How does Nurse react to Lord and Lady Capulet's outrage that Juliet is refusing to marry their chosen suitor in Romeo and Juliet?
1 Answer
Nurse thinks it's time for Juliet to give up on Romeo and just do what her parents are telling her.
Explanation:
Generally, Nurse is used as comic relief, but this scene is important because it really shows what a positive role model she's trying to be for Juliet.
"Faith, here it is.
Romeo is banish'd; and all the world to nothing,
That he dares ne'er come back to challenge you;
Or, if he do, it needs must be by stealth.
Then, since the case so stands as now it doth,
I think it best you married with the county.
O, he's a lovely gentleman!
Romeo's a dishclout to him: an eagle, madam,
Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye
As Paris hath. Beshrew my very heart,
I think you are happy in this second match,
For it excels your first: or if it did not,
Your first is dead; or 'twere as good he were,
As living here and you no use of him." (3.4)
-- is what Nurse says right after Juliet asks for comfort. She's trying to convince Juliet that grieving over Romeo forever will not lead to a happy lifetime. Perhaps she knows that Juliet will never truly love Paris, but she still tries to help her anyways through conviction.
But she does make a good point in essentially saying that "Romeo is gone and you'll never see him again; so it's nothing to you. It's in the past." Juliet is young and eager and doesn't understand this.
