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

courters, she warns Romeo that falsely seducing Juliet, a girl so young, would be wrong and clearly expresses her deep care for Juliet: “If ye should lead her in a fool’s paradise, as they say; it were a very gross kind of behavior, as they say; for the gentlewoman is young” (2.4.172-5). She even agrees to bring “three cords made like a tackled stair” so that Romeo and Juliet can later meet to be married (2.4.195).

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”

(2.6.35)(2.6.36-7). On one hand, Friar Lawrence recognizes the intense passion between the two lovers and wants to help, but mostly he intends to use this marriage as bridge between the feuding families as a means to end the shared enmity. While both the Nurse and Friar Lawrence intentionally and knowingly advance Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, the Nurse acts out of her love and wishes for Juliet, whereas Friar Lawrence furthers the marriage for political reasons, not just Romeo’s happiness.