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Describe the Nurse and her relationship with Juliet.

The nurse is a lively woman who is very loyal to Juliet. She is much closer to her ward than Lady Capulet is, being Juliet’s primary caretaker. She is also prone to reminiscing about humorous memories. Lady Capulet becomes frustrated at the nurse’s ramblings and inappropriate jokes. When Juliet’s mother asks her daughter what she thinks about marrying Paris, the nurse encourages this union for Juliet’s sake: “Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.” Her first priority is to Juliet’s well-being.


Juliet confides in her nurse, even about her love for Romeo. Though she prefers Paris to Romeo, the nurse agrees to be a go-between in an attempt to support Juliet’s happiness. She becomes extremely vexed when Mercutio harasses her during her attempts to talk to Romeo, repeatedly exclaiming, “Scurvy knave!” She soon returns to her usual good humor and teases the impatient Juliet by pretending to be too tired to relate Romeo’s response to her request of marriage.


The nurse shows her protectiveness by warning Romeo not to “lead her into a fool's paradise” and by standing up to Lord Capulet when he rages against Juliet. After Romeo kills Paris and Lord Capulet insists that Juliet marry Paris, the nurse advises Juliet to give up Romeo and marry Paris. While her advice is practical, Juliet decides to pursue her heart and leave the nurse out of her plans from then on. Juliet’s feigned death greatly aggrieves her caretakers, including the nurse, who discovers her body. She laments over and over again, crying, “O woful, woful, woful day!”


Juliet’s nurse is one of Romeo and Juliet’s most well-drawn characters. She is feisty, funny, pragmatic, and affectionate, and her grief at Juliet’s death shows that she is one of the play’s many victims.

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