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"God save the mark"
Language
Act 3,
Scene 2
Lines 53-

An explanation of the phrase "God save the mark" in myShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 2.

The expression “God save the mark” was initially uttered by midwives when they delivered a baby with a prominent birthmark. These marks were thought to be a sign of the devil and a bad omen. The midwife was asking God to intervene on the child’s behalf. By Shakespeare’s time the expression was used to lessen the impact of any bad or offensive news, and that’s how the nurse is using it here.