The Relationship Between Juliet, Her Mother, and the Nurse
Lady Capulet enters looking for Juliet, wanting to discuss something important. Right away, we can see the different relationships at play. The Nurse uses affectionate nicknames like "lamb" and "ladybird" for Juliet, showing their close bond.
Lady Capulet, however, is formal and authoritative with both Juliet and the Nurse. She orders the Nurse about, showing she looks down on her despite needing her present for the conversation. Juliet responds obediently to her mother with "Madam, I am here, what is your will?" – revealing a respectful but distant relationship.
The Nurse proudly demonstrates her intimate knowledge of Juliet, being able to "tell her age unto an hour." She recalls specific details about Juliet's childhood that Lady Capulet doesn't mention, highlighting that the Nurse has been more involved in raising Juliet than her own mother.
Did you notice? The Nurse mentions that Juliet will be fourteen at "Lammas-eve at night" (July 31st). This small detail shows how young Juliet really is, which becomes important when we consider the marriage proposal coming her way!
As the Nurse rambles on with stories about Juliet's childhood, we see that she genuinely loves Juliet as if she were her own daughter, especially after mentioning that her own daughter Susan (who was Juliet's age) has died.
