The Roles of Nurse and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet

817 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How is romeo and juliet's love portrayed

Mercutio and Nurse, the companions of Romeo and Juliet, do not fully understand true love. Their outlook on life and sex is quite different from the two main characters. This variation is intended to be, and is what makes them comical characters. Nurse and Mercutio are parallel because they both supply the personality in “Romeo and Juliet” that is not possessed by the two main characters. The aspect that is shown by Romeo and Juliet is love. Nurse and Mercutio provide the humor throughout the play.

The relationship that Mercutio has with Romeo is sturdy in all areas except love. This opposition can clearly be seen when Montague talks about Romeo’s depression over Roseline. “And private in his chamber pens himself, shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, and makes himself an artificial night” (I.I.119-121). Romeo shuts himself in his room since Roseline rejected his love. From this quote, Romeo is a glum, melancholy teenager who has a dilemma with one girl in particular. Mercutio on the other hand is a complete opposite when it comes to love. His headstrong theory is “If love be rough with you, be rough with love” (I.IV.27). These simple quotes demonstrate the contradictory views of love from Mercutio and Romeo. Nurse and Juliet also have a bond that lacks understanding on love. Their relationship is quite strong and Nurse is like a second mother to Juliet. Nurse acts as a counselor for Juliet. An example of the relationship holding different positions on love is shown when Nurse weeps for Tybalt while Juliet weeps for Romeo. “Will you speak well of him that killed your cousin? Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband?” (III.II.94-95) Nurse does not fully understand Juliet’s love for Romeo.

Mercutio and Nurse have ...

... middle of paper ...

...is. Nurse was one of the few people who knew about Romeo and Juliet but she failed to understand how much they loved each other. Mercutio’s death is avenged by Romeo, who then gets banished. The play is a comedy while Mercutio is alive but his death makes the play develop into a tragedy. Nurse’s role starts winding down also after Mercutio’s death. The main purpose near the end of the play is to show Romeo and Juliet’s tragic love story, not Nurses jokes. She is no longer needed in the story and the story shifts from comedy to tragedy.

Nurse and Mercutio may seem like minor characters but in reality, they play a major role throughout the play. They provide humor and serve as companions to the main characters. They keep the story going and help transform the play from humor to misfortune. Their parallel role helps to amplify the love felt between Romeo and Juliet.

Show More
Related

  • Romeo And Juliet Selfish Quotes

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    Love is selfless toward all the ones you love. However, Romeo and Juliet’s actions are the contrary of this statement. Romeo and Juliet showed no care of the generational feud between their families. They selfishly married without acknowledging their parents and hoped to solve the conflict by hiding the truth. Other than proving their selfishness, this shows that the two are also fairly naive to believe that their love can overcome all the consequences and break the hostility between their families. Their impulsive decisions have not only largely impacted their lives, but also placed the lives of their family and friends in bet. Out of the six deaths in the play, Mercutio was the first to lose his life. Mercutio was one of Romeo’s best friends. Although he was not a member of neither the two families, his death was indirectly caused by the feud of the two families. Also directly, caused of Romeo. Since Romeo had just married Juliet, he wanted to be friendly with Juliet’s cousin-Tybalt.

    Read More

  • Extent the Nurse is to Blame in Romeo and Juliet

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Romeo and Juliet, to what extent is the Nurse to blame for the tragedy? In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the Nurse, by her thoughtless support of the affair between the lovers and fickle counsel, is partly to blame for the tragedy. However, it is not one factor alone that brings about the death of Romeo and Juliet, but a combination of significant actions and underlying forces. In spite of this, is certain that the Nurse played a serious role in encouraging the lovers?

    Read More

  • Romeo and Juliet: Friar Lawrence is to Blame

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Mercutio Case Study

    839 Words  | 2 Pages

    She fired Juliet’s passion in her relationship with Romeo, then told Juliet it all meant nothing and to go marry Paris. This brought Juliet’s death. Even though the Nurse meant the best for Juliet, her actions still brought the demise of Juliet and Romeo (although her actions had a larger consequence on Juliet’s death rather than Romeo’s). Juliet was told by Nurse that “his name is Romeo… he’s the only son of your worst enemy” (a1, s5, l136). Unknowingly, the Nurse was hyping their relationship from the start onwards, setting Romeo and Juliet up to their unfortunate fates. The Nurse was Juliet’s advisor and she should’ve stayed loyal to Juliet’s decisions and remained her confidante. However, she suddenly switches over to Juliet marrying Paris. This changeover was rash, unexpected and too sudden for poor Juliet to cope, who was being forced to wed Paris, while wanting to be faithful to Romeo. Therefore, the Nurse brought Juliet and Romeo’s death upon

    Read More

  • Pardoned or Punished: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    The nurse should be excused for her actions in the play. Although she made the decision to help Juliet without the consent of her parents, she was thinking of Juliet’s happiness.... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Mercutio and the Nurse in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Romeo is down, Mercutio is there for him, much like. the nurse is who Juliet turns to, when she needs to talk. She chooses to talk to the nurse, rather than her own mother. Mercutio is the one. who gets Romeo over Rosaline, and tells him that there is more to base.

    Read More

  • The Nurse in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    1674 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Nurse possesses many qualities. For example, she is very hearty towards Juliet, kind, protective, compassionate and a loving lady. In some parts of the play The Nurse can be long-winded, insensitive, arrogant, insecure and stupid at times but she loves Juliet very much, partially as she imagines that Juliet is a substitute for her own daughter Susan. She has a bawdy sense of humor, which brings out the naturalness of sex and childbearing. This is seen when she tells Juliet to look for love, - “Go girl, seek happy nights to happy days';. This displays a realistic attitude to love. Such bawdy realism is, like the ribaldry of Mercutio and company, a contrast with the tender, romantic and passionate feelings of Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse is a practical but rather stupid woman at times. She loves Juliet like her own child. Throughout the play The Nurse is very talkative. She will usually do what she believes is right or what Juliet wants, like secretly meeting with Romeo and arranging the wedding of Romeo and Juliet.

    Read More

  • Love's Tragic Consequences: Analyzing Romeo and Juliet

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    Love is dependent upon the slightest change, but it can cause the utmost drastic consequences. This is the truth of two lovers in William Shakespeare’s furthermost celebrated play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, love is inimical. Romeo comes from the family of Montague while Juliet comes from the family of Capulet. For reasons unknown, these two families are sworn enemies. However, Romeo and Juliet are not. In fact, they are in a secret relationship that only two others know about. The only two that Romeo and Juliet trust, the Nurse and the Friar. While the Nurse, Friar, and Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet, all have good intentions, they are all responsible for the suicides of Romeo and Juliet in the

    Read More

  • Friar Lawrence To Blame In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

    509 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Contrasting Views of Love in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the views of love held by the character Romeo contrast sharply with the views of Mercutio. Romeo's character seems to suffer from a type of manic depression. He is in love with his sadness, quickly enraptured and easily crushed again on a passionate roller coaster of emotion. Mercutio, by contrast is much more practical and level headed. His perceptions are clear and quick, characterized by precise thought and careful evaluation. Romeo, true to his character begins his appearance in the play by wallowing in his depression over Rosaline who does not return his love:

    Read More

  • Forbidden Love In Romeo And Juliet

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    This quote shows how Shakespeare handled an emotion, then translating it into something that gave Juliet strength to continue the Friar’s plan to be with Romeo. The love between Romeo and Juliet makes them forget about their commitments to the world and everyone around them, they both get consumed in a self-centered world of their own, overlooking their commitments to everyone else. 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.

    Read More

  • Causes Of Suicide In Romeo And Juliet

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Nurse’s job is 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 a way 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. Due to the fact that the Nurse does not do her job and doesn’t tell Juliet to end her relationship with Romeo, it caused this ill-fated relationship to continue. To add to the issue, the Nurse later betrays Juliet when Juliet begs her for help. “I think 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.” (3.5.226-238). The Nurse goes against her previous actions and expects Juliet to forget about Romeo by dispraising him. Juliet wants to remain faithful to her husband and this betrayal along with Capulet’s ultimatum causes Juliet to act hastily and want to die if she wasn’t with

    Read More

  • Moral Dilemmas in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Nurse was another ally to Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse loved Juliet and wanted what was best for her.

    Read More

  • Three People, Two Deaths, One Great Tragedy

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mercutio was to blame, though only partially, for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse was also responsible for the tragic ending of the play. When Romeo and Juliet met, the Nurse became their messenger. She helped them be together even though she knew Romeo was a Montague and that Juliet's family would disapprove. The Nurse brought news to Juliet from Romeo telling her to sneak out so they could get married.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Parents In Romeo And Juliet

    1348 Words  | 3 Pages

    Firstly, Juliet is misguided by the Nurse – a bawdy woman who is too caught up in her own sentimental feelings to support and direct Juliet through hers. She is responsible for encouraging Juliet’s marriage with Romeo (her lover) shortly after they meet, despite knowing that

    Read More

More about The Roles of Nurse and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet

Open Document