Nurse Monologue (Act 1, Scene 3)

When we think of memorable supporting characters in Shakespeare plays, it’s extremely unusual that a thought doesn’t cross our mind of Romeo and Juliet’s Nurse. So let’s take a look at one of her earlier monologues from this star crossed tragedy.

Context

Romeo and Juliet takes place in a little city known as Verona. Among this city’s population are two well known families. The Montagues and The Capulets. Unfortunately for them and the rest of the city of Verona these two families have been warring with each other for as long as they can remember over some something someone said to someone else long long ago. And what’s even worse is no one can even remember what was said.

Now at the beginning of the play we find the young boys of the Capulet and Montague Clan fighting in the street as they always do. But one person isn’t at the fight: Romeo. He’s off somewhere pining over a girl named Rosaline, who comes from the Capulet family. Mercutio and Benvolio his buddies come to find him and tell him there’s going to be a party at the Capulet house that night and so they decide they’re going to crash it.

Meanwhile, while all this is happening, there’s a young girl named Juliet who’s parents are trying to convince her to marry a young and eligible bachelor named Paris…

Text

Even or odd, of all days in the year,
Come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen.
Susan and she—God rest all Christian souls!—
Were of an age. Well, Susan is with God.
She was too good for me. But, as I said,
On Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen.
That shall she. Marry, I remember it well.
‘Tis since the earthquake now eleven years,
And she was weaned—I never shall forget it—
Of all the days of the year, upon that day.
For I had then laid wormwood to my dug,
Sitting in the sun under the dovehouse wall.
My lord and you were then at Mantua.—
Nay, I do bear a brain. —But, as I said,
When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple
Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool,
To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug!
“Shake!” quoth the dovehouse. ‘Twas no need, I trow,
To bid me trudge.
And since that time it is eleven years,
For then she could stand alone. Nay, by the rood,
She could have run and waddled all about,
For even the day before, she broke her brow.
And then my husband—God be with his soul!
He was a merry man—took up the child.
“Yea,” quoth he, “Dost thou fall upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit,
Wilt thou not, Jule?” and, by my holy dame,
The pretty wretch left crying and said “ay.”
To see now, how a jest shall come about!
I warrant, an I should live a thousand years,
I never should forget it. “Wilt thou not, Jule?” quoth
he.
And, pretty fool, it stinted and said “ay.”

Unfamiliar Language

Lammas Eve: Holiday on July 31st
Weaned: Stopped breast-feeding
Dug: Breast
Tetchy: Angry
Trudge: Walk
Rood: Truth
Quoth: Said

Translation

Even days and odd days regardless on July 31st she will be fourteen.
Her and my child Susan, God bless them, were born on the same day!
Well, Susan is dead. She was too good for me.
But as I said on July 31st she will be fourteen.
That she will. Listen, I remember it well.
It’s been eleven years since the earthquake, and she stopped breastfeeding.
I’ll never forget it. Of all the days in the year I will remember this one best.
I had put wormwood on my breast, sitting in the sun under the dovehouse wall.
My Lord, you were at Mantua then. Hey, I do have a good memory!
But anyway, when she tasted the wormwood on my breast, the pretty little fool got angry at my breast and fell from my nipple. That’s when the earthquake started and the dovehouse shook.
You didn’t need to tell me to get out of there!
And since then, it’s been eleven years, because by then she could stand on her own.
No, in truth she could walk and run on her own!
Because the day before she’d cut her forehead!
And then my husband, may he rest in peace, he was a cheery man, picked her up.
‘Yes’ he said, ‘did you fall on your face? You’ll fall backwards when you grow up, won’t you Jule?’ and I swear to the holy mother the pretty little lady stopped crying and said ‘Yes’.
Just to see how a joke would come of it.
I swear if I live for a thousand years, I’ll never forget it.
‘Won’t you Jule?’ he said.
And the pretty fool stopped crying and said ‘Yes!’.

Notes on Performance

So this monologue has a number of things going on but the first thing we should be thinking about is the characterization of the Nurse. There has been countless different renditions of how this amazing lady is portrayed and almost all of them have done her justice. There’s a reall opportunity here for you to really explore a big characterization both physically and vocally. There really isn’t too far you can go. This character contains multitudes. She has tragic moments and hilarious ones. So you can really go in any direction.

But that brings me to my next point. So this monologue has the potential to have some very funny moments. She tells the story as if it were a hilarious anecdote. Which it is. But it is also a mother grieving and processing the loss of her daughter. And with that comes weight and melancholy. So this is about identifying the moments of laughter with the heavier moments of the monologue and playing them accordingly.

Lastly keep in mind the relationship she has to Juliet. She almost sees her like a second daughter, especially because she lost hers.