"Nurse, give us leave a while.
We must talk in secret"
The Lady wishes to discuss things with Juliet, but finds it uncomfortable. She calls the Nurse back immediately. The Nurse is clearly one of the family. She is seen as a trusted family servant to the Lord Capulet in Verona and she maintains an active voice in their family affairs. This enables Lady Capulet to call her back. They seem to have no secrets from her. Therefore the lady involves the nurse in her discussion with Juliet about her possible marriage to Paris.
"Nurse, come back again, have remember'd me,
thou's hear our counsel"
When Juliet speaks to her mother she speaks very formally, calling her "madam". The conversation is stilted and proper, whereas with the Nurse she talks very openly.
Th Nurse uses many different terms when she is referring to Juliet. When calling on Juliet in act 1 scene 3, she says:
"What, Lamb? What Ladybird?"
That is another sign of a close bond. The language in which they use to communicate is far less formal than that of the language with Lady Capulet. There seems to be a relaxed atmosphere around them.
The speech, in which the Nurse refers to Juliet's childhood, lets us learn a lot about her character. She is sad about her daughter, but is philosophical about this.
"Well, Susan is with God, she was too good for me"
She is repetitive, constantly repeating silly things as she gets drawn away from the first point of the conversation.
In act 1 scene 5 the Nurse interrupts the first kiss of Romeo and Juliet.
"Madam, your mother craves a word
with you"
The Nurse is clear about what is going on. She does what she thinks is best, and tries to protect Romeo by telling him who and what she is. This shows a soft touch. The Nurse may like him. However, she knows that it can only cause trouble
"Her mother is the lady of the house"
The Nurse, however, talks to Romeo and answers his questions in a very down to earth way as she explains that Juliet is the daughter of the host and that the man who will marry her has to be rich.
"Can lay hold on her shall have chinks"
The Nurse obviously wants the best for Juliet and she believes that he should have a lot of money. The Phrase "chinks" comes from the noise of which a lot of money in a mans pocket would make.
The Nurse is a source of information for Juliet, a sort of secret spy. She tells Juliet of Romeo in order to protect her now. She sees that the two like one-another but does it for their own benefit.
"His name is Romeo, and a Montague"
Juliet is comfortable with and at ease speaking to the Nurse. This allows Juliet to take her into her confidence when she decides to defy her family feud and marry Romeo.
In act 2 scene 2 the Nurse interrupts Romeo and Juliet again.
"Madam"
This is the scene where the couple renew promises to each other with the sudden proposal of marriage.
"Thy propose marriage, send me word
tomorrow"
The proposal comes from Juliet, quite unexpected. The couple has only known each other for a short space I time. However the Nurse does not object and does what Juliet wishes.
In act 2 scene 4 the Nurse appears when Romeo is with his friends. For this Juliet has used the nurse as a messenger.
"Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I may
find the young Romeo?"
Although she spoke to him recently, it was brief and she cannot remember what he looked like. It is the same with Romeo. Romeo acts differently with his friends and when the Nurse enters he jokes with her, mocking her dress and movements.
"A sail, A sail"
The nurse is quite a large lady, she is written to wear a flowing dress. Romeo pretends that she is a ship and that her headscarf is a sail.
The Nurse holds Juliet's happiness so high that she betrays her employer and arranges Juliet's marriage and last night with Romeo. The bond between them is so strong that the Nurse would do anything to keep Juliet content. The Nurse is quite a comedian herself, joking with Peter.
"I am none of his flirt-gills"
The Nurse acts as an accomplice alongside Friar Laurence in bringing the two lovers together. The Nurse is immersed in Juliet's affairs and strives to help her with her plans.
In act scene 5 we see more of the nurse's comedy. This is when she returns to Juliet with the news of the marriage. She is in a mischievous mood and she enjoys keeping Juliet in suspense.
"Jesu, what haste, can you not stay a while"
She leaves her waiting. She does however, show that she is impressed by Romeo and encourages Juliet's expectations.
"Your love says, like an honest gentleman,
and a courteous and a kind and a handsome…."
She sees that this is getting Juliet excited and does not want this. She wants to keep her lingering for a bit longer. To do this she changes the subject.
"Where is your mother?"
In the end the Nurse gives in and gives news to Juliet about the marriage. She seems to have enjoyed winding Juliet up, but knows when to stop. As she gives the news, she plagues Juliet with the trial that she must undergo to serve the child that she loves. Her she seems to teach Juliet a lesson, not to be so selfish and to care for others.
"Marry, come up, I trow is this the
poultice for my aching bones"
When Juliet goes to marry, the Nurse does not follow she goes for dinner.
"Go - I'll to dinner: hie you to the cell"
In act 3 scene 2 the Nurse shatters Juliet's dreams of the night when Romeo will
"Leap to these arms"
The Nurse is the one who tells Juliet of the death of Tybalt and the Banishment of Romeo. She shows more sadness for the death of Tybalt than the banishment of Romeo. This is natural because Tybalt is part of the family that have come to adopt her.
"Tybalt is gone and Romeo is banished"
Juliet sends the Nurse to friar Laurence's cell to speak to Romeo. Although the case of more affection for Tybalt may be, the Nurse still obeys Juliet and goes to seek Romeo.
"O, find him! Give him this ring to my true night"
In act 3 scene 3 the Nurse has arrived at the cell to tell Romeo of Juliet's grief. Romeo shows his cowardly side by attempting to kill himself. The Nurse sees this in him. She stops him, however, for the sake of Juliet.
"Even so she lies she blubbering and weeping"
The Friar takes charge and the Nurse admires his plans. She passes the ring onto Romeo. Here she does as wished by Juliet even if we later find out that she wants Juliet to forget about Romeo. The Nurse was correct from what she said to each of them. She warns them, when they first meet, that their names can only bring trouble.
"O lord, I could have stay'd here all he night
to hear good counsel"
She hastens Romeo to see Juliet. She has realised that, that is what would make Juliet happy and that is what she only wants. The nights that the Nurse says will not happen do. It is thanks to the Nurse, in the end, that the couple get to spend the night together.
In act 2 scene 5 the Nurse goes to Juliet's room. She warns the pair of Lady Capulet coming. This shows that the Nurse cares for Juliet and Romeo. If she perhaps didn't then we would see the Lady Capulet finding them together in the room.
"Your lady mother is coming to your chamber"
Juliet's mother enters the room. When the father enters towards the end of the scene, an argument brakes out. Juliet's father swears at the Nurse. He also curses Juliet.
"Disobedient wretch"
The two of them are shocked by this outrage, but the Nurse stands up for herself, whereas Juliet whimpers in the corner, hiding behind the Nurse. Juliet wants comfort from the Nurse. The Nurse, however, has no comfort to offer Juliet. She thinks of the grief and shock at the events of the previous day. She thinks only the most practical way of getting out of all their difficulties. When the Nurse advises Juliet to forget about Romeo and Marry Paris she motivates Juliet to actin and she seeks help elsewhere.
The Nurse suggests that Juliet should forget about Romeo and marry Paris. She loses
Juliet's confidence, and trust. Juliet decides to seek the help of Friar Laurence; thereafter she no longer involves the Nurse in her secret Plans.
That is the last scene in which we see the Nurse. Throughout the play, she appears, however when she loses Juliet's trust, she is lost from the play.
The Nurse plays a critical role in Romeo and Juliet. Her relationship with major characters and her part in the secretive romance of the two lovers cause the play's actions to move quickly and in a powerful way. The Nurse acts as Shakespeare's pawn to guide the events of the play in a dramatic manner.
