Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy play written by William Shakespeare in the 16th century. The plot portrays “star-crossed lovers”, Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the play, Shakespeare depicts the relationships of the main characters and the feuding families. While Juliet tries to find a solution to the predicament they share, Romeo performs one action, allowing the reader to know the forbidden love was preordained. The relation Romeo and Juliet undergo with their parents shape the dynamic characters. Both families are full of pride and convey hatred for one another. At the beginning of the play, a brawl breaks out in public between the Montagues and Capulets where Lord Montague solicited to the Prince for forgiveness. This ratifies …show more content…
Juliet’s side of the family, the Capulets, also held a position in upper class. In the play, Juliet’s caretaker, wet Nurse, gave consent for Romeo and Juliet’s wedding. This shows the close relationship between the Nurse and Juliet. Nurse even uses, “ What, Lamb! What ladybird!” (Shakespeare.1.3.3) as a way to describe Juliet. Juliet calls Nurse, ‘Sweet Nurse’ and ‘O honey nurse’, the informal language indicating that Juliet loves her back. In contrast to Nurse and Juliet’s relationship, Shakespeare portrays paucity of love between Juliet and Lady Capulet. The written quote of Juliet addressing her mother, “Madam, I am here. What is your will?” (Shakespeare 1.3.7) signifies there is no mother and daughter bond between the two. She sees her mother as an important figure, but not motherly. Shakespeare delineates Lord Capulet as a dominating father. When Juliet declares she won’t marry Paris, he announces, “But fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next To with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church, Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither. Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, you baggage! You tallow- face!” (Shakespeare 3.5.153-57). Juliet agrees to marry Paris afterward due to her fear of being disowned, revealing that she is intimidated by her father. The death of Juliet did not undermine her father, even after she was his only daughter. Her mother on the other
Nurse has betrayed Juliet, she and Friar Lawrence were the two who knew and believed in Romeo and Juliet's love, and Nurse abandons Juliet in a way in this scene, telling her to marry Paris, and forget Romeo. I think that when she is saying this that she is thinking of herself, and of what she could lose if they were discovered, but at the same time she was thinking of Juliet's well-being, and that she would be safe in Verona, with Paris: "I think that you are happy in this second match, For it excels your first; or, if it did not, Your first is dead, or 'twere as good he were As living here and you no use of him. " Lady Capulet shows a very different love for her daughter to the love which Nurse shows her, she has hardly looked after Juliet for much of her life, and is distanced from her. Around the period of time when the play was set there was a social tradition for the upper classes to have a 'wet nurse'. It would not have been accepted in soc... ...
The nurse has an amiable attitude when talking with and about Juliet, consequently providing a sense of radiating innocence; making the nurse the antithesis of Lady Capulet as Juliet’s mother figure. This is apparent when the nurse exclaims “What lamb! What ladybird!” The names “lamb” and “ladybird” connotes a real sense of endearment and illustrates the love the nurse has for Juliet, almost as if Juliet were her own daughter. By using the two nicknames, the audience not only finds how the nurse is extremely close to Juliet but is also able to perceive the tense formality between the actual mother and
Conversely, Juliet's mother is stiff and cold towards, and uses Juliet as a tool to make the family name look good. As we learn in towards the beginning of the story Juliet is the last child of the Capulet line, and as a result her mother also puts pressure on Juliet for having a two year engagement with the Prince. Nurse obviously seems to be closer to Juliet, than her biological mother. Hence, this is yet another character foil present in Shakespeare’s play involves Juliet’s nurse and Lady Capulet (Juliet’s mother.)
Throughout the play Romeo and Juliet were aided in their love. It was according to Romeo and Juliet love at first sight and with the help of Juliet’s closest companion the nurse and Friar Lawrence it was made possible for the lovers to exchange vows and continue their relationship behind the twos houses backs. The nurse plays a role in Juliet’s life ‘when it did taste the wormwood on the nipple’ we find out that Juliet’s and the nurse have ad a close and long term friendship with Juliet even feeding off her as a baby, this close relationship is important alter on in the play when the nurse betrays Juliet’s trust.
“By my troth, it is well said. “For himself to mar,”/ Quoth he? Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I may find the young Romeo?” (2.4.60). The Nurse was someone Juliet went to whenever she needed help, and The Nurse always delivered, but this time The Nurse helped her do something that was never thought about in the house of a Capulet, to marry a Montague.
Even though The Nurse may be a servant in the Capulet household, The Nurse has a far more superior role to an ordinary servant. This is seen in Act 1 Scene 3 when Lady Capulet sent The Nurse out and she immediately calls her back in as The Nurse knows Juliet so well. The relationship between The Nurse and Juliet is so strong that The Nurse knows Juliet better than her own mother; this is shown in Act 1 scene 3 when Lady Capulet does not know the age of her daughter.
The nurse practically raised Juliet, she was like her mom. Nurse was responsible for many reasons, she did not counsel Juliet when she saw that she was in love with Romeo, a foe of her family; she was also disloyal to Juliet when Juliet had asked advice from her for her refusal to marry Paris. The Nurse was not only disloyal to Juliet, but to her own kind, the Capulets. Running around behind their backs trying to get Juliet
She arranges the wedding of Juliet, exiting the Capulet household to locate Romeo to inform him about “[proposing] to [Juliet], which [she thought was] the gentlemanly thing to do”. Now that the two ‘star-crossed’ lovers were married, their bond in the sense of love was absolutely unbreakable, introducing more unique actions they would commit simply to physically be near each other. She was constantly supportive of Juliet’s feelings and strived to “find Romeo To comfort [her]” whenever they were separated due to the town’s banishing of Romeo. Coordinating the unity of Romeo and Juliet under the circumstances of two families possessing an immortal hatred for each other wielded many risks and potential sacrifices for the Nurse. The risk resides within her efforts to support Juliet in pursuing a relationship with Romeo and the irony of the second quote. Her motive to find Romeo was simply for the sake of “comforting” Juliet, however taking the risk of having her cling to this long distant relationship resulted in an abundance of tragedies rather than the long awaited comfort. She risked her connection with the Capulet family, as well as her personal relationship with Juliet. Due to the Nurse, Juliet was submerged into an environment of a true ‘star-crossed’ love, causing her thoughts and emotions to be hindered by the influence of her new
The nurse acts as a parental figure to Juliet, where she cares for her as if Juliet is her own child, and gives advice and help whenever she is in need for it. The nurse believes that Juliet is still gentle and young, therefore is always on the look out for Juliet, making sure she doesn 't get hurt. The nurse 's motherly love is highlighted primarily when, lack of love is shown between Juliet and her mother. Lady Capulet is shown to be neglecting love towards Juliet. This is seen in Act 1 Scene 3, when Lady Capulet sent The Nurse out and they immediately calls her back in as the Nurse knows Juliet so well. “Nurse come back again”. The strong relationship between The nurse and Juliet is so strong, that the Nurse knows Juliet better than her mother. Another factor showing the lack of love is when Juliet uses the word ' 'Madam ' ' formaly towards her mother. This points out that there is no real relationship towards Juliet and Lady Capulet; the only relationship between them is blood and name. Shakespeare portrays a distant and cold relationship between Juliet and lady Capulet. This is juxtaposed with the affectionate and loving relationship between the nurse and Juliet. The nurse helps Juliet to be with her love Romeo, even after knowing they are from feuding families. The Nurse being a Capulet servant has to side with Juliet’s father when she tells her to marry Paris “I think it best you married with the
The Nurse’s job is to take care of Juliet and raise her; however, upon learning that Juliet is romantically involved with their family’s enemy, she doesn’t provide any form of counsel to Juliet.” I must another way, To fetch a ladder by the which your love Must climb a bird’s nest soon when its dark.” (2.5.77-79). The Nurse aides Romeo by telling him to go to Juliet’s room, showing her approval of the relationship. She did not provide any form of counsel to Juliet or inform Capulet or Lady Capulet about Juliet’s relationship.
The audience’s first impression of Juliet however, is through her interaction with her mother (Lady Capulet) and the Nurse. From the Nurse’s remarks, the audience learns that Juliet is thirteen and “Come Lammas-eve at night shall [Juliet turn] fourteen” (Act I.3.18-9). As Juliet enters the presence of her mother and the Nurse, Shakespeare portrays Juliet as a very faithful daughter. When summoned by the Nurse, Juliet comes promptly then responds politely to her mother “Madam, I am here, what is your will?” (Act I.3.7). When Juliet refers to her mother as ‘madam” (Act I.3.7), the audience also gets the impression of Juliet being compliant to her elder’s wishes. This can be observed when her mothe...
Nurse was a fickle character, her changeability was significant in partly causing Juliet’s pseudo death. Juliet confided in Nurse when she met Romeo. Nurse not only encouraged the marriage, but went as far as arranging it. However, when Capulet made plans for Juliet to marry Paris, Nurse told Juliet that Paris was better for her.
The Nurse has a stronger relationship with Juliet over her own mother, Lady Capulet. The nurse really cares for Juliet and loves her like a daughter because she lost her daughter Susan. “Susan and she-God rest all Christian souls!-/Were of an age: well, Susan is with God…”(Ⅰ,ⅲ,20-21). The Nurse lost her daughter, Susan, and she was born on the same day as Juliet. This leads me to believe that the Nurse must be replacing her own loss with the life of Juliet. The Nurse did do many things that only mothers do. “She was wean’d,-I never shall forget it…”(Ⅰ,ⅲ,26). This quote says that the nurse will never forget the day that Juliet was weaned off of her breast milk. Breastfeeding is something
After the party is over, Juliet's Nurse helps Romeo figure out who her “mystery girl” is but her nurse comes with some disheartening news: “ What is her mother/ Marry, bachelor, Her mother is the lady of the house/ And a good lady, and a wise and virtuous/ I nursed her daughter that you talked withal/ I tell you, he that can lay hold of her/ Shall have the chinks/ Is she a Capulet?/ O dear account! My life is my foe's debt/ (i.v.111-116)¨. As shown with this statement, Juliet is teared apart with this news that her Nurse brings“His name is Romeo, and a Montague/The only son of
Juliet’s arranged marriage with Paris, as well as the ancient feud between Capulets and Montagues, eventually contributed to the deaths of their children. In Act 1 Scene 2, Paris asks Capulet, ‘But now, my lord, what say you to my suit?’ which shows that Capulet and Paris are discussing Juliet’s possible marriage without consulting her, perhaps implying they think she is too nave to decide on her future. They are arranging her marriage for her, which implies that men are very controlling of women’s lives, especially those of their daughters. The scene establishes how Juliet is subject to parental influence, and how she is very constrained since her father can force her to marry whoever he wants. Juliet’s status as a woman leaves her with no power or choice in the decision of whom she should marry.