Comparing The Nurse Foils In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

In most societies, it is common for mothers to have great affection for their daughter(s), but Juliet receives more affection from the nurse that raised her rather than her mother. The Nurse shows Juliet great affection and love, while Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet, barely knows anything about her own daughter, Juliet. The Nurse raised Juliet since she was an infant while Lady Capulet, a member of the nobility, spent very little time with Juliet as her priorities were attending social events, entertaining and spending time away on vacations. In Shakespeare’s tragedy “Romeo and Juliet”, the Nurse foils Lady Capulet by her relationship and affection towards Juliet showing Lady Capulet as the ultimate "Ice Queen" who cares more about her social status than her own daughter's happiness.

The Nurse foils Lady Capulet by her relationship with Juliet. While both the Nurse and Lady Capulet are a mother to Juliet, their relationship with Juliet couldn't be more different. Within the text of Romeo and Juliet, the Nurse knows Juliet well and claims to be able to “tell her age unto [an] hour” (I.iii.12.) while Lady Capulet only “ knowest my daughter’s of a pretty age” (I.iii.10-11.). Even though Lady Capulet is Juliet’s biological mother, she doesn't know the age of her daughter, thinking that she is fourteen while she is still thirteen. The Nurse

Within the tragedy, Lady Capulet and the Nurse both show different characteristics which make the play more relatable for different audiences. Lady Capulet has a distant relationship and lack of affection for Juliet whereas the Nurse had a close relationship and loving affection for Juliet. Even though Lady Capulet and Juliet were not close, Juliet had the Nurse to act as a friend and confidant like the classic teenage relationship that we all have with our friends versus our