Romeo & Juliet, with its focus on a heterosexual romantic relationship and its inclusion of a female protagonist, readily lends itself to feminist critique. Traditional gender roles are imposed on both women and men in the play, which causes all the characters to suffer as the oppression of women and the perpetuation of toxic, stereotypical masculinity lead[s] them to emotional pain and often poor decisions” (Buford, 2018: 54).

From this observation name how did traditional gender roles affect the nurse

1 answer

Traditional gender roles affected the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet by restricting her to a subservient role as a caregiver and confidante to Juliet. Despite being a wise and experienced woman, the Nurse's opinions and ideas are often marginalized by patriarchal authority figures like Capulet, who treat her as a lower-class servant. Additionally, the Nurse's adherence to traditional gender norms of femininity, nurturance, and loyalty to her family and social station puts her in a position of moral conflict when it comes to Juliet's romantic desires and aspirations. Ultimately, the Nurse is caught between her duty to protect Juliet and her deference to the patriarchal and class-bound values of society, which leads to tragic consequences.