurse comes back with news about Romeo’s plan. Juliet is anxious to find out what he has said but the Nurse is annoying her by saying how tired she is. So that was the one time that Juliet was frustrated with the Nurse. However Lady Capulet’s behaviour to Juliet is unpleasant and despicable. This happens when Capulet tells Juliet she has to marry Paris and her mum is standing there and refuses to help her daughter while the Nurse is trying to defend Juliet. This shows that the Nurse should be Juliet’s real mum, but at least Lady Capulet should try to calm the situation down, her husband and comfort Juliet. Unfortunately she doesn’t.
On the whole the functions of the Nurse where all ended when Juliet died, this is because after Juliet died there was no humour or comedy from the Nurse. Everything came to a halt. It seems as is if Juliet was a mission and the Nurse completed it.
