Final answer:
The Nurse in 'Romeo and Juliet' adds humor with her sexual jokes, notably when recalling her husband's quip about Juliet 'falling backward' when she's older, a euphemism for engaging in sexual activity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The character of the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet brings humor and earthiness to the play with her straightforward and sometimes ribald speech. An example of a sexual joke made by the Nurse occurs when she reminisces about Juliet falling down as a child. The Nurse says, 'And then my husband—God be with his soul, / A was a merry man—took up the child. / 'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face? / Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit; / Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my holidam, / The pretty wretch left crying, and said 'Ay.' (Act I, Scene III) Here, the Nurse's husband makes a joke about how Juliet will 'fall backward' when she's older—this is a veiled reference to losing her v irginity, as 'falling backward' was a colloquial way to speak about lying back for sexual intercourse. The Nurse's fond recounting of this story to Juliet and her mother suggests her comfort with such earthy humor and also provides insight into her relationship with Juliet, serving as a foil to Juliet's innocence.