Shakespeare does not express the Nurse's opinions of love and marriage as clearly as he does Lady Capulet's. The Nurse does not say anything about status or money when talking about marriage but Shakespeare has chosen to do this as it may affect the audience's opinion of her. When hearing that it is Paris, the Nurse says, 'he's a man of wax'. Shakespeare has written this as it adds to the Nurse's physical vocabulary, as she is concerned with physical attraction. The Nurse values love very much and wants it for Juliet as she says, 'seek happy nights to happy days'. Shakespeare also uses the Nurse to represent the physical side of love as she says, 'Women grow by men', previously. Shakespeare has the nurse so upfront about sex for both humour and to use as a contrast to Lady Capulet. The Nurse wants Juliet to enjoy all of the parts of love and marriage whereas Lady Capulet is only concerned with status. By presenting the characters in this way, Shakespeare makes the audience prefer the Nurse to Lady Capulet, as the audience also wants Juliet to be happy. Shakespeare shows the audience that the Nurse's humour and opinions of love are influencing Juliet as she says, 'nor any other part belonging to a man'. This quote shows the sexual connotations that the Nurse uses are present in Juliet's speech and as the audience like Juliet, they also begin to like the Nurse.
Shakespeare uses language to shape the audience's response to both characters as the way in which they speak is always used when forming first impressions, especially in a play. In Act 1 Scene 3 when the audience first meets the characters, Shakespeare has them both speaking in blank verse. This would immediately make the audience aware that both characters are important. However, Lady Capulet then moves into rhyming couplets as she speaks of Paris, which Shakespeare uses to elevate her status above the Nurse. To reinforce that Lady Capulet is of a higher status than the Nurse, Shakespeare also has her speak in rhyming couplets at Tybalt's death in Act 3 Scene 1. However, the audience may hear this poetic speech and believe Lady Capulet to be a woman who loved Tybalt and their first impressions may be altered. However, Shakespeare has considered these thoughts and therefore later has Lady Capulet say, 'Some grief shows much of love; But much of grief shows still some want of wit.' This quote then causes the audience to rethink its opinion of Lady Capulet, as she may have been falsely distraught as this quote also shows her to be concerned with appearances.
In Act 2 Scene 4 the Nurse speaks in prose and in doing this Shakespeare makes the audience, especially the groundlings when it was first performed, relate to her. We see her attempts to appear upper class as she says, ' My fan, Peter', but as Shakespeare has her speak in prose it becomes obvious to both the young men and the audience that she is not. The mockery that follows also creates sympathy in the audience for the Nurse, which endears her to them. The most important observation of language occurs when Lady Capulet and the Nurse are together and think that Juliet is dead as they both speak in verse. We see that although language is used to show status it is also used in moments of love and when Lady Capulet and the Nurse both use verse at Juliet's death the audience realises that the Nurse loves Juliet as much as Lady Capulet despite not being her biological mother. In showing the Nurse in prose previously, Shakespeare gives the audience a comparison in which they see that the Nurse's feelings have been strengthened however, Lady Capulet does not even use the dramatic rhyming couplets that she uses at Tybalt's death. Shakespeare may have chosen to do this to show that Juliet was not as important or to emphasise that her reaction to Tybalt's death was exaggerated for appearance's sake. Which ever was Shakespeare's intention, both cause the audience to dislike Lady Capulet and her superficial ways.
Other character's opinions are important as Shakespeare uses them to influence the audience's opinion. However, this also depends on the audience's opinion of the character in question. For example when Shakespeare has Lord Capulet echo an old proverb and says, 'And too soon marr'd are those so early made', the audience realise that he is referring to his own wife, especially after the quick comparison made between their relationship and that of Lord and Lady Montague. This quote written for Lord Capulet is spoken at the beginning of the play before his true character is revealed and, as he is the husband of Lady Capulet, the audience believe his opinion at this time and Shakespeare uses it to shape their reaction to Lady Capulet. However, as Shakespeare develops Lord Capulet's character he becomes volatile and his temper is exposed in Act 1 Scene 5 as he says, 'You are a princox, go', after an argument with Tybalt. Lord Capulet's temper is also shown in Act 3 Scene 5 as he shouts at Juliet, 'you green-sickness carrion! Out you baggage! You tallow face!' Lord Capulet's unreasonable attitude creates dislike for him in the audience making his opinion seem wrong. For example, he calls the Nurse an, 'old gossip' and, 'bumbling fool' but the audience don't believe him because they don't like him. Especially as Shakespeare has the Nurse stand up to him unlike lady Capulet who merely hides behind her husband's anger, 'tell him so yourself'. The temper of Lord Capulet would have been intimidating but the Nurse defies him anyway as she says, 'You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so.' Shakespeare has the Nurse do this as sympathy for Juliet has already been created and the Nurse's efforts will be appreciated, making her more popular with the audience. Shakespeare has also written the line after Lady Capulet has given up on Juliet and the audience will compare the two reactions leaving Lady Capulet as a coward.
Shakespeare also uses the actions of other characters to shape the audience's response to Lady Capulet and the Nurse. Both characters have others who perform the same role for Romeo as they do Juliet. Shakespeare uses Lady Montague to emphasise the harshness of Lady Capulet, for example, Lady Montague dies from the heart break of her son being exiled, as Lord Montague says, 'Grief of my son's exile hath stopp'd her breath', whereas Lady Capulet has previously said of Juliet, 'I would the fool were married to her grave'. The character performing the same role as the Nurse is Friar Laurence. For both characters their want for Romeo and Juliet to be happy causes them to help them. However, Shakespeare has the Nurse advise Juliet to marry Paris, 'I think it best you marry with the County', as she does this in an attempt to keep Juliet safe. Friar Laurence, however, gets caught up in the action and continues with the dangerous plot. As Lady Montague emphasised Lady Capulet's harshness, Friar Laurence emphasises the Nurse's protective, maternal nature that makes her want to keep Juliet safe.
Stage direction also influences the audience's opinion of the character's and as the play is performed. We see this shown in Act 4 Scene 4, as it is the Nurse who is supposed to be preparing Juliet for her wedding to Paris. Shakespeare indeed makes the Nurse seem more caring as she bustles around Juliet trying to wake her up. Lady Capulet however, does not appear to be helping Juliet get ready. Shakespeare has constructed the scene like this in order to shape the audience's opinion that Lady Capulet is not a caring mother and that the Nurse fulfils this role much more. It is the Nurse that is the first to realise that Juliet is dead and this is also a decision made by Shakespeare to show the audience that she cares the most. Finally this technique is also used in that Shakespeare shows the audience the reactions of Lady Capulet throughout the play whereas Lady Montague's reactions are not shown. The audience can appreciate that Lady Montague will have been upset for Romeo and Mercutio but they are not shown it. By presenting Lady Capulet as the only woman who is distraught and dramatic, Shakespeare isolates her and emphasises it to the audience, which adds to their response to her. Shakespeare does then, however have Lady Capulet present when Juliet is discovered dead for the second time. Not only does her speech emphasise her selfishness as she says, 'O me', but it is important that she is present when the blame is placed upon the parents. In making her present in this scene, Shakespeare causes the audience to also place the blame on both Lord and Lady Capulet, which makes the audience dislike them further, but as the Nurse is not present, no blame is placed on her. Although Shakespeare does keep it realistic by writing in Friar Laurence's speech, 'Nurse was privy'.
Shakespeare uses the fact that the audience wants Romeo and Juliet to be happy to shape their response. The interaction with Juliet differs between the Nurse and Lady Capulet. Again, a classic example is in Act 1 Scene 3 where the Nurse holds easy conversation with Juliet, whom the audience like, whereas Lady Capulet is not even sure of her daughter's age. In showing the Nurse's closeness to Juliet first, at the beginning Shakespeare makes the audience appreciate Juliet having someone to comfort and help her in the same way that Romeo has Friar Laurence. This is also shown in how often the Nurse and Lady Capulet are on stage, as the Nurse becomes a more familiar face to the audience than Lady Capulet. This then makes the Nurse seem friendlier whereas Lady Capulet never becomes 'close' to the audience or any of the characters. Shakespeare has chosen very carefully who is present in each scene as this can have an affect on the audience's response to characters, for example, never is the Nurse present when there have been fights between the two families whereas Lady Capulet is their in Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 3 Scene 2. In these scenes, she expresses her hatred of the Montague's, 'He is a kinsman to the Montague; Affection makes him false'. Shakespeare shows the feud through Lady Capulet, which makes the audience see her as petty and possibly even relishing the attention of the family death. He has chosen to use a woman because it is so unexpected and it also shows the audience how serious the feud is that women, who were supposed to be docile and quiet, were getting so involved. By totally removing the Nurse from this part of the plot, Shakespeare does not enable the audience to make such judgements about her. He also uses this technique when Tybalt dies, as Lady Capulet is present at the death to make her dramatic statements whereas the Nurse's feelings are known afterwards. In doing this, Shakespeare gives the audience the impression that Lady Capulet may be false as she is in front of everybody whereas the Nurse seems much more believable as only Juliet is present with her. For example, when Tybalt dies Lady Capulet says, 'Some twenty of them fought in this black strife', the audience know that Lady Capulet does not know this and therefore notices her exaggeration and dishonesty, which makes the audience dislike her.
Tybalt's death is a key event used by Shakespeare to influence the audience. The reaction of Lady Capulet after it has happened is cold, calculating and almost masculine, 'We'll have vengeance for it... Shall give him such an unaccustom'd dram'. This link to death has been used by Shakespeare to remind the audience that more people die and that those people will be Romeo and Juliet. As she speaks of poisoning Romeo the audience are reminded that it is her and her husband's fault that they cannot be together. The Nurse's reaction, seen previously, however, is reversed by Juliet's needs. Shakespeare has written the speech between Juliet and the Nurse to show the devotion to Juliet that the Nurse has. The Nurse says, 'Shame come to Romeo', and, 'Will you speak well of him that kill'd your cousin?' These lines have been written to show the Nurse's grief and bitterness towards Romeo but once Juliet expresses that she is more upset about Romeo's banishment, 'that one word 'banished', / Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts', the Nurse ignores her own feelings and goes to find Romeo for Juliet. The audience are then shown once again how much the Nurse is willing to do for Juliet.
The actions of both the Nurse and Lady Capulet in the play also influence the opinion of the audience. Shakespeare presents the parents of Juliet as the antagonists and the Nurse as someone who genuinely cares. Lady Capulet's main action that Shakespeare has included to shape the audience's response is forcing Juliet to marry Paris. However, this action would not have been considered so outrageous as the role of parents at the time would have been different. Lord and Lady Capulet would have been the one's to choose Juliet's husband and were perfectly in their rights to throw her out into the streets should she refuse. The audience now, and those who watched it in Shakespeare's lifetime, would be aware of the social history and Shakespeare has ensured that little understanding of the situation is considered. He does this by using Act 3 Scene 5 to present the parents of Juliet as especially nasty by having them insult her, for example Lord Capulet calls her a, 'Disobedient wretch', a 'hilding', and says it was a, 'curse in having her'. This, combined with the references to death, 'die in the streets', and, 'I would the fool were married to her grave', also influences the audience. The audience knows that they will die as the prologue tells them at the beginning of the play so it is the insensitivity of the comment that will anger the audience that Lord and Lady Capulet are taking Juliet for granted.
There is no specific action for the Nurse however, but throughout the play, Shakespeare shows the audience her devotion to Juliet. Shakespeare shows this most clearly through the Nurse's opinions of Juliet's suitors. Although she is speaking about the men, the focus is permanently on Juliet, for example, when Lady Capulet first speaks to Juliet about marrying Paris, the Nurse praises Paris because she believes that he can make Juliet happy. She says, 'he's a man of wax', and, 'a very flower.' However, once Juliet meets Romeo and the Nurse too meets him, she praises him, 'his face be better than any man's' and Paris is soon forgotten. Shakespeare shows the audience how the Nurse's ever-changing opinions are influenced by Juliet in order to show the audience how much she cares for Juliet's happiness. After all these changes of heart, the audience may however, believe that the Nurse is too stupid to realise the danger of giving Juliet what she wants so Shakespeare has included a final change of heart. In advising Juliet to commit bigamy, 'I think it's best you married with the county', the audience see that the Nurse is also concerned about Juliet's well fare, not just what see wants. Shakespeare shows that the Nurse wants Juliet to be safe and happy and that she is not just manipulated by her. As the audience wants the central characters to be together, the Nurse is appreciated much more.
This leads back to the introductory statement of Juliet turning her back on both strong female roles but the audience agreeing with her ignoring her mother but feel sympathy towards the Nurse.
Shakespeare's tale of Romeo and Juliet is one of love and passion that ends in sadness. As the Nurse helps and encourages the love and passion and Lady Capulet is involved in the sadness, the audience are influenced by Shakespeare to dislike Lady Capulet and appreciate the Nurse's humorous, caring character through the many techniques that the playwright has chosen to use.
