The Role of The Nurse in Act: Counseling Juliet

The Nurse's Role in Juliet's Life

Throughout William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet," the Nurse is kind of a big deal in how everything unfolds for young Juliet. She's not just a servant; she's more like a friend, giving advice and support during all the craziness of Juliet's romance with Romeo. Let's dive into how the Nurse guides Juliet and what her advice means for our young heroine. We'll check out parts of the play to really understand the impact of what the Nurse says.

Act II: Encouraging Trust

One important moment where the Nurse gives advice happens in Act II, Scene 4. After Romeo and Juliet secretly get hitched, Romeo sends the Nurse to find out when they can finally be together as husband and wife. During her chat with Juliet, she tells her to chill out and wait for Romeo:

"I'm working hard for your happiness,
But you'll have to wait until tonight.
Go on now, I'll head off." (II.4.220-222)

Here, the Nurse is telling Juliet to trust Romeo and hang in there even though things are tricky. She gets that their love is strong and wants them to be happy. But honestly, she doesn't think about what might happen later—like what society will say or how dangerous things could get.

Act III: A New Proposal?

Then there's Act III, Scene 5. After Romeo's banished for killing Tybalt, Juliet's totally crushed. The Nurse tries to make her feel better by suggesting she marry Paris, someone her parents picked:

"You might actually be happier with this new guy,
He's better than your first: or if he's not,
Your first is gone; might as well be dead,
Since you can't be with him anyway." (III.5.215-218)

Here, we see the Nurse trying to be practical. She thinks marrying Paris will fix everything for Juliet—give her stability or whatever. But she misses just how deep Juliet’s love runs for Romeo and how marrying someone else would break her heart.

Act IV: Family Loyalty

In Act IV, Scene 5, the Nurse drops another bombshell about Juliet having to marry Paris soon. Desperate, Juliet asks for help from the Nurse again but gets let down:

"I think marrying Paris is best.
Oh, he's such a gentleman!
Romeo doesn't compare." (IV.5.65-67)

The Nurse here shows she's siding with Juliet's parents instead of really understanding what Juliet feels inside. She thinks it's safest to go along with what's expected rather than taking a risk on love.

Conclusion

So yeah, in "Romeo and Juliet," the Nurse plays a big role in shaping what happens next for Juliet through her advice—sometimes good, sometimes not so much. She helps us see just how tricky love can be when you mix it up with society's rules and quick decisions that seem smart at first but maybe aren't so much later on. The Nurse reminds us of the messy nature of human relationships and how they can change someone's life forever.

Works Cited:
- Shakespeare, W., Mowat B.A., & Werstine P., (1992). *Romeo and Juliet*. Folger Shakespeare Library.
- Smith, A., (2010). *Understanding Shakespeare*. Oxford University Press.
- Johnson, M., (2008). *Shakespearean Drama: An Introduction*. Cambridge University Press.