The nurse. Every tragedy needs comic relief, and the nurse brings just that. With a joke for everything and an inappropriate joke for everything else.
Throughout Romeo and Juliet, we hear soliloquy upon soliloquy from many characters. However we never hear the nurses thoughts, only the opinion she shares with her employers. In this post, we are going to hear the nurses diary entry, sharing her feelings about Juliet, her dead husband, and the Families' feud.
It's no secret the Capulets and the Montagues don't get along; after all that is the whole pretense of the book. But when Tybalt catches Romeo at his party, it was just too much. So what do you say to this intruder, this Montague?
A foil is a character who contrasts with another character by way of personality.
Now, here's a term I haven't heard before. Apparently there is an actual word for characters like Valjean and Javert, or Draco and Harry. Characters who oppose each other in personality and add a degree of excitement to a story.
Obviously you can think of many more foils in literature you enjoy, (for more examples click here) however, not all foils are created equal.Sometimes characters in a foil are strikingly similar, with one main difference separating them. One example is the iconic characters Javert and Jean Valjean. Both believe in their idea of what is good, though Javert believes the law is what is good and Valjean believes you do not always need to follow the law so long as your intentions are good. Two similar characters, one big difference.
In the memorable tragedy that is Romeo and Juliet, there are mulitple foils adding to the plot and drama of the play. My favorite "relationship" between two characters is between Paris and Romeo.
We know Juliet is not the one Romeo loves at first, and that Paris intends to marry her before the lovers meet, but what do the men really think of each other, and how do they compare?
And now, because you have the (admittedly somewhat boring) background information, we get to the part where I, the author, share my opinion.
Early in act one, we find our dashing Montague moping over his lost love and how they can never be together and "woe is me".
"When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehoods, then turns tears to fire; And these, who often drown'd could never die, Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars! One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun."
Well Romeo, to speak in unprofessional terms, you are whipped. Not with Juliet as the title suggests, but instead to Rosaline, a woman who recently took a chastity vow. Basically Romeo is the definition of a love sick teenager.
And then there's Paris, Juliet's betrothed, who shows little to no interest in actually loving Juliet.
"Younger than she are happy mothers made."
First of all, ew. And second of all, ew. Juliet is almost fourteen, whereas Paris is in his twenties. Obviously times were different then, and it is shocking to see what they believed back then.
Romeo and Tybalt fight near fallen Mericutio
In act one alone, Romeo shows his for feelings and love, and Paris shows that thinks logically about situations, rather than "following his heart."
Forbidden love draws people in, to that I can attest. I have read my fair share of romance novels. When forbidden love ends in tragedy, it leaves people wondering what if. What if the Montagues and the Capulets had found unity before their children commited suicide? What if I found true love before I ended up married to a cheating lying good for nothing?
But what ifs don't do anything. The only thing that will do anything is action.
Perhaps this blog post is self serving, as I have been avoiding taking any sort of action on anything, and need some decent motivation not coming from Disney movies or inspirational Doritos commercials.
So on the question of what if, shall I compare it to the question of time travel and the bendable fabric of space? No that would be tacky.
I will compare it to nothing. Because sitting on your butt all day questioning every decision you've ever made is a waste of time.
While Juliet longed for her Romeo she should have gotten up and donesomething, rather than whining and complaining while getting a manni petty.
I you want something, get up and DO SOMETHING.
Yes I'm talking to you, teenage boy playing minecraft with Internet friends you'll never meet.
I'm also talking to you, retired third grade teacher with the aptitude for golf. Get up! Go golfing. Don't sit and think about it.
Thinking about something is not going to make it happen. Action makes things happen.
Think of this:
If I talk to you in ten years and ask if you regret anything, are you going to regret a decision you made today? Maybe you'll regret a decision you didn't make.
The call you didn't make.
The secret you didn't share.
The lie you didn't admit to.
The guy you didn't say hello to.
The smile you didn't smile.
Don't regret anything. But don't be afraid to make mistakes. Our mistakes DO NOT define us. They make us better people.
So in conclusion, if you want something, get off your butt and do it, and listen to this advice from Thomas Jefferson:
