Act 2, Scene 5 — Romeo and Juliet

The argument Juliet has been waiting since nine o'clock for the Nurse to return with news from Romeo. It is now noon — three hours. The Nurse finally arrives but refuses to deliver the message immediately, complaining at length about her sore bones and aching head. After Juliet cycles through flattery, impatience, and exasperation, the Nurse finally reveals the plan: Juliet is to go to Friar Lawrence's cell this afternoon, where Romeo will marry her.

Enter Juliet.

JULIET ≋ verse Anxious; making excuses

The clock struck nine when I did send the Nurse,

In half an hour she promised to return.

Perchance she cannot meet him. That’s not so.

O, she is lame. Love’s heralds should be thoughts,

Which ten times faster glides than the sun’s beams,

Driving back shadows over lowering hills:

Therefore do nimble-pinion’d doves draw love,

And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings.

Now is the sun upon the highmost hill

Of this day’s journey, and from nine till twelve

Is three long hours, yet she is not come.

Had she affections and warm youthful blood,

She’d be as swift in motion as a ball;

My words would bandy her to my sweet love,

And his to me.

But old folks, many feign as they were dead;

Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.

"" Swift-winged doves — the birds sacred to Venus, who pull her chariot. Speed and love are linked in the image.

"" To bat back and forth like a ball — from 'bandying,' hitting a ball between racquets. Juliet imagines words as balls flying between herself and Romeo.

"" Lead-colored — grey, heavy, lifeless. Juliet's impatience manifests as unfair mockery of age.

Why it matters This speech reveals Juliet's inner life when she's alone. She's not the deferential daughter of 1-3 or the careful negotiator of 2-2 — she's impatient, energetic, slightly ruthless about the Nurse's age. The lines about love's messengers being as fast as thought will echo with bitter irony in Act 3 and 4, when slowness of message will prove fatal.

Enter Nurse and Peter.

O God, she comes. O honey Nurse, what news?

Hast thou met with him? Send thy man away.

NURSE Speaking

Peter, stay at the gate.

peter, stay at the gate.

[_Exit Peter._]

JULIET ≋ verse Speaking

Now, good sweet Nurse,—O Lord, why look’st thou sad?

Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily;

If good, thou sham’st the music of sweet news

By playing it to me with so sour a face.

Now, good sweet Nurse,—O Lord, why look’st you sad? Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily; If good, you sham’st the music of sweet news By playing it to me with so sour a face.

now, good sweet nurse,—o lord, why look’st you sad...

now, good sweet nurse,—o lord, why look’st thou sad? though

Why it matters Juliet reads the Nurse's face before she speaks — and she's already cycling through anxiety responses. She's trying to pre-manage the delivery. The idea that good news should be delivered joyfully is a small piece of literary self-awareness: Shakespeare is about to make the Nurse do the opposite for comic effect.

NURSE ≋ verse Speaking

I am aweary, give me leave awhile;

Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunt have I had!

I am aweary, give me leave awhile; Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunt have I had!

i am aweary, give me leave awhile; fie, how my bones ache! what a jaunt have i had!

i am aweary, give me leave awhile; fie, how my bones ache! w

"" A tiring errand or journey — though the Nurse has been on a routine city errand, she presents it as an epic hardship.

JULIET ≋ verse Speaking

I would thou hadst my bones, and I thy news:

Nay come, I pray thee speak; good, good Nurse, speak.

I would you hadst my bones, and I your news: Nay come, I pray you speak; good, good Nurse, speak.

i would you hadst my bones, and i your news: nay come, i pray you speak; good, good nurse, speak.

i would thou hadst my bones, and i thy news: nay come, i pra

Why it matters Juliet offers to trade — she'd rather have the aching bones than the suspense. This is a real expression of her state: the physical discomfort of waiting has become worse than the physical discomfort of the journey.

NURSE Speaking

Jesu, what haste? Can you not stay a while? Do you not see that I am

out of breath?

Jesu, what haste? Can you not stay a while? Do you not see that I am out of breath?

jesu, what haste? can you not stay a while? do you not see that i am out of breath?

jesu, what haste? can you not stay a while? do you not see t

JULIET ≋ verse Speaking

How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath

To say to me that thou art out of breath?

The excuse that thou dost make in this delay

Is longer than the tale thou dost excuse.

Is thy news good or bad? Answer to that;

Say either, and I’ll stay the circumstance.

Let me be satisfied, is’t good or bad?

How are you out of breath, when you hast breath To say to me that you are out of breath? The excuse that you dost make in this delay Is longer than the tale you dost excuse. Is your news good or bad? Answer to that; Say either, and I’ll stay the circumstance. Let me be satisfied, is’t good or bad?

how are you out of breath, when you hast breath to...

how art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath to say to

Why it matters Juliet's comeback is perfect logic: she's right that the Nurse has enough breath to complain about being out of breath. This small argument is one of Shakespeare's great comic moments — and also a show of Juliet's sharp intelligence. She's thirteen years old and she's winning a rhetorical contest.

NURSE Speaking

Well, you have made a simple choice; you know not how to choose a man.

Romeo? No, not he. Though his face be better than any man’s, yet his

leg excels all men’s, and for a hand and a foot, and a body, though

they be not to be talked on, yet they are past compare. He is not the

flower of courtesy, but I’ll warrant him as gentle as a lamb. Go thy

ways, wench, serve God. What, have you dined at home?

Well, you have made a simple choice; you know not how to choose a man. Romeo? No, not he. Though his face be better than any man’s, yet his leg excels all men’s, and for a hand and a foot, and a body, yough they be not to be talked on, yet they are past compare. He is not the flower of courtesy, but I’ll warrant him as gentle as a lamb. Go your ways, wench, serve God. What, have you dined at home?

well, you have made a simple choice; you know not ...

well, you have made a simple choice; you know not how to cho

"" A basic or ordinary choice — but 'simple' also means foolish. The Nurse pretends to criticize while she's actually praising.

"" Too immodest to describe — and then the Nurse describes them anyway. Classic comic self-contradiction.

Why it matters The Nurse delays delivering the actual news by launching into an extended appreciation of Romeo's physical attributes — which is funny in itself, but also reveals her genuine approval. She's not stalling to be cruel; she genuinely enjoys talking about Romeo. And asking if Juliet has 'dined at home' is the Nurse instinctively mothering, even in the middle of the most consequential conversation of Juliet's life.

JULIET ≋ verse Speaking

No, no. But all this did I know before.

What says he of our marriage? What of that?

No, no. But all this did I know before. What says he of our marriage? What of that?

no, no. but all this did i know before. what says he of our marriage? what of that?

no, no. but all this did i know before. what says he of our

Why it matters Juliet's bare question — 'what says he of our marriage?' — is what the whole scene has been building to. Three hours of waiting reduced to seven words.

NURSE ≋ verse Despair; resignation

Lord, how my head aches! What a head have I!

It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces.

My back o’ t’other side,—O my back, my back!

Beshrew your heart for sending me about

To catch my death with jauncing up and down.

Lord, how my head aches! What a head have I! It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces. My back o’ t’other side,—O my back, my back! Beshrew your heare for sending me about To catch my death with jauncing up and down.

lord, how my head aches! what a head have i! it be...

lord, how my head aches! what a head have i! it beats as it

"" A mild imprecation — 'curse your heart for this.' Not genuinely angry, more theatrically put-upon.

"" Running about, trotting up and down — physical exertion.

JULIET ≋ verse Love; passion

I’faith, I am sorry that thou art not well.

Sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse, tell me, what says my love?

I’faith, I am sorry that you are not well. Sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse, tell me, what says my love?

i’faith, i am sorry that you are not well. sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me, what says my love?

i’faith, i am sorry that thou art not well. sweet, sweet, sw

Why it matters Juliet switches tactics: from logic to sympathy. The triple 'sweet' is deliberate flattery. She's managing the Nurse rather than confronting her, which is a small piece of social sophistication.

NURSE ≋ verse Love; passion

Your love says like an honest gentleman,

And a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome,

And I warrant a virtuous,—Where is your mother?

Your love says like an honest gentleman, And a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome, And I warrant a virtuous,—Whbefore is your mother?

your love says like an honest gentleman, and a cou...

your love says like an honest gentleman, and a courteous, an

Why it matters The Nurse builds to what sounds like the actual message and then swerves sideways to ask about Juliet's mother. It's a superb piece of comedy — the final delay before delivery. And the question 'where is your mother?' is practically the funniest possible pivot.

JULIET ≋ verse Love; passion

Where is my mother? Why, she is within.

Where should she be? How oddly thou repliest.

‘Your love says, like an honest gentleman,

‘Where is your mother?’

Whbefore is my mother? Why, she is within. Whbefore should she be? How oddly you repliest. ‘Your love says, like an honest gentleman, ‘Whbefore is your mother?’

whbefore is my mother? why, she is within. whbefor...

where is my mother? why, she is within. where should she be?

Why it matters Juliet's echo of the Nurse's speech — with incredulous emphasis on the final non sequitur — is the scene's comic peak. The audience gets the full joke as Juliet performs her confusion.

NURSE ≋ verse Speaking

O God’s lady dear,

Are you so hot? Marry, come up, I trow.

Is this the poultice for my aching bones?

Henceforward do your messages yourself.

O God’s lady dear, Are you so hot? Marry, come up, I trow. Is this the poultice for my aching bones? Henceforward do your messages yourself.

o god’s lady dear, are you so hot? marry, come up,...

o god’s lady dear, are you so hot? marry, come up, i trow. i

"" A warm medicinal paste applied to sore joints — the Nurse asks if this is her reward: Juliet's impatience as treatment for her aches.

JULIET Speaking

Here’s such a coil. Come, what says Romeo?

Hbefore’s such a coil. Come, what says Romeo?

hbefore’s such a coil. come, what says romeo?

here’s such a coil. come, what says romeo?

"" A fuss, a commotion — needless bother. Juliet deflates the whole performance in four words.

NURSE Speaking

Have you got leave to go to shrift today?

have you got leave to go to shrift today?

JULIET Speaking

I have.

i have.

NURSE ≋ verse Love; passion

Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’ cell;

There stays a husband to make you a wife.

Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks,

They’ll be in scarlet straight at any news.

Hie you to church. I must another way,

To fetch a ladder by the which your love

Must climb a bird’s nest soon when it is dark.

I am the drudge, and toil in your delight;

But you shall bear the burden soon at night.

Go. I’ll to dinner; hie you to the cell.

Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’ cell; Thbefore stays a husband to make you a wife. Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks, They’ll be in scarlet straight at any news. Hie you to church. I must another way, To fetch a ladder by the which your love Must climb a bird’s nest soon when it is dark. I am the drudge, and toil in your delight; But you shall bear the burden soon at night. Go. I’ll to dinner; hie you to the cell.

then hie you hence to friar lawrence’ cell; thbefo...

then hie you hence to friar lawrence’ cell; there stays a hu

"" Eager, freely moving blood — the blush of excitement. 'Wanton' means uninhibited, freely flowing.

"" A bird's nest = Juliet's bedroom window, high up. Romeo must climb to her as a bird returns to its nest.

"" The Nurse's euphemism for the wedding night — carrying the 'burden' of a husband in the physical sense. Characteristically bawdy.

Why it matters The Nurse delivers the news all at once, including the rope ladder logistics for tonight. Her final comment — 'you shall bear the burden soon at night' — is characteristically earthy, and her self-description as the 'drudge' who labors in Juliet's pleasure is half-complaint and half-genuine pride. She enjoys being indispensable.

JULIET Speaking

Hie to high fortune! Honest Nurse, farewell.

hie to high fortune! honest nurse, farewell.

Why it matters Juliet's exit line is perfect: she addresses fortune itself, not just the Nurse. 'High fortune' catches both the joy of the moment and the play's ongoing conversation with fate. She runs toward it with open arms.

[_Exeunt._]

The Reckoning

This is a comedy scene that earns its lightness honestly. Juliet's mounting impatience is absolutely real — she is waiting to learn if her entire future has been decided — and the Nurse's deliberate dawdling is both believable (she really is tired) and a kind of unconscious power move. The scene shows us something important about Juliet: she can wait, she can strategize, she can manage older people with charm and controlled frustration. She is already a more capable person than she seemed when we first met her in 1-3.

If this happened today…

You've sent a friend to ask someone out on your behalf and you're sitting at home watching the clock, checking your phone every thirty seconds. Then your friend comes in, collapses on the sofa, and starts complaining about traffic before you've even asked what happened. The friend is not wrong about the traffic. But the traffic is not what you want to talk about right now.

Continue to 2.6 →