How far do Juliet’s Nurse and Friar Lawrence contribute to the tragedy of the play? You should look - page 1
Keywords: How far do Juliet’s Nurse and Friar Lawrence contribute to the tragedy of the play? You should look closely at language and character in your answer. friar lawrence
By ruth on 08/11/2006 17:23:49
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 1 of 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How far do Juliet’s Nurse and Friar Lawrence contribute to the tragedy of the play? You should look closely at language and character in your answer.
Whilst the actions of Juliet’s Nurse and Friar Lawrence partially contribute to the play’s tragic nature, I believe that it was a number of factors, notably fate with a combination of individual weaknesses, that brought about the play’s tragic ending. I will discuss the contributors of the two characters and then draw my conclusion.
The Nurse contributes to the tragedy in several ways, for example by bringing the couple closer together by helping to arrange the marriage. On the night that Juliet met Romeo she said to him that to prove his love to her he must ask her to be his wife. This was as she had accidentally confessed her love for him whilst he was listening, and could not be sure he was telling the truth when he said he felt the same. The Nurse was therefore sent the next morning to see if Romeo had indeed arranged a marriage. Although she undertook this task by instruction from Juliet, it would ultimately bring the couple together, which would have consequences as their families disapproved of the two houses mixing. The Nurse could have
refused to take part in this deception, and could have told Juliet that what she was doing was wrong by going behind her parents’ backs. The Nurse also was a messenger for Juliet by going to fetch the rope ladder which would enable Romeo and Juliet to consummate their marriage – again bringing the couple closer together. The final plan which ended up in confusion and the tragedy, would not need ever been thought up if the couple weren’t close and did not have a relationship. This is one possible way in which the Nurse contributed to the tragedy.
The Nurse should have been more trustworthy, and more understanding of what Juliet was feeling. At the beginning of the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, Juliet confided in her and so she knew what was happening, but by the time that a plan needed to be thought up Juliet did not tell her what was to happen. The Nurse did not really understand that Juliet did love Romeo, or she could just not sympathise with her situation. This is as when Lord Capulet asked if
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