Wednesday, June 24, 2015

In Act III, Scene 5 of "Romeo and Juliet", Juliet seeks comfort from the Nurse. What is the Nurse's advice?

In Act 3 Scene 5, Juliet is ordered to marry Paris, though she secretly loves Romeo, an enemy of her family. Her father is enraged by Juliet's protests, and her mother forsakes her. Distraught and desperate, Juliet turns to her nurse for her advice, but Nurse has only this to say: 



    Faith, here it is.
    Romeo is banish'd; and all the world to nothing,
    That he dares ne'er come back to challenge you;
    Or, if he do, it needs must be by stealth.
    Then, since the case so stands as now it doth,
    I think it best you married with the county.
    O, he's a lovely gentleman!
    Romeo's a dishclout to him: an eagle, madam,
    Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye
    As Paris hath. Beshrew my very heart,
    I think you are happy in this second match,
    For it excels your first: or if it did not,
    Your first is dead; or 'twere as good he were,
    As living here and you no use of him.




In this passage, Nurse advises Juliet to forget about Romeo, who is banished and cannot meet Juliet except in secret. She advises Juliet to marry Paris. Nurse compares Romeo and Paris, declaring that Romeo is only a "dishclout" in comparison to Paris. Furthermore, Romeo is as good as dead. Nurse advises Juliet to find happiness with Paris.  

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