Why does Juliet say that she wants to be alone and how does the nurse respond?

I believe that this question is asking about the relatively short scene 3 in act 4. The scene begins with Juliet telling the nurse to leave her alone.

Ay, those attires are best. But, gentle Nurse,
I pray thee, leave me to myself tonight,

Juliet says that she wants to be left alone because she has a lot of things to pray about.


For I have need of many orisons
To move the heavens to smile upon my state,
Which, well thou know’st, is cross and full of sin.



Juliet says that she has much to pray about because she has committed many sins; however, she would still like to receive blessings from "the heavens." At this point, Lady Capulet enters the scene. Lady Capulet wants to know if she can help in some way, and Juliet states again that she would like to be alone. Juliet then tells her mom to take the nurse with her for any help that the nurse might be able to lend to Lady Capulet. The two women leave and Juliet is left alone to talk about her potion. What is interesting about the nurse's reaction in this scene is that she is completely silent. The nurse doesn't have a single line of dialogue in this scene. Normally the nurse is constantly running her mouth with advice and dirty jokes. For her not to say anything is uncharacteristic, and it gives gravity to the scene. The nurse knows a great deal about Juliet's love for Romeo, and she knows that Juliet is in great emotional pain over the forced marriage that is soon to happen. The fact that the nurse doesn't say anything or crack a single joke helps give the scene a mood of impending doom. That works well for the scene since it ends with Juliet drinking the potion even while considering the fact that it might be real poison.


What if it be a poison, which the friar
Subtly hath ministered to have me dead,
Lest in this marriage he should be dishonored
Because he married me before to Romeo?