The Character of the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet

“What’s in a name?” Juliet asks herself, and even though she is speaking of Romeo, this quote applies to many other characters in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. For the dangerously unstable Juliet Capulet, there is someone more of a motherly figure to her than even Lady Capulet, the woman who gave birth to her and shares her last name. That character is Juliet’s never named nurse. Although the readers never learn her name, it does not matter, because the Nurse is an influential and important character who is a maternal figure for Juliet. The Nurse’s kindness, loyalty, and comedy are what help the young characters remain happy throughout the events of the play.

First, the Nurse is so kind and generous to Juliet, even when her birth parents are not. 

She truly cares about Juliet and her happiness. The Nurse states, “An I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish” (1.3.66-67). She is so genuinely excited for Juliet to get married and feels her joy and pain the way that mothers do. When Verona believes Juliet is dead, the Nurse has the most emotional and heart-crushing reaction of all. The Nurse’s compassion shows her love for Juliet.

Additionally, the Nurse is loyal to Juliet and cares for her like Juliet is her daughter. The Nurse has been with Juliet since her birth, saying: “On Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen. / That shall she. Marry, I remember it well. / ‘Tis since the earthquake now eleven years, / And she was weaned (I never shall forget it)” (1.3.23-26). The Nurse knows Juliet’s exact birthday and even recalls that day she stopped nursing. She rambles on to talk about Juliet as a young child and states that her only wish is to live long enough to see Juliet married. She is loyal to Juliet and the Capulet family, and also to Juliet’s lover Romeo. The Nurse passes messages to the two lovers secretly and against her employers’ will, and even helps Juliet lie to her parents. Romeo later gives her a task to bring the rope ladder so that Romeo can climb to Juliet’s room, and even though she prefers Paris to Romeo, the Nurse complies. The Nurse truly cares about Juliet and shows her care through allegiance.

Furthermore, the Nurse is comedic. She engages in some witty and some not-so-witty moments in the play. In the first scene when she appears, the Nurse rambles on and on and does not pay attention to Juliet and Lady Capulet, who beg her to stop. Second, in a scene with Romeo, she malaprops several words, saying “If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence with you.” (2.4.129-30). Instead of conference, she says confidence. Consequently, Benvolio mocks her, saying, “She will indite him to some supper” instead of invite. The Nurse helps lighten the spirits of the situation, even if she is not trying. The Nurse adds some much-needed comedy to an otherwise extremely tragic play.

The Nurse’s kindness, loyalty, and comedy help the characters in the play and add some laughable moments to the dark tragedy. Because her compassion and loyalty show her love for Juliet, it makes her a memorable character and an example of true love. The Nurse is an important character to the plot, and easily unforgettable; Moreover, her compassion, devotion, and humor are what make the play entertaining.