Last Updated on September 16, 2022
Act III, Scene II: What does Juliet misunderstand about the nurse? What does she do when Romeo‚s liar status is revealed? How does Juliet respond to this shocking revelation? Find out in this Shakespeare analysis! If you‚re stuck on this scene and have trouble understanding it, read on! Here are some hints:
Act III, Scene II
When the nurse finally arrives, the Nurse is brash and preoccupied with sex. Her daughter is dead and her husband jokingly joked about falling backwards for sex with Juliet. The Nurse insists on not telling Juliet what she knows, so Juliet thinks that Romeo has been killed. As a result, the nurse leaves her to wonder if she is disposed to marry Paris.
The nurse is long-winded and makes inappropriate comments. She recalls Juliet‚s childhood and age and quotes the line “I‚m sorry, I thought it was a nightingale, and now there‚s more light”. The nurse also assumes that Romeo killed Tybalt and believes that the news could not be harsher than what she has heard.
The nurse is also aware of her witty conversational style before the play began. Her lines in Act III, Scene II are written in iambic blank verse, which suggests a higher social status and a more cautious approach. In addition, Tybalt drops the polite pronoun in the accusation that he made in 3.1.45. Shakespeare uses this technique to highlight the character‚s natural temperament.
Juliet‚s distrust of the nurse
The Nurse‚s role in Juliet‚s life is largely a metaphor, for the Nurse is hired to do her job and make her happy, and she knows that she‚s causing her to suffer. When she says that she‚s making Juliet uncomfortable, this reference to Juliet‚s first sexual experience plays on dramatic irony. In a broader sense, the Nurse‚s actions reflect Juliet‚s distrust of anyone else.
The Nurse hints at this through her behavior: she tells Juliet to send Peter away so that she can attend to the patient. She also tells Juliet that she‚ll be lunching with the nurses while Romeo is at confession. The Nurse dismisses Juliet‚s worry that the Nurse may not be able to find Romeo because she‚s lame, and instead suggests that she‚s just a stiff, slow nurse.
The Nurse‚s behavior does not seem rude or malicious at first. She‚s eager to share information with Romeo about Paris and Juliet. The nurse reports on Juliet‚s cute wordplay with ‚Romeo‚ and ‚Rosemary‚. Though the nurse has sometimes mocked Romeo, the nurse‚s behavior is generally complimentary. Juliet‚s distrust of the nurse when she finally arrives is justified when the nurse‚s words have a tragic consequence.
Romeo‚s liar status
When the nurse finally arrives, the scene that immediately follows is dramatic. Juliet, who is now in a coma, has been talking with the nurse for hours. She mentions her upcoming wedding twice. Then she says she has taken a drug that will make her feel better. Romeo responds with “ancient damnation” and then says he will tear her name from a piece of paper.
Juliet is not fooled, and she believes Romeo‚s story completely. The nurse thinks that Romeo is telling the truth when he asks for the nurse‚s name. Romeo is liar enough to admit it, and she knows it. The nurse will be able to see through this and still believe him. Juliet‚s surprise and disbelief is hilarious.
The Nurse brings news of Juliet‚s condition to Romeo and Juliet. Romeo then tries to stagger himself. When he realizes that he is lying to her, he returns to Friar Laurence‚s cell to give Juliet the ring that Juliet asked him to take. The Nurse then leaves the cell to go to Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are married, but Juliet bemoans that they were banished. Romeo‚s lamentations are over the top, and his lamentations are incredibly extravagant.
Juliet‚s reaction to Friar Laurence‚s revelation
When the Nurse finally arrives, Juliet is excited to see her beloved, Romeo, in the cell. She tells her to hurry and get to the cell. Romeo is waiting for her there. The nurse will pick up the ladder that she mentioned and take them both to the room. Juliet‚s reaction to this revelation is priceless. Her face is as pale as the sun, and her body is in a state of shock.
As the Nurse approaches, she finds Juliet anticipating her arrival. She describes her reaction as wanton, suggesting that Juliet‚s blushing is the result of sex. However, Juliet does not see it this way. In fact, her reactions to this revelation are both hilarious and horrifying. She refers to the paintings of Venus being pulled by doves and Cupid flying through the sky.
Despite the sex of the young lovers, the Nurse has an important role in Romeo and Juliet. She brought up Juliet and cares about her more than anyone else. Her advice to Juliet seals her fate. This is a dark precedent for Jane Austen‚s character in Emma. Gemma Barrett embodied the role with charisma, but it also revealed her wounded heart.
Romeo‚s oxymorons
Among the most intriguing themes of Romeo and Juliet is the concept of love, and its inverse, hate. The addition of hatred to love should weaken erotic tension, as a mixture of hot and cold should produce lukewarm desire. Instead, the mixture of love and hatred produces a strong desire and suggests that the love is more powerful than the hate.
The contrasting elements of two words or phrases are called “oxymorons.” A good example is the word ‚as‚, which refers to the sun and the moon. “Like” is a similar word. An oxymoron combines two or more contradictory elements. A sestet is made up of three four-line units. Then a quatrain follows.
A second example of oxymorons occurs when Romeo refers to himself as “damp earth” and says that he must find his center. In scene ii, Romeo also uses images of light and darkness. While Juliet is not aware of Romeo‚s presence, she questions him. When the nurse tells her that he doesn‚t have a letter from Friar Laurence, he says “no matter.” He may be fearful that Romeo‚s words will tear him apart.
Benvolio‚s words to Benvolio
Romeo‚s father is worried that Romeo has not returned from the party. Benvolio tells him that his friend Tybalt has written a letter to his father challenging him to a duel. Tybalt‚s letter also makes reference to the character Reynard the Fox. The two men have many word plays during their banter and Romeo is not sure what to think about the challenge.
The nurse finally arrives, but the scene is not what we think of. Juliet misunderstands Benvolio‚s words to Juliet. Benvolio reveals to Juliet what happened to Romeo during the fight. Romeo has been seen walking in a grove of sycamores early in the morning. He also tells Juliet that Montague has seen him weeping in the same area. Apparently, the nurse is not coming when Benvolio wants her to go out.
As the nurse finally arrives, Benvolio is chatting with Romeo and educating him on the nuances of love. He learns that Romeo is sad because Rosaline has taken a vow of chastity and therefore cannot reciprocate his love. Benvolio tells him to forget Rosaline, but Romeo insists that no woman would ever compare to her.
Romeo‚s refusal to fight Tybalt
We have already discussed the importance of love in Shakespeare‚s play, Romeo and Juliet, but what about Tybalt? Is it possible that he has feelings for Romeo? This question has several possible answers. Read on to discover more. When Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt when the nurse finally arrives, he‚s indicating that he‚s a family man. This shows that Romeo‚s love for Tybalt isn‚t unfounded.
Romeo‚s refusal to fight Tybal is a strong example of self-sacrifice. He shows respect and politeness for the woman in his life and has the courage to kill Tybalt when needed. He tries to explain this refusal by saying that he loves Tybalt. Mercutio is furious about his lack of self-defense.
Romeo‚s reaction to the death of Mercutio has an impact on the way he treats Juliet. His grief is compounded by the fact that his beloved is dead. This causes Romeo to seek revenge and fight Tybalt. However, when the nurse arrives, Tybalt has already escaped and is threatening to kill him. However, the Prince wants to save Romeo, and if Romeo is found inside the city walls of Verona, he‚ll be killed.
About The Author
Pat Rowse is a thinker. He loves delving into Twitter to find the latest scholarly debates and then analyzing them from every possible perspective. He's an introvert who really enjoys spending time alone reading about history and influential people. Pat also has a deep love of the internet and all things digital; she considers himself an amateur internet maven. When he's not buried in a book or online, he can be found hardcore analyzing anything and everything that comes his way.