"From the playwright's point of view, the Nurse serves many purposes in the play."
"She is useful in moving the plot forward by being a messenger between Romeo and Juliet, and she also stands out as a direct contrast to Juliet's own character."
" "
"She is also a comic character, and her words act as a release for the audience after the tension in the more serious scenes."
"Last, but not least, she serves to heighten our sympathy for Juliet by playing the part of the betrayer."
" "
"However, Shakespeare also gives her some depth of character of her own, and her part is a challenging role for any actress."
7
"We laugh at the Nurse as a garrulous old busybody, with a coarse sense of humour."
"These qualities are very obvious when we first meet her in Act I, scene iii, where not even Lady Capulet's coolness can stop her talking."
" "
"She is obviously very fond of Juliet, whom she has been caring for since birth."
"She is delighted to hear that Juliet may be married, and her comments serve as a contrast to Juliet's own thoughts, as the Nurse obviously thinks of marriage solely in terms of sex."
" "
"Her good relationship with Juliet is further shown when she teases Juliet by deliberately holding back Romeo's message."
8
"We are at first sympathetic towards the Nurse, and laugh good-naturedly at her jokes and her mis-use of words."
"Perhaps because Juliet trusts her, we also come to trust her."
" "
"And so it comes as a shock to us, as much as it does to Juliet when the Nurse betrays her."
"Having been abused and ordered about by her parents, Juliet turns for comfort to the Nurse in Act III, scene v."
"Instead of consoling her, the Nurse shows great insensitivity for Juliet's feelings by advising her to forget Romeo and marry Paris."
" "
"Despite her closeness to Juliet, she will never be able to understand the depth of Juliet's love."
