Romeo and Juliet - Nurse Ridiculous?

Romeo and Juliet – The Nurse

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet the minor but important character of The Nurse can often be viewed by the readers as ridiculous. However, more often than not we find ourselves sympathising with her in spite of this flaw in her character.
Our first impression of the Nurse comes when she is speaking with Juliet and Juliet’s Mother, Lady Capulet. From this scene we can clearly see many important sides of the Nurses’ character. Immediately we notice that when she is given the slightest opportunity, she continually speaks about anything she feels, whether or not it is related to the subject she was originally asked about or not. This garrulous nature inevitably means she annoys those who surround her, as Lady Capulet demonstrates:
“Enough of this. I pray thee hold thy peace”
Her over-the-top personality and constant talking about insignificant matters does make her seem ridiculous to the readers. Yet, we find ourselves sympathe...