Shakespeare uses the Nurse as an accomplice alongside Friar Lawrence in bringing the lovers together. The Nurse is immersed in Juliet's affairs and strives to help with her plans. The Nurse's desire is simply to keep fourteen-year-old Juliet content. Her obstacle is her sense of duty to Lord and Lady Capulet, though this never seems to deter her actions. After Romeo is banished the relationship between the Nurse and Juliet changes. When the Nurse suggests that Juliet should forget about Romeo and marry Paris, she loses Juliet's trust and confidence. Juliet decides to seek the help of Friar Lawrence; thereafter she no longer involves the Nurse in her secret plans.
Even though the Nurse knows everything about Juliet she does take a long time to get to the point even Juliet’s age in Act I Scene III and also when she tells Romeo what she has come to speak to him about in Act II Scene V. This can be seen as a deliberate unwilfulness and the Nurse seems to have little regard to others feelings. The Nurse’s garrulousness is a clear contrast to Juliet’s unequivocal directness. Shakespeare makes the character of the Nurse like this for comedy, but also to lighten the tragedy.
However, the Nurse’s attitude to love contrasts with that of the hero and heroine. The Nurse anticipates the sexual pleasures of Juliet’s wedding night with Romeo and Paris with the same glee –
“But you shall bear the burden soon at night” and “Sleep for a week, for the next night I warrant the County Paris hath set up his rest that you shall rest but little. God forgive me!” (Act IV Scene v lines 5-7)
This shows that morality and high feeling mean little to the Nurse, who sees sex as the essential thing in the relationship between men and women.
In reality, the Nurse can suggest that Juliet should go ahead and marry Paris even though she is already married to Romeo –
“Faith, here it is. Romeo is banish'd; and all the world to nothing,
O, he's a lovely gentleman!
Romeo's a dishclout to him: an eagle, madam,
Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye
As Paris hath. Beshrew my very heart,
I think you are happy in this second match,
For it excels your first:” (Act III Scene 5 lines 213-226)
This shows that the Nurse has scant regard for loyalty or any of the visual virtues of love. However, it also shows that Shakespeare uses the Nurse as Juliet’s confidence, making decisions for her. Normally, Juliet would agree however, in Act III Scene V Juliet does think the Nurse’s idea of forgetting Romeo and marrying Paris is conformable which leaves Juliet to fend for herself.
Similarly, unlike Juliet the Nurse changes her mind with rapidity. She supports Lady Capulet in praise to marry Paris (“Nay, he’s a flower, in faith, a very flower”) but then helps to arrange Juliet’s and Romeo’s wedding in Act II Scene IV. After Tybalts death, the Nurse agrees when Juliet raves against Romeo as deceitful-
“There's no trust,
No faith, no honesty in men; all perjured,
All forsworn, all naught, all dissemblers.
Ah, where's my man? give me some aqua vitae:
These griefs, these woes, these sorrows make me old.
Shame come to Romeo” (Act III Scene II Lines 85-90)
However after Juliet brings herself together, the Nurse commences with bringing Romeo to her. Shakespeare makes the Nurse do this to make Juliet feel that the Nurse is still on her side and will not desert her.
“Hie to your chamber, I’ll find Romeo to comfort you,
I wot well where he is. Hark ye, your Romeo will be here at night
I’ll to him, he is hid at Lawrence’ cell. ” (Act III Scene II lines 138-141)
Acting as a guard, the Nurse warns Romeo and Juliet that Lady Capulet is coming in Act III Scene V but by the end of Scene V, she has her preferences of Paris to Romeo and suggests that Juliet should marry Paris (Act III Scene V Lines 213-226) and is willing to wake Juliet for the marriage in Act IV Scene V. In a few words, the Nurse agrees with whatever seems to be the opinion of the moment. This is because she wants to see that everyone is happy and feels it is the right thing to do so at that time.
The Nurse is central to moving the action of the play along. After her status and relationship with one of the main characters is established, the next time she appears she creates a conflict between Romeo and Juliet. At the Capulet's party she tells both Romeo and Juliet each the identity and forbidden namesake of the other. The Nurse is the messenger to Romeo to gather all the details for their secret marriage. At this point she warns Romeo not to hurt Juliet, showing her love for her and foreshadowing disaster. The Nurse also gives Juliet the news that by the Prince, throwing Juliet's emotions further into a whirl. The Nurse arranges for Romeo and Juliet's wedding night and final farewell. Finally, when the Nurse advises Juliet to forget Romeo and marry Paris she motivates Juliet to take action and she seeks help elsewhere. Unknowingly due to the Nurses actions she has lost Juliet’s friendship and the bond that they use to have. In Act IV Scene V , the last time the Nurse is seen on stage, she loses the Juliet, not just her friendship but loses her completely as Juliet ‘dies’.
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 causes the play's action to move quickly and in a powerful way. The Nurse acts as pawn to guide the events of the play in a dramatic manner.
