Nurse
Act Quotation Idea Analysis Device
Act 1 ‘my maidenhood’ Presents crude humour to the Linguistic
Scene 2 audience– she is swearing by her
virginity.
‘lamb’ ‘ladybird’ She uses terms of endearment, Linguistic
which present a contrast to Lady
Capulet’s ‘daughter’
‘she was wean’d’ She reminisces about Juliet’s Structural
childhood; she was a wet nurse so
in this quotation she is talking
about breastfeeding. Her long
speech is a structural device
because she speaks and knows
more about Juliet than her mother
(in contrast, her speech is formal
and short)
‘thou comest to age’ Shakespeare uses an innuendo to Linguistic
‘cockerel’s stone’ show her crude humour
‘enough of this’ She does not listen to instructions
(Lady Capulet) and carries on talking. Shows that
she has a lot to say.
‘prettiest babe’ Just like a mother.
‘such a man’ Contrast with Lady Capulet’s matter
of fact tone.
‘women grow by Humour The Nurse’s sense of humour is al
men’ Parallel sexual – parallel with Mercutio.
Act 2 ‘amphibious’ Nurse uses malapropisms to Linguistic
Scene 4 ‘I desire some represent how the lower class in Structural
confidence with you’ uneducated. Structural contrast
between the sophisticated punning
of Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio.
She is trying to make herself
grander by using them.
Shakespeare may be making a
political statement; by the upper
classes victimising her, he shows
what the social system was like.
Alternative interpretation; humour
for the audience.
‘I'll take him She is very angry by the taunting.
down’
‘suffer every knave to Humour Sexual innuendo of ‘weapon’. Structural
use me at his Punning. The use of humour is
pleasure?’ crude like the colliers (Gregory and
‘if I had, my weapon Sampson). Contrast with Mercutio
should quickly have and upper class.
been out’
Act Quotation Idea Analysis Device
Act 1 ‘my maidenhood’ Presents crude humour to the Linguistic
Scene 2 audience– she is swearing by her
virginity.
‘lamb’ ‘ladybird’ She uses terms of endearment, Linguistic
which present a contrast to Lady
Capulet’s ‘daughter’
‘she was wean’d’ She reminisces about Juliet’s Structural
childhood; she was a wet nurse so
in this quotation she is talking
about breastfeeding. Her long
speech is a structural device
because she speaks and knows
more about Juliet than her mother
(in contrast, her speech is formal
and short)
‘thou comest to age’ Shakespeare uses an innuendo to Linguistic
‘cockerel’s stone’ show her crude humour
‘enough of this’ She does not listen to instructions
(Lady Capulet) and carries on talking. Shows that
she has a lot to say.
‘prettiest babe’ Just like a mother.
‘such a man’ Contrast with Lady Capulet’s matter
of fact tone.
‘women grow by Humour The Nurse’s sense of humour is al
men’ Parallel sexual – parallel with Mercutio.
Act 2 ‘amphibious’ Nurse uses malapropisms to Linguistic
Scene 4 ‘I desire some represent how the lower class in Structural
confidence with you’ uneducated. Structural contrast
between the sophisticated punning
of Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio.
She is trying to make herself
grander by using them.
Shakespeare may be making a
political statement; by the upper
classes victimising her, he shows
what the social system was like.
Alternative interpretation; humour
for the audience.
‘I'll take him She is very angry by the taunting.
down’
‘suffer every knave to Humour Sexual innuendo of ‘weapon’. Structural
use me at his Punning. The use of humour is
pleasure?’ crude like the colliers (Gregory and
‘if I had, my weapon Sampson). Contrast with Mercutio
should quickly have and upper class.
been out’
