In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet,
you would need to pay close attention to the words of the Nurse in order to understand
who Susan is. Although the Nurse has been with Juliet since Juliet was a baby, the Nurse
also speaks of Susan, the daughter the Nurse lost when the child was very young. Susan
and Juliet were the same age. The Nurse recalls:
Susan and she (God rest all Christian souls!)
Were of an age. Well, Susan is with God;
She was too good for me.
(I.iii.22-24)
The Nurse
provides a long speech in Act One, scene three, where we learn not only that she had a
daughter named Susan who has died, but that the Nurse was Juliet's nursemaid,
breastfeeding her until the time came for her to be weaned. We can also understand from
reading between the lines that here is the basis for the Nurse's connection to Juliet,
and why she is so dedicated to her. In many ways, Juliet may have taken up a place in
the Nurse's heart when she lost her own daughter.
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