Skip to main content

Describe the Nurse and her relationship with Juliet.

The nurse is a lively woman who is very loyal to Juliet. She is much closer to her ward than Lady Capulet is, being Juliet’s primary caretaker. She is also prone to reminiscing about humorous memories. Lady Capulet becomes frustrated at the nurse’s ramblings and inappropriate jokes. When Juliet’s mother asks her daughter what she thinks about marrying Paris, the nurse encourages this union for Juliet’s sake: “Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.”...

The nurse is a lively woman who is very loyal to Juliet. She is much closer to her ward than Lady Capulet is, being Juliet’s primary caretaker. She is also prone to reminiscing about humorous memories. Lady Capulet becomes frustrated at the nurse’s ramblings and inappropriate jokes. When Juliet’s mother asks her daughter what she thinks about marrying Paris, the nurse encourages this union for Juliet’s sake: “Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.” Her first priority is to Juliet’s well-being.


Juliet confides in her nurse, even about her love for Romeo. Though she prefers Paris to Romeo, the nurse agrees to be a go-between in an attempt to support Juliet’s happiness. She becomes extremely vexed when Mercutio harasses her during her attempts to talk to Romeo, repeatedly exclaiming, “Scurvy knave!” She soon returns to her usual good humor and teases the impatient Juliet by pretending to be too tired to relate Romeo’s response to her request of marriage.


The nurse shows her protectiveness by warning Romeo not to “lead her into a fool's paradise” and by standing up to Lord Capulet when he rages against Juliet. After Romeo kills Paris and Lord Capulet insists that Juliet marry Paris, the nurse advises Juliet to give up Romeo and marry Paris. While her advice is practical, Juliet decides to pursue her heart and leave the nurse out of her plans from then on. Juliet’s feigned death greatly aggrieves her caretakers, including the nurse, who discovers her body. She laments over and over again, crying, “O woful, woful, woful day!”


Juliet’s nurse is one of Romeo and Juliet’s most well-drawn characters. She is feisty, funny, pragmatic, and affectionate, and her grief at Juliet’s death shows that she is one of the play’s many victims.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more