In Act II, Scene v, of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet speaks in blank verse, but the Nurse's replies alternate between blank verse and prose. Which of the following statements identifies what is shown through this difference in speaking styles?

A. Prose speech indicates that the Nurse is of a lower social rank than Juliet.

B. Prose speech suggests that the Nurse is a more serious character than Juliet.

C. Prose speech shows the audience that the Nurse is more practical than Juliet.

D. Prose speech reminds the audience that the Nurse is considerably older than Juliet.

The answer is letter A, Prose indicates that the Nurse is of lower social rank than Juliet.

Explanation:

When it comes to Shakespeare's characters in his story, it is evident that his characters speak in different language techniques.

It is common for high-class characters to speak in verse style and for low-class characters to speak in prose style. This allows the audience to distinguish the social classes.

"Blank verse" is a kind of poetry that has unrhymed lines. This is the language style of Juliet and it tells much about her social status, being a daughter of a noble family. On the contrary the Nurse replies in alternate blank verse and prose because she tries to speak in the formal language of superior people, but cannot achieve it.

A "prose" is a common language style used by ordinary people. It doesn't have a rhyme or a metric scheme.