The Nurse’s Monologue from Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 3: "Even or odd of all days in the year"

Synopsis

In this monologue, the Nurse reminisces about Juliet’s early childhood, reflecting on her own bond with Juliet and the loss of her own daughter, Susan. Her speech is full of earthy humour, tender memories, and sentimental reflections, revealing her role as Juliet’s caretaker and confidante. Through her rambling anecdotes, the Nurse’s character is established as affectionate, talkative, and deeply devoted to Juliet.

What’s just happened before this moment that’s relevant to the scene?

Lady Capulet summons Juliet to discuss the possibility of marriage to Paris. Before Juliet enters, the Nurse, with her characteristic loquaciousness, digresses into fond memories of Juliet’s childhood, highlighting the closeness of their relationship and the Nurse’s delight in recounting stories.

Original 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 high-lone; nay, by th’ 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,
’A 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 holidam,
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’."

Translation of Text into Contemporary Language

*"Odd or even days, on Lammas Eve she’ll be fourteen.
Susan and Juliet were the same age—
God bless Susan’s soul, she’s in heaven now.
She was too good for me. But like I said,
On Lammas Eve, Juliet will be fourteen.
Yes, I remember it well! It was the year of the earthquake,
Eleven years ago, when Juliet was weaned.
I’ll never forget that day.

I had put wormwood on my breast
And sat under the sun by the dovehouse wall.
My lord and you were away in Mantua.
I’m not forgetful, you know. But like I said,
When she tasted the bitter wormwood, poor little thing,
She got so fussy and pushed my breast away!
And then the dovehouse shook. I didn’t need telling twice to get moving!

Since then, eleven years have passed.
Back then, she could stand on her own. In fact,
She could run and waddle all around,
Even though the day before she hurt her head.
And my husband—God rest his soul, he was such a merry man—
Picked her up and joked:
‘Did you fall on your face?
You’ll fall on your back when you’re smarter, won’t you, Juliet?’
And I swear, the darling child stopped crying and said, ‘Yes.’

To think how a little joke sticks in the mind!
I bet if I lived a thousand years,
I’d never forget it. ‘Won’t you, Juliet?’ he said,
And the little fool stopped crying and said, ‘Yes.’"*

Meaning of Difficult or Unusual Words

Lammas Eve: The evening before Lammas Day (August 1), a harvest festival.
Wormwood: A bitter herb, often used as a weaning technique.
Dug: Breast.
Tetchy: Irritable.
Trow: Believe or think.
High-lone: Alone, unsupported.
By th’ rood: By the cross (an oath).
Stinted: Stopped.

Suggested New Thoughts Chunking / Paragraphing with Acting Notes

"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."
Acting Note: Open warmly but with a tinge of sadness as you mention Susan. Let the audience feel the Nurse’s motherly bond with both Susan and Juliet.
"But as I said, On Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen, That shall she, marry! I remember it well."
Acting Note: Shift to pride and nostalgia. The Nurse delights in remembering Juliet’s milestones, showcasing her deep affection.
"’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."
Acting Note: Use a storytelling tone here. The Nurse enjoys sharing personal details, as if recounting a favorite memory.
"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."
Acting Note: Add humor and liveliness. This image is earthy and comical, and the Nurse revels in the absurdity of the memory.
"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!"
Acting Note: Play up the humor and affection. The Nurse’s exaggeration adds a sense of charm and comedic timing.
"And then my husband – God be with his soul, ’A 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?’"
Acting Note: Infuse this section with warmth and fondness. The Nurse remembers her husband’s humor fondly and lovingly shares his joke with Juliet.
"And by my holidam, 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’."
Acting Note: End with a sense of satisfaction and amusement. The Nurse delights in retelling this moment, showing her love for storytelling and her joy in Juliet’s small milestones.

Journey Keypoints

Hook: The Nurse reminisces about Juliet’s upcoming birthday, setting a tone of warmth and nostalgia.
Turning Point: She recalls the loss of Susan, adding emotional depth.
Climax: The story of Juliet’s weaning and her husband’s joke brings the narrative to its most humorous and heartfelt point.
Resolution: The Nurse concludes with a mix of amusement and sentiment, reinforcing her maternal role in Juliet’s life.

Famous or Notable Actors Who Have Played the Role

Pat Heywood (1968 Film, directed by Franco Zeffirelli)
Miriam Margolyes (Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Film)
Celia Imrie (National Theatre, 2000)
Meera Syal (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2010)

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