Prompt A: Summary-
Juliet is impatient, having to wait three hours for the Nurse to return with the new from Romeo. When the Nurse finally returns, the Nurse complains that she is tired, her body aches, and the ride was very bumpy. Juliet bombards the Nurse with questions, but sticking to the point of whether or not Romeo will marry her, and if so, where and when. The Nurse then turns the conversation around, making Juliet feel bad for causing the Nurse such discomfort and teases her by almost telling her the answer several times. At the end of the scene, the Nurse finally tells Juliet that Romeo has decided to marry her in Friar Lawrence's cell today during shrift. Juliet is very excited by this news, and the Nurse seems as if she secretly approves of this decision.
Prompt C: Questions-
Nurse- What is the benefit of dragging out the conversation instead of telling Juliet the news from
Romeo immediately?
Juliet- Do you believe that you will not act like the Nurse, "Unwieldy, slow, heavy, and pale as lead,"
when you become much older?
Peter- Were you listening in on the conversation while you stayed at the gate?
Nurse- As you were about to answer Juliet's question about Romeo's message, what made you ask,
"Where is your mother?"?
Nurse- Did you say that, "[Romeo] is not the flower of courtesy" because of how his friend Mercutio
treated you?
Prompt F: Relationships-
The Nurse and Juliet do not seem to get along very well in this scene, both being frustrated with the other. Throughout the scene, the Nurse complains about how her head, bones, and back all hurt from the delivery of Romeo's message. The Nurse exclaims, "[Curse] your heart for sending me about to catch my death with jauncing up and down." Juliet is also very annoyed about how the Nurse will not repeat Romeo's message right away. She becomes frustrated when the Nurse complains that she is tired and out of breath and responds by saying that, "How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath to say to me that thou art out of breath?" This shows her impatience because on other occasions, Juliet would probably let the Nurse catch her breath instead of criticizing her. At the end of the scene, the Nurse still complains about her servitude to Juliet, saying that, "[The Nurse is] the drudge and toil in [Juliet's] delight." The snippet of the movie we watched in class also emphasizes the point that the Nurse complains a lot about being bossed around by Juliet.
I actually wondered the same thing: what was the point in stalling out the conversation? Your questions were clearly well thought out and addressed key parts of the play which were unclear. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between the nurse and Juliet can vary each chapter. Juliet and the Nurse probably have problems because of how they have known each other since Juliet was born. Sometimes they get along, sometimes they do not.
ReplyDeleteYour questions are very good. They really make one think about why certain people did certain things. They are questions that if one knew the answers to them, it would change the entire play for them.
ReplyDeleteI greatly like your relationship between Juliet and the Nurse. You had some very strong points. Thanks to you and your great detail, I see their relationship in a new, stronger way.
ReplyDeleteMartin
ReplyDeleteI think that the nurse was tired but she was just using that as an excuse to delay the news because she didnt agree with the marriage
Martin,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Nurse and Juliet are pushing each other back and forth. The Nurse tries to settle down after a jaunting ride while Juliet is there just asking numerous questions and she demands answer. Finally, the Nurse gives in and spits out every bit of information in the last part. There is an sign of power jumping back and forth from the Nurse and Juliet.