The character of the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet.

Authors Avatar

Romeo and Juliet Coursework

The Nurse is one of the most important characters in the play because of her close relationship with Juliet but also because she helps in bringing the two lovers together. Her closeness with Juliet is due to the fact that she was Juliet’s wet nurse and has raised her all her life. This shows the role that women played in Shakespeare’s day and how they would be employed to raise the children of rich nobles.

Our first encounter with the nurse is in Act 1,scene 3. In this scene we learn that the Nurse’s relationship with Lady Capulet is very different to her relationship with Juliet, quote (after Lady Capulet asks the nurse to leave so that she and Juliet can talk privately.) “I have remembered me thou’s hear our counsel. Thou knowest my daughter is of a pretty age.” This shows that Lady Capulet does appreciate the nurse but has a different relationship with her to Juliet. In the scene we also find out a little more about the nurses personality. For example she has a dirty sense of humour we learn this from the way at which she laughs at her memory of Juliet as a baby, “Fallest upon thy face? Thou will fall backwards come of age.” The other incite that we get into the nurses personality is that once she starts talking it is hard to get her to stop as she tends blab on and away from the topic. This leads to another ‘appearance’ on the different relationship, as when the nurse starts blabbing Lady Capulet is slightly less forgiving than Juliet, “Enough of this. I pray thee hold thy peace.” Where as Juliet is slightly more reasonable, “And stint thou too, I pray the Nurse I say.

Join now!

The Nurse plays a large role in introducing Romeo and Juliet and then also in allowing them to be together. The Nurses first act in bringing them together is by telling both Romeo and Juliet who the other was and also had to tell them which family each was born into. She does this during the party at Capulet mansion in act 1,scene 5. In this scene we also learn a bit more about the Nurses personality and how she doesn’t always think through the consequences of her actions. Because when she first heard that Juliet was to be ...

This is a preview of the whole essay