Nurse ( Romeo and Juliet ) - wikipedia Nurse ( Romeo and Juliet ) Nurse Romeo and Juliet character Information Family Unnamed ( husband ) Susan ( daughter ) Other name ( s ) Angelica ( possible real name ) Associate ( s ) Juliet ( surrogate daughter ) The Nurse is a major character in William Shakespeare 's classic drama Romeo and Juliet. She is the personal servant, guardian ( and former wet nurse ) of Juliet Capulet, and has been since Juliet was born. She had a daughter named Susan who died in infancy, and then became wetnurse to Juliet. As the primary person to like, she is therefore Juliet 's foremost confidante. She is very important to Juliet and Juliet 's life. She is one of the few people, along with Friar Laurence, to be made aware of the blossoming romance between Romeo and Juliet. Her personal history outside of the Capulet estate is unknown, other than that she once had a husband and a daughter, both of whom are deceased. Juliet is considered by many, historians and fans alike, to be her surrogate daughter in many respects because she raised Juliet in Lady Capulet 's absence. Contents 1 Origins 2 Role in the play 3 Literary interpretations 4 Analysis 5 Performance history 6 Notes 7 References Origins The Nurse is a character in Arthur Brooke 's poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, as Shakespeare 's main source text. She is like family to the Capulets. The Nurse plays a similar role in the poem by Brooke, though she is less critical of Paris and is banished for the events that took place. Role in the play The Nurse tries to convince Juliet to marry Paris. The Nurse delivering her `` Yet I can not choose but laugh '' line in Act I scene III in an 1847 drawing The Nurse is sent by Juliet in act two, scene four to seek out Romeo the night after their first kiss and exchange of vows. The Nurse finds Romeo and soon after returns to Juliet with news of Romeo 's continued affection. It is because of the Nurse 's approval that Juliet ultimately decides to go through with marrying Romeo. Later, the Nurse is overcome with grief at the death of Tybalt, and she runs to Juliet and cries, `` He 's dead, he 's dead, he 's dead ! We are undone, lady, we are undone ! Alack the day, he 's gone, he 's killed, he 's dead ! '' The Nurse is the one to deliver the news of Romeo 's banishment to Juliet ; in spite of Tybalt 's murder coming from Romeo 's hands, Juliet bids the Nurse to seek out Romeo for her at Friar Lawrence 's cell for one final night with him before he flees to Mantua. When Juliet learns that her parents expect her to marry Paris, the Nurse urges the girl to go ahead with the marriage. Even though Juliet was already married to Romeo, the Nurse felt that Juliet would never see her husband again. Following this, Juliet feels betrayed and decides never to share any more of her secrets with the Nurse. The Nurse discovers Juliet under the spell of Friar Lawrence 's potion in act four, scene five, and the grief of her death as seriously as she mourned Tybalt. She is, finally, present at the real deathbed of Romeo, Juliet, and Paris, though speechless. Indeed, she loses perhaps the dearest friends of anyone, having suffered through the deaths of her husband, Susan, Tybalt, Romeo, and Juliet. The nurse has the third largest number of lines in the original play ; only the eponymous characters have more lines. Literary interpretations In 2014, Simon & Schuster published Juliet 's Nurse ( ISBN 9781476757445 ), a novel by historian and former college professor Lois Leveen imagining the fourteen years leading up to the events in the play from the point of view of the nurse. Analysis In choosing forms, Shakespeare matches the poetry to the character that uses it. Friar Lawrence, for example, uses sermon and sententiae forms, and the Nurse uses a unique blank verse form that closely matches colloquial speech. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry Romeo to Juliet in an attempt to mend the dispute between the two families ; the Nurse sees their union as one of legitimate romance. The Nurse recognises that Juliet shows no interest in Paris ' courting and is the only member of the older generation to take Juliet 's feelings into consideration... that is, until she suddenly betrays Juliet 's trust by saying that she should marry Paris. Only to the nurse does Juliet confide her feelings about both Paris and Romeo. The formal language Juliet uses around Paris, as well as the way she talks about him to her Nurse, show that her feelings clearly lie with Romeo. The Nurse also admits to being something of a fool, proclaiming, `` were not I thine ( Juliet 's ) only nurse, I would say thou hadst suck 'd wisdom from thy teat. '' She is implied to be ugly by Mercutio, who urges the Nurse 's servant Peter to fetch her fan quickly, `` to hide her face ; for her fan 's the fairer face. '' Mercutio also mentions her age, calling her an `` ancient lady '' as he exits from the same scene. Some illustrations even depict her as an obese or big boned woman, because of how Mercutio insults her. He calls `` A sail ! A sail ! '' Meaning he thinks that the nurse is as big as a ship. The Nurse is also a frequent user of malapropisms. Her view of romance is very pragmatic, much like Mercutio 's views. When Juliet says that marriage is an honour she did not yet think of, the nurse laughs and exclaims, what an honour it is. The nurse 's humour is very crude, which is shown when she makes a rude joke about the way Juliet will ' fall down ' when she is older. The Nurse 's given name may be Angelica. In Act 4, scene 4, Lord Capulet, alone with the Nurse and Lady Capulet, tells `` good Angelica '' to order baked meats for Juliet 's upcoming wedding to Count Paris. It is unclear from the text whether he is addressing the Nurse or Lady Capulet. Performance history Edna May Oliver as the nurse in the 1936 film. A short sample of famous Nurses follows : Miriam Margolyes in Baz Luhrmann 's Romeo + Juliet. Pat Heywood in Franco Zeffirelli 's 1968 film. Edna May Oliver in the 1936 film. Flora Robson in the 1954 film. Debbie Rochon in Tromeo & Juliet. Chita Rivera ( as Anita ) the Nurse role in West Side Story ( 1957 Original Broadway Cast ) Rita Moreno ( as Anita ) the Nurse role in `` West Side Story ( film ) '' Karen Olivo ( as Anita ) the Nurse role in West Side Story ( 2009 Revival Original Broadway Cast ) Notes Jump up ^ Arthur J. Roberts ( February 1902 ). `` The Sources of Romeo and Juliet ''. Modern Language Notes. Modern Language Notes, Vol. 17, No. 2. 17 ( 2 ) : 41 -- 44. doi : 10.2307 / 2917639. JSTOR 2917639. Jump up ^ Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 2 ^ Jump up to : Simon & Schuster author page. Retrieved 19 April 2014 http://books.simonandschuster.com/Juliets-Nurse/Lois-Leveen/9781476757445 Jump up ^ Halio, 48 -- 60. Jump up ^ Halio, 20 -- 30. Jump up ^ Romeo and Juliet Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 67 -- 68 References Halio, Jay ( 1998 ). Romeo and Juliet. Westport : Greenwood Press. p. 1. ISBN 0 - 313 - 30089 - 5. William Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet Characters Romeo Juliet Mercutio Tybalt Benvolio Friar Laurence Nurse Paris Rosaline Queen Mab Atomy Sources The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet Pyramus and Thisbe Palace of Pleasure Troilus and Criseyde Ballets Romeo and Juliet ( 1938, Prokofiev ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1962, Cranko ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1965, MacMillan ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1977, Nureyev ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1965, Lavery ) Radio and Juliet ( 2005 ) Romeo + Juliet ( 2007, Martins ) Romeo and Juliet ( 2008, Pastor ) Operas Romeo und Julie ( 1776, Benda ) Giulietta e Romeo ( 1796, Zingarelli ) Giulietta e Romeo ( 1825, Vaccai ) I Capuleti ei Montecchi ( 1830, Bellini ) Gloria ( 1874, Cilea ) Roméo et Juliette ( 1867, Gounod ) A Village Romeo and Juliet ( 1907, Delius ) Romeo und Julia ( 1940, Sutermeister ) Musicals The Belle of Mayfair ( 1906 ) West Side Story ( 1957 ) Once on This Island ( 1990 ) Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour ( 2001 ) Giulietta e Romeo ( 2007 ) Classical Beethoven 's String Quartet No. 1 ( c. 1800 ) Roméo et Juliette ( 1839, Berlioz ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1870, Tchaikovsky ) On screen 1900 1908 1916 Metro Pictures 1916 Fox 1936 1953 1954 1955 1964 1968 1978 ( TV ) 1992 ( TV ) 2006 2007 2013 Film adaptations English Beneath the 12 - Mile Reef ( 1953 ) Romanoff and Juliet ( 1961 ) West Side Story ( 1961 ) Gonks Go Beat ( 1965 ) Lonesome Cowboys ( 1968 ) Romie - 0 and Julie - 8 ( TV ; 1979 ) The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet ( 1982 ) Valley Girl ( 1983 ) Bullies ( 1986 ) China Girl ( 1987 ) Romeo. Juliet ( 1990 ) Tromeo and Juliet ( 1996 ) Love Is All There Is ( 1996 ) Rose by Any Other Name... ( 1997 ) The Lion King II : Simba 's Pride ( 1998 ) Shakespeare in Love ( 1998 ) The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns ( 1999 ) Romeo Must Die ( 2000 ) Brooklyn Babylon ( 2001 ) Pizza My Heart ( TV ; 2005 ) West Bank Story ( 2005 ) Life and Lyrics ( 2006 ) Romeo & Juliet : Sealed with a Kiss ( 2006 ) Rome & Jewel ( 2006 ) David & Fatima ( 2008 ) The Cross Road ( 2008 ) Vicious Circle ( 2008 ) Gnomeo & Juliet ( 2011 ) Private Romeo ( 2011 ) Warm Bodies ( 2013 ) Make Your Move ( 2013 ) Romeo & Juliet ( 2013 ) Hindi Ek Duuje Ke Liye ( 1981 ) Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak ( 1988 ) Saudagar ( 1991 ) Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein ( 2002 ) Bollywood Queen ( 2002 ) Ishaqzaade ( 2012 ) Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram - Leela ( 2013 ) Issaq ( 2013 ) Telugu Maro Charitra ( 1978 ) Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi ( 1996 ) Kalisundam Raa ( 2000 ) Maro Charitra ( 2010 ) Spanish Romeo and Juliet ( 1940 ) Los Tarantos ( 1963 ) 30 : e november ( Swedish / Spanish 1995 ) Amar te duele ( 2002 ) Italian Fury of Johnny Kid ( 1967 ) Ma che musica maestro ( 1971 ) Portuguese Mônica e Cebolinha : No Mundo de Romeu e Julieta ( 1979 ) O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta ( 2005 ) Other Ambikapathy ( Tamil 1937 ) Les amants de Vérone ( French 1949 ) Romeo, Juliet and Darkness ( Czech 1960 ) The Phantom Lover ( Mandarin 1995 ) Chicken Rice War ( Cantonese / English 2000 ) Ondagona Baa ( Kannada 2003 ) Mamay ( Ukrainian 2003 ) The District ! ( Hungarian 2004 ) In Fair Palestine : A Story of Romeo and Juliet ( 2006 ) The Bubble ( Hebrew / Arabic 2006 ) Priyatama ( Marathi 2014 ) Arshinagar ( Bengali 2015 ) Eeda ( Malayalam 2017 ) The Sea Prince and the Fire Child ( Japanese 1981 ) TV series Sons and Daughters ( 1982 ) Family and Friends ( 1990 ) Villa Quintana ( 1995 ) Yo amo a Paquita Gallego ( 1998 ) Skin ( 2003 ) A Touch Away ( 2006 ) Dangerous ( 2007 ) Romeo × Juliet ( 2007 ) Romeo y Julieta ( 2007 ) Saints & Sinners ( 2007 ) Harina de otro costal ( 2010 ) Villa Quintana ( 2013 ) Westside ( 2013 pilot ) Star - Crossed ( 2014 ) Still Star - Crossed ( 2017 ) Plays Romanoff and Juliet ( 1956 ) Romeo and Juliet ( 2013 ) Songs Lan và Điệp ( 1930s ) `` Montagues and Capulets '' ( 1935 ) `` Fever '' ( 1956 ) Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet ( 1968 ) `` ( Do n't Fear ) The Reaper '' ( 1976 ) `` Angelo '' ( 1978 ) `` Romeo and Juliet '' ( 1978 ) `` Romeo and Juliet '' ( 1981 ) `` Cherish '' ( 1989 ) `` Amor Prohibido '' ( 1994 ) `` Kissing You '' ( 1996 ) `` Exit Music '' ( 1997 ) `` Romeo and Juliet '' ( 1998 ) `` Starcrossed '' ( 2004 ) `` Peut - être toi '' ( 2006 ) `` Mademoiselle Juliette '' ( 2007 ) `` Love Story '' ( 2008 ) `` Love Me Again '' `` Laal Ishq '' `` Mor Bani Thanghat Kare '' `` Nagada Sang Dhol '' `` Ram Chahe Leela '' ( 2013 ) Albums Romeo and Juliet ( 1968 ) Romeo + Juliet ( 1996 ) Romeo & Julia ( 2006 ) Tragic Lovers ( 2008 ) Literature Les Chouans The Wandering Jew ( 1844 ) The Stolen Dormouse ( 1941 ) The Faraway Lurs ( 1963 ) Romiette and Julio ( 2001 ) New Moon ( 2006 ) Warm Bodies ( 2010 ) Art Romeo and Juliet : the Tomb Scene ( 1790 ) Romeo and Juliet ( 1978 ) Phrases `` Star - crossed '' `` A rose by any other name would smell as sweet '' Story within a story Nicholas Nickleby 1912 film 1947 film 1980 play 2001 film 2002 film The Picture of Dorian Gray 1910 film 1913 film 1915 film 1916 film 1917 film 1918 film 1945 film 1976 TV special 2009 film Harlequinade W Juliet `` Nothing Broken but My Heart '' Panic Button Bare : A Pop Opera `` '' Into the Light '' Bolji život The Sky Is Everywhere Pay as You Exit The White Mercedes She Died a Lady `` Moonshine River '' Rendez - vous Fame `` I Am Unicorn '' The Frog Prince Molly Smart Girls Get What They Want Tumbleweeds `` The Thief of Baghead '' The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke Prince Charming Km. 0 Phileine Says Sorry Hamateur Night `` Say You 'll Be Mine '' Into the Gauntlet Wandering Son K - On ! Foreign stories Adam Khan and Durkhanai Tum Teav Yusuf Khan and Sherbano Solomon & Gaenor Butterfly Lovers Hani and Sheh Mureed Lục Vân Tiên film Teav Aek Layla and Majnun Lovers of Teruel film Lord Saltoun and Auchanachie Ishaqzaade Other Such Tweet Sorrow Romeo and Juliet effect After Juliet `` Upper West Side Story '' ( 2012 ) Millennium Dome Show Inge Sylten and Heinz Drosihn Boys Do n't Cry My Wedding and Other Secrets Donkey in Lahore Upside Down Letters to Juliet Sherlock Gnomes Book : Romeo and Juliet Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nurse_(Romeo_and_Juliet)&oldid=823744938 '' Categories : Fictional characters introduced in 1597 Fictional Italian people in literature Female Shakespearean characters Characters in Romeo and Juliet Fictional nurses Fictional characters without a name Hidden categories : EngvarB from September 2017 Use dmy dates from September 2017 Articles using Infobox character with multiple unlabeled fields Talk Contents About Wikipedia Simple English Edit links This page was last edited on 3 February 2018, at 03 : 37. 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Question: who plays the nurse in romeo and juliet
Answer: Karen Olivo