The Nurse As A Sympathetic Character In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Virtually everyone in the world has seen or experienced some type of injustice as a result of race, gender, or social status. But how do we advocate for these wrongdoings? Is it through some form of direct protest, or something more covert, like a piece of writing? In William Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare urges readers to take on his perspectives through his use of Juliet’s nurse. Within Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare utilizes his portrayal of the nurse as a mainly unsympathetic character to reflect his commentary on the patriarchy and rigid social structure of Elizabethan time.

Initially, Shakespeare uses the nurse to connect with the audience by instilling a sense of sympathy through his depiction of her as

In an early plot detail of the play, Shakespeare reveals through the nurse’s conversation with Juliet that “Susan and [Juliet] were of an age” (Shakespeare I.iii. 19-20). It is disclosed to readers in one of the earliest scenes of the play that the nurse had a daughter of her own. As we soon learn, however, the nurse’s biological daughter passed away at an age far too young, and in combination with the death of her husband as well, the nurse had come to be Juliet's wet nurse and caretaker. His apolegetic tone towards the nurse is instantly reflected onto readers as they are inclined to feel a sense of pity and compassion towards the nurse. Despite losing two loved ones, of one being her own child, she still treats Juliet as her own family, a quality that is admirable on part of many. Through his pitiful tone towards the nurse, we are able to feel a sense of connection towards the nurse as we may relate to the nurse in terms of losing a loved one. The nurse’s sympathetic qualities are further shown through her experiences throughout the play, one of the most prominent

His portrayal of her outspoken, bawdy personality as well as her involvement in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet layers a sense of hatred and confusion towards her in contrast to her sympathetic depiction as a result of her background and ill-treatment. The nurse’s improper remarks are exemplified through a sexual innuendo when she is rousing Juliet the morning of her wedding, stating that Juliet is trying to sleep now due to the fact that Paris would not allow her to sleep much following the wedding (Shakespeare IV.v. 4-7). After creating the impression of the nurse towards readers as such a kindhearted woman, Shakespeare portrays the nurse as a vastly different character than what would be expected of her having known her background and social status. She is making a rude and offhand sexual comment regarding the relations between Juliet and Paris, and it is here that as readers, we begin to feel a sense of darkness coming from the nurse in contrast to her supposed innocent self. Her words and actions create a sense of confusion within readers as something just does not line up between what the nurse has experienced and how she acts, playing a key role in her character development throughout the play. We evidently cannot understand her and how her personality intertwines with