Nurse (Romeo and Juliet): Difference between revisions
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#REDIRECT [[Minor characters in Romeo and Juliet#Nurse]] {{r from merge}} |
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[[Image:JulietandNurse.gif|thumb|right|275px|''Juliet confides her passion to her nurse'' by Gertrude Demain Hammond. An illustration from [[Charles Lamb|Charles]] and [[Mary Lamb]]'s ''[[Tales from Shakespeare]]''.]] |
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'''The Nurse''' - sometimes referred to as though '''Nurse''' is her proper name - is a major character in [[William Shakespeare]]'s classic [[drama]] ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''. She is the personal servant of [[Juliet Capulet]], and has been since Juliet was born. As the primary person to raise Juliet, she is thusly Juliet's foremost confidante. She is one of the few people, along with [[Friar Laurence]], to be made aware of the blossoming romance between [[Romeo Montague|Romeo]] and Juliet. The Nurse's actual name is never mentioned, nor is her personal history outside of the Capulet house other than that she once had a husband and a daughter, Susan, both of which are deceased. |
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== Origins == |
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The Nurse is a character in [[Arthur Brooke]]'s poem ''[[The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet]]'', which served as Shakespeare's main source text. The Nurse plays a similar role in Brooke's poem, though she is less critical of Paris and is banished for the events that took place. |
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== Role in the play == |
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The Nurse is sent by Juliet in act two, scene three to seek out Romeo the night after their first kiss and exchange of vows. The Nurse finds Romeo in act two, scene four and soon after returns to Juliet with news of Romeo's continued affection. It is because of the Nurse's approval that Juliet ultimately resigns to go through with marrying Romeo. |
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Later, the Nurse is present at the death site of Tybalt. Overcome with grief, she runs to Juliet and cries that "he's dead, he's dead, he's dead! / We are undone, lady, we are undone! / Alack the day! he's gone, he's kill'd, he's dead!" The Nurse is the one to deliver the news of Romeo's banishment to Juliet; in spite of [[Tybalt]]'s murder coming from Romeo's hands, she seeks out Romeo at Friar Lawrence's cell for one final night with Juliet before he flees to Mantua. |
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The Nurse discovers Juliet under the spell of Friar Lawrence's potion in act four, scene five, and the grief of her death as seriously as she mourned Tybalt. She is, finally, present at the real deathbed of Romeo, Juliet, and Paris, though speechless. Indeed, she loses perhaps the most dearest friends of anyone, having suffered through the deaths of her husband, Susan, Tybalt, Romeo, and Juliet. |
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== Analysis == |
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The Nurse is quick to become swept up in the romance of the title characters. While Friar Laurence agrees to marry Romeo to Juliet in an attempt to mend the dispute between the two families, the Nurse sees their union as one of legitimate romance. The Nurse recognizes that Juliet shows no interest in [[Count Paris|Paris]]' courting and is the only member of the older generation to take Juliet's feelings into consideration. |
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The Nurse also admits to being something of a fool, proclaiming in act one scene five that "were not I [Juliet's] only nurse, I would say [she] hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat." She is implied to be ugly by [[Mercutio]], who urges the Nurse's servant Peter to fetch her fan quickly, "to hide her face; for her fan's the fairer face." Mercutio also mentions her age, calling her an "ancient lady" as he exits from the same scene. |
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The Nurse is also a frequent user of [[malapropism|malapropisms]], once again indicating her lower intelligence.she did her best in the play. |
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== Performance history == |
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A short sample of famous screen Nurses follows: |
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*[[Miriam Margolyes|Miriam Margolyes]] in [[Baz Luhrmann|Baz Luhrmann's]] [[Romeo + Juliet]]. |
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*[[Pat Heywood]] in [[Franco Zeffirelli|Franco Zeffirelli's]] [[Romeo and Juliet (1968 film)|1968 film]]. |
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*[[Edna May Oliver]] in the [[Romeo and Juliet (1936 film)|1936 film]]. |
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*Flora Robson in the [[Romeo and Juliet (1954 film)|1954 fim]]. |
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{{Romeo and Juliet}} |
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[[Category:Shakespearean characters]] |
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[[Category:Italian characters in written fiction]] |
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Revision as of 18:19, 12 December 2007
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