Exploring the role of the Nurse and comedy in Act 2, Scene 4

Shakespeare presents the relationship between the Nurse and Juliet as a close relationship. Shakespeare implies that the Nurse is protective of Juliet and that Juliet in turn trusts the Nurse. Arguably, the Nurse’s use of malapropisms presents her as uneducated. Shakespeare’s use of bawdy humour might have been a way of appealing to the lower classes. Alternatively, Shakespeare’s use of bawdy humour might emphasise the youthfulness of the characters.