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Geralynn Mendoza

Mrs. Woelke

Pre-AP English 9A

10 December 2018

The relationship between Juliet and the Nurse

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet ​written by William Shakespeare takes place in the

1300s in Verona, Italy. This story that spans over 4 days follows the adventure caused by the

forbidden love of two young teenagers from feuding households. In Romeo and Juliet, the Nurse

and Juliet have a close relationship that has a lasting effect on the plot. This relationship is

significant as the Nurse is constantly involved in the life of the two young lovers especially since

she provides comfort and advice for Juliet. From their relationship, much misfortune is caused

affecting Romeo and Juliet causing their deaths, the Montagues and Capulets due to the loss of

their children, and the Nurse herself as she loses the child she practically raised.

The relationship between Juliet and the Nurse influenced the major events of the story.

From this relationship, grief is caused to Juliet ultimately leading to her suicide. Juliet and the

Nurse are very close, this is evident as Juliet goes to the Nurse seeking advice about what do

with her arranged marriage with Paris and the Nurse responds,”Faith, here it is. Romeo is

banished, and all the world to nothing. That he dares ne’er come back to challenge you, Or, if he

do, it needs must be by stealth.Then, since the case so stands as now it doth, I think it is best you

married with the County. O, he’s a lovely gentleman! “ (Shakespeare 3.5.225-231). This shows

how comfortable Juliet is with the Nurse going to her with such complicated and sensitive topics.
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She wants the best for Juliet and always tries to help but she confuses Juliet as she is easily

influenced and unsure of herself. The Nurse is a mother figure to Juliet as she was raised by her

and spent most of her time with the Nurse. Since Juliet trusts the Nurse she relies on the Nurse to

deliver messages between the secret lovers. When the time came for Romeo to call for Juliet to

marry him he spoke with the Nurse explaining their not very well thought out and dangerous

plan and she responded, “I will tell her, sir, that you do protest, which, as I take it, is a

gentlemanlike offer.” to which Romeo explains, “Bid her devise. Some means to come to shrift

this afternoon, And there she shall at Friar Lawrence’ cell Be shrived and married”(Shakespeare

2.4.181-186). If the Nurse didn’t seek out Romeo and didn’t deliver his message to Juliet they

woulnd’t have gotten married and none of the conflict would have errupted. The Nurse advised

Juliet constantly as well as comforted her. Due to the Nurses reckless decisions, she aided in the

secret marriage of Romeo and Juliet which created more conflict and distress to Juliet. From this

stress Juliet became more confused and emotionally unstable causing her to not only fake her

death but also her suicide.

The death that Juliet faked, caused by the Nurses irresponsibility, also created much

despair for Romeo and the Capulet household. The Nurse played a major role in the tragedy

because without her being the messenger they would have lost contact and not have gotten into

this mess of complications. Juliet sent the Nurse out to deliver a message and her ring to Romeo

after he had been banished. Once the nurse met with him she handed him the ring saying, “Here,

sir, a ring she bid me give you, sir”(Shakespeare 3.3 173). The Nurse didn’t have to meet with

Romeo once again and could have used her knowledge to tell Juliet that maintaing

communication with Romeo after the mess he had caused, killing her cousin, was not the best
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idea. If she were to have stopped delivering messages between the two she would have

ultimately stopped the suicides of both Romeo and Juliet stopping the sorrow of the two

households. When Juliet asked who the mysterious man she just met was the Nurse feeds Juliets

curiosity by tellig her,”His name is Romeo, and a Montegue, The only son of your great

enemy”(Shakespeare 1.5.150-151). The Nurse was the one who first created this relationship

between Romeo and Juliet. She knew he was a Montegue and tells Juliet he is her enemy but

didn’t stop Juliet from falling in love with him even though she knew it was wrong. If she hadn’t

informed Juliet of who Romeo was she wouldn’t have built a connection with him and all would

be normal.

Due to her careless actions, the Nurse harms herself by she helping the two forbidden

lovers. She is going against her employer and could be at the very least fired. The Nurse deceives

her employers as she aids in the meetings of Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse sneaks Romeo around

to Juliet without Juliet’s parents, whom she works for, knowing. She encourages Juliet to meet

Romeo at the church while she gathers tools to help Romeo go to Juliet later that night,“Hie you

to church. I must another way, to fetch a ladder by which your love must climb a bird’s nest soon

when it is dark. I am the drudge and toil in your delight”(Shakespeare 2.5.77-80). The Nurse

deceives her employers as she aids in the meetings of Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse sneaks

Romeo around to Juliet without Juliet’s parents, whom she works for, knowing. From the past

experiences and encounters that Romeo and Juliet have had the Nurse should know better not

allowing them to meet She is also creating pain and suffering for herself by harming Juliet with

her negligent caring ultimately leading Juliet to fake her death bestowing bereavement on the

Nurse. When the time comes for the Nurse to call Juliet she finally goes in to check on her. Once
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she discovers Juliet, who she believes is dead, she sobs, “O woe, O woeful, woeful, woeful day!

Most lamentable day, most woeful day That ever, ever did I yet behold”(Shakespeare 4.5.55-60).

Juliet sends the Nurse away before drinking the potion and the Nurse is so excited to prepare for

the wedding she doesn’t even check on Juliet. If the Nurse hadn’t left Juliet alone in her room

she could have stopped this from happening.

The Nurses ignorance created many complications to the plot as well as much sorrow for

the other characters. Her careless actions harmed both Romeo and Juliet causing their downfalls.

She also caused imense pain for othe Capulet family as her failed guidance to Juliet led to

Juliet’s death. In addition to the despair she had given the Capulets, she also caused herself much

agony because she lost the child she practically raised.