Character in Romeo and Juliet
Nurse ♀ female
281Lines Spoken
1.3First Scene
4.5Last Scene
9.1%Of Play Dialogue
Nurse is the #4 largest role in Romeo and Juliet, speaking 281 lines (9.1% of the play) across 11 scenes from Act 1 through Act 4. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Nurse shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Nurse’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romeo | 612 | 19.9% |
| 2 | Juliet | 544 | 17.7% |
| 3 | Friar Laurence | 351 | 11.4% |
| 4 | Nurse (this role) | 281 | 9.1% |
| 5 | Capulet | 273 | 8.9% |
| 6 | Mercutio | 261 | 8.5% |
| 7 | Benvolio | 160 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Prince | 76 | 2.5% |
| 9 | Paris | 70 | 2.3% |
| 10 | Montague | 41 | 1.3% |
How Nurse’s dialogue distributes across the play
Nurse’s dramatic peak falls in Act 2 with 93 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 3): “Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve year old,”
Representative speech (Act 4, Scene 5): “Mistress! what, mistress! Juliet! fast, I warrant her, she:”
Who Nurse shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Juliet | 7 |
| Romeo | 5 |
| Lady Capulet | 5 |
| Capulet | 5 |
| Second Servant | 3 |
| First Servant | 2 |
| Benvolio | 2 |
| Servant | 2 |
| Peter | 2 |
| Friar Laurence | 2 |
Questions about Nurse
Is Nurse the lead role in Romeo and Juliet?
Nurse is ranked #4 by line count among 34 speaking characters in Romeo and Juliet — a major role carrying 9.1% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Nurse’s longest scene?
Act 1 Scene 3, where Nurse speaks 61 lines.
Who does Nurse speak to the most?
Nurse shares the most scenes with Juliet — 7 scenes together across Romeo and Juliet.