Romeo & Juliet Lesson 12: Juliet, Nurse and Lady Capulet - Worksheet

In the twelfth lesson focusing on Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," students delve into Act One, Scene Three, exploring the dynamics between Juliet, her Nurse, and Lady Capulet. After reading the scene, students are tasked with completing a paragraph that requires them to input specific details about the characters and their interactions. Lady Capulet allows the Nurse to be privy to her conversation with Juliet, highlighting the Nurse's integral role within the family. The relationship between the Nurse and Juliet is notably close and affectionate, with the Nurse often sharing personal anecdotes and memories.

The Nurse humorously informs the audience of Juliet's impending birthday, revealing that Juliet will reach a significant age milestone. She fondly reminisces about the days when she breastfed Juliet, recalling particular events and jesting about them, which adds a touch of levity to the scene. The Nurse's use of coarse language reveals her less refined status and perhaps her desire to maintain a sense of closeness and informality with Juliet. In creating the character of the Nurse as a confidante and mother figure to Juliet, Shakespeare provides a contrast to the more formal relationship Juliet has with Lady Capulet, and this may have been done to underscore the depth of trust and intimacy that exists between the Nurse and Juliet, a crucial element in the unfolding drama.