Comparing Nurse And Friar Lawrence In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s Nurse and Friar Lawrence both intentionally advance Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, yet they help for very different reasons. The Nurse firmly believes that “women grow by men,” meaning that young girls should marry a proper man, aids Juliet’s relationship with Romeo so that Juliet herself could be happily married (1.2.95). Just before the Capulet ball, the Nurse encourages Juliet to “seek happy nights and happy days” urging her to watch for a suitable match at the ball, especially Paris (1.4.106). On the following day, the Nurse, sent by Juliet, willfully rushes to Romeo and arranges the next meeting between the two lovers because her greatest wish is for Juliet to be happily married. Before planning the union of the two

This simple task of getting a ladder highlights her determination to make Juliet happy. Similar to the Nurse’s willing aid, Friar Lawrence, when approached by Romeo, agrees to marry him and Juliet in secret and promises that he will help saying, “In one respect I’ll thy assistant be” (2.4.90). Friar Lawrence, despite recognizing Romeo’s rash love for Juliet, not Rosaline, agrees to help because he wants the feud between the two lovers’ families to end: “For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households’ rancor to true love” (2.4.91-2). While Friar Lawrence may understand Romeo’s true love, not only lust, for Juliet, he warns Romeo about falling in love quickly and implies that their love may not last and end in mutual hatred: “These violent delights have violent ends… therefore love moderately” (2.6.9)(2.6.14) Once both Romeo and Juliet are together in his cell, the Friar “make[s] short work” of marrying the two because he does not trust them to be alone: “For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone till Holy Church incorporate two in one”