NURSE, approaching the bed

“Mistress! What, mistress! Juliet!—Fast, I warrant her, she—”

• Explanation: The Nurse tries to wake Juliet, calling her “mistress” (a respectful way to address a young noblewoman). She notices that Juliet is still asleep and assumes she is deeply asleep.
• Analysis: The Nurse’s words suggest familiarity and affection. She treats Juliet like a child, showing her close bond with her.
• Language Device: Repetition (“mistress!”)—emphasizes the urgency of waking Juliet.

“Why, lamb, why, lady! Fie, you slugabed!”

• Explanation: The Nurse uses affectionate names (“lamb” and “lady”) and playfully scolds Juliet for being lazy (“slugabed” means someone who stays in bed too long).
• Analysis: The Nurse treats Juliet with motherly care and humor. She does not yet realize that Juliet is not simply sleeping.
• Language Device: Metaphor (“lamb”)—suggests Juliet is gentle and innocent.

“Why, love, I say! Madam! Sweetheart! Why, bride!—”

• Explanation: The Nurse keeps calling Juliet by different names, trying to wake her up. She even calls her “bride” because Juliet is supposed to marry Paris that day.
• Analysis: The repeated attempts to wake Juliet show the Nurse’s rising panic.
• Language Device: Repetition—highlights the Nurse’s growing worry.

“What, not a word?—You take your pennyworths now.”

• Explanation: The Nurse comments that Juliet is sleeping too much, as if she is making up for lost sleep.
• Analysis: This is an ironic statement because the audience knows Juliet is not simply sleeping—she has taken the potion to appear dead.
• Language Device: Dramatic irony—the audience knows more than the Nurse.

“Sleep for a week, for the next night, I warrant, The County Paris hath set up his rest That you shall rest but little.”

• Explanation: The Nurse jokes that Juliet should enjoy her sleep now because Paris will keep her up after they are married.
• Analysis: This line is meant to be humorous, but it adds to the tragedy since Juliet has no intention of marrying Paris.
• Language Device: Irony—Juliet is not going to wake up soon.

“God forgive me, Marry, and amen! How sound is she asleep!”

• Explanation: The Nurse realizes Juliet is in a deep sleep and makes a quick prayer.
• Analysis: She still does not realize something is wrong, which builds suspense.

“I needs must wake her.—Madam, madam, madam!”

• Explanation: The Nurse decides to wake Juliet herself and calls out urgently.
• Analysis: The repetition of “madam” shows her increasing desperation.

“Ay, let the County take you in your bed, He’ll fright you up, i’ faith.—Will it not be?”

• Explanation: The Nurse jokes that if Juliet does not wake up, Paris will have to wake her himself.
• Analysis: This is a darkly ironic statement because Juliet is in a deathlike sleep.
• Language Device: Irony—Juliet will not wake up for Paris or anyone.

“She opens the bed’s curtains. What, dressed, and in your clothes, and down again?”

• Explanation: The Nurse is surprised that Juliet is already dressed but lying down again.
• Analysis: This shows that Juliet was prepared for her “death.”

“I must needs wake you. Lady, lady, lady!— Alas, alas! Help, help! My lady’s dead.—”

• Explanation: The Nurse realizes something is wrong and starts calling for help.
• Analysis: This is the turning point—what started as a lighthearted moment turns tragic.
• Language Device: Repetition—”lady” and “help” emphasize panic.

“O, weraday, that ever I was born!—”

• Explanation: “Weraday” means “woe is me”—the Nurse is devastated.
• Analysis: The Nurse has been a mother figure to Juliet, so her grief is deep and personal.

“Some aqua vitae, ho!—My lord! My lady!”

• Explanation: The Nurse calls for “aqua vitae” (strong alcohol) to calm herself and calls for Juliet’s parents.
• Analysis: Her request for alcohol shows her distress—she needs strength to process the shock.

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Lady Capulet Enters

LADY CAPULET: “What noise is here?”

• Explanation: Lady Capulet hears the Nurse’s screams and asks what is happening.
• Analysis: She is unaware of the tragedy unfolding.

NURSE: “O lamentable day!”

• Explanation: The Nurse exclaims that this is a terrible day.
• Analysis: The word “lamentable” means sorrowful—this is the start of public mourning.

LADY CAPULET: “What is the matter?”

• Explanation: Lady Capulet asks again, growing concerned.
• Analysis: The repetition of questions shows her rising anxiety.

NURSE: “Look, look!—O heavy day!”

• Explanation: The Nurse urges Lady Capulet to look at Juliet’s “dead” body.
• Analysis: The phrase “heavy day” emphasizes grief.

LADY CAPULET: “O me! O me! My child, my only life, Revive, look up, or I will die with thee.”

• Explanation: Lady Capulet is devastated. She begs Juliet to wake up, saying she cannot live without her.
• Analysis: Juliet is her only child, making her loss even more painful.
• Language Device: Hyperbole—she claims she will die from grief.

“Help, help! Call help.”

• Explanation: Lady Capulet calls for assistance.
• Analysis: The urgency builds tension, but the audience knows Juliet is not really dead.

CAPULET

“For shame, bring Juliet forth. Her lord is come.”

• Capulet is impatiently telling the Nurse to bring Juliet out because Paris (her “lord,” meaning future husband) has arrived.
• He expects Juliet to be ready for marriage, showing how much he prioritizes the wedding over her feelings.
• The phrase “For shame” suggests urgency and mild frustration.

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NURSE

“She’s dead, deceased. She’s dead, alack the day!”

• The Nurse responds in shock, repeating that Juliet is dead.
• Repetition (“She’s dead, deceased. She’s dead”) emphasizes her disbelief and grief.
• “Alack the day!” is an exclamation of sorrow, meaning “What a terrible day!”

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LADY CAPULET

“Alack the day, she’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead.”

• Juliet’s mother echoes the Nurse’s words, repeating “she’s dead” three times.
• This repetition makes her grief seem overwhelming, as if she can’t believe or process the news.

---

CAPULET

“Ha, let me see her! Out, alas, she’s cold.”

• Capulet demands to see Juliet for himself, showing disbelief.
• “Out, alas” is an exclamation of distress.
• “She’s cold” emphasizes that she has no warmth or life left in her body.

---

“Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff.”

• He notices the physical signs of death: blood no longer flowing and stiff joints (rigor mortis).
• This shows that he’s realizing she has been dead for some time.

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“Life and these lips have long been separated.”

• Capulet poetically states that Juliet’s life and her lips (a symbol of warmth and speech) have been apart for a while.
• This suggests that death has completely taken her.

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“Death lies on her like an untimely frost”

• A metaphor comparing Juliet’s death to an “untimely frost” (a frost that comes too early and destroys crops).
• This suggests that her death is unnatural, sudden, and unfair, just like a frost that ruins a young flower.

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“Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.”

• Another metaphor comparing Juliet to a flower, which reinforces her innocence, beauty, and youth.
• It highlights how tragic it is for someone so young to die.

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NURSE

“O lamentable day!”

• “Lamentable” means full of sorrow.
• She is mourning the loss of Juliet, overwhelmed with grief.

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LADY CAPULET

“O woeful time!”

• “Woeful” means full of sadness.
• She expresses how tragic this moment is, echoing the Nurse’s grief.

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CAPULET

“Death, that hath ta’en her hence to make me wail,”

• Capulet personifies Death as if it is a cruel being that has taken Juliet away just to make him suffer.
• “Ta’en her hence” means “taken her away.”

---

“Ties up my tongue and will not let me speak.”

• He is so heartbroken that he feels unable to express his grief in words.
• This is ironic because he has been very vocal in past scenes, especially when angry. Now, in deep sorrow, he is at a loss for words.

---

Enter Friar Lawrence and County Paris, with Musicians

• Friar Lawrence, who knows that Juliet is not actually dead, arrives at the scene.
• Paris, who was expecting to marry Juliet, also arrives, unaware of the truth.
• The presence of musicians reminds us that this was supposed to be a day of celebration, but it has now turned into a day of mourning—highlighting dramatic irony.

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FRIAR LAWRENCE

“Come, is the bride ready to go to church?”

• The Friar arrives, expecting to see Juliet prepared for her wedding.
• This is dramatic irony because the audience knows she is in a deathlike sleep, but the Friar is pretending not to know.
• His words are neutral, but soon, they will take on a much darker meaning.

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CAPULET

“Ready to go, but never to return.—”

• Capulet twists the meaning of the Friar’s words: instead of going to church for marriage, Juliet will be taken there for her funeral.
• The phrase “never to return” emphasizes the permanence of death.

---

“O son, the night before thy wedding day
Hath Death lain with thy wife.”

• Capulet speaks to Paris as if he were his son-in-law, reinforcing that Juliet was supposed to marry him.
• “Hath Death lain with thy wife” is a metaphor—Capulet imagines that Death has taken Juliet as its own bride instead of Paris.
• The phrase “lain with” has a double meaning, suggesting both marriage and consummation, making this line even more unsettling.

---

“There she lies,
Flower as she was, deflowerèd by him.”

• Juliet is compared to a flower, reinforcing her innocence and beauty.
• “Deflowered” is a pun—it means both “stripped of her beauty” and “robbed of her virginity,” playing on the idea of marriage and death being intertwined.

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“Death is my son-in-law; Death is my heir.”

• Capulet personifies Death, treating it as if it were a person who has married Juliet and taken over the family.
• This shows that he sees Juliet’s death as the ultimate betrayal and tragedy.
• “Heir” suggests that instead of passing down his wealth and name to a son-in-law, everything now belongs to Death.

---

“My daughter he hath wedded. I will die
And leave him all. Life, living, all is Death’s.”

• Capulet exaggerates his sorrow by saying that Death now owns everything in his life.
• The repetition of “Death” emphasizes his despair.
• The contrast between “Life, living, all” and “Death’s” highlights how he feels that life itself has been overtaken by death.

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PARIS

“Have I thought long to see this morning’s face,
And doth it give me such a sight as this?”

• Paris had been eagerly waiting for this morning, expecting his wedding.
• Instead, he is faced with Juliet’s “dead” body, which is the opposite of what he hoped for.
• The contrast between expectation and reality deepens the tragedy.

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LADY CAPULET

“Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful day!”

• List of adjectives—”Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful”—builds intensity, showing Lady Capulet’s deep sorrow.
• She blames the day itself for bringing such tragedy.

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“Most miserable hour that e’er time saw
In lasting labor of his pilgrimage!”

• She calls this the worst moment in time’s history.
• “Time’s pilgrimage” is a metaphor comparing time to a traveler on a long journey, as if it has been moving toward this tragic event.

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“But one, poor one, one poor and loving child,”

• The repetition of “one” emphasizes how Juliet was her only child, making the loss even more painful.
• “Poor one” highlights Juliet’s innocence and undeserved fate.

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“But one thing to rejoice and solace in,
And cruel death hath catched it from my sight!”

• Lady Capulet says Juliet was the only source of happiness in her life.
• “Cruel death hath catched it” personifies death, as if it snatched Juliet away.
• The contrast between joy and cruelty makes death seem even more merciless.

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NURSE

“O woe, O woeful, woeful, woeful day!”

• The repetition of “woeful” exaggerates her sadness, showing she can barely express her grief in words.

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“Most lamentable day, most woeful day
That ever, ever I did yet behold!”

• She calls this the worst day she has ever seen.
• The superlative “most woeful” highlights that nothing could be sadder than this moment.

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“O day, O day, O day, O hateful day!”

• The repetition of “day” makes it seem as if she is overwhelmed and unable to fully process the moment.
• “Hateful day” suggests that the entire day itself feels cursed and unbearable.

---

“Never was seen so black a day as this!
O woeful day, O woeful day!”

• “Black a day” is a metaphor for sadness and grief, as black represents mourning.
• Again, the repetition of “woeful day” shows the depth of her sorrow.

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PARIS

“Beguiled, divorcèd, wrongèd, spited, slain!”

“Slain” – He feels as if he has been emotionally killed by this tragedy.

List of verbs—Paris expresses his emotions through strong, dramatic words.

“Beguiled” (deceived) – He feels tricked because he expected marriage but got death.

“Divorcèd” – His marriage was taken away before it happened.

“Wrongèd” – He feels cheated out of love.

“Spited” – He believes fate has acted against him.

FRIAR LAWRENCE

“Come, is the bride ready to go to church?”

• The Friar enters, asking if Juliet is prepared for her wedding. This question is ironic because he knows Juliet is not actually dead, but the other characters believe she is.

CAPULET

“Ready to go, but never to return.”

• Capulet means that Juliet is ready to be taken to the church, but not for her wedding—she will never come back alive. This contrast between expectation (a wedding) and reality (a funeral) creates dramatic irony.

“O son, the night before thy wedding day / Hath Death lain with thy wife.”

• Capulet speaks to Paris, saying that “Death” has taken Juliet before he could. “Death” is personified as a husband who has “lain” with Juliet, meaning he has taken her as his own.

“Flower as she was, deflowerèd by him.”

• Juliet, described as a delicate flower, has been “deflowered” (a term that usually refers to the loss of virginity) by Death instead of Paris. This metaphor makes death seem like a cruel violation.

“Death is my son-in-law; Death is my heir.”

• Capulet extends the personification of Death, saying that since Juliet has “married” Death, he now considers Death his family. Instead of Paris inheriting Juliet, Death has taken everything.

“My daughter he hath wedded. I will die / And leave him all. Life, living, all is Death’s.”

• Capulet claims that Death has taken everything from him, emphasizing his grief. The repetition of “Death” highlights his despair.

---

PARIS

“Have I thought long to see this morning’s face, / And doth it give me such a sight as this?”

• Paris expresses his heartbreak. He has been excited to see Juliet on their wedding morning, but instead, he finds her lifeless.

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LADY CAPULET

“Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful day! / Most miserable hour that e’er time saw / In lasting labor of his pilgrimage!”

• Lady Capulet curses the day, saying it is the worst moment in time. She uses strong negative adjectives (“accursed, unhappy, wretched”) to express her grief.

“But one, poor one, one poor and loving child, / But one thing to rejoice and solace in, / And cruel death hath catched it from my sight!”

• She emphasizes that Juliet was her only child, repeating “one” to show how much she meant to her. “Cruel death” is personified again as something that has stolen Juliet.

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NURSE

“O woe, O woeful, woeful, woeful day! / Most lamentable day, most woeful day / That ever, ever I did yet behold!”

• The Nurse repeats “woe” and “woeful” many times to emphasize her extreme grief.

“O day, O day, O day, O hateful day! / Never was seen so black a day as this! / O woeful day, O woeful day!”

• The excessive repetition and exclamations show her deep sorrow. The phrase “black a day” metaphorically describes it as the darkest day of her life.

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PARIS

“Beguiled, divorcèd, wrongèd, spited, slain!”

• Paris lists out how he feels: deceived (“beguiled”), separated from his love (“divorced”), mistreated (“wronged”), disrespected (“spited”), and emotionally killed (“slain”). This is an example of asyndeton, where conjunctions are omitted for dramatic effect.

“Most detestable death, by thee beguiled, / By cruel, cruel thee quite overthrown!”

• Paris directly blames Death, calling it “detestable” and “cruel.” “Beguiled” means tricked—he feels deceived by fate.

“O love! O life! Not life, but love in death!”

• He laments that life without love is meaningless. The paradox (“Not life, but love in death”) suggests that Juliet’s love exists beyond life.

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CAPULET

“Despised, distressèd, hated, martyred, killed!”

• Another list of intense emotions, showing Capulet’s overwhelming pain.

“Uncomfortable time, why cam’st thou now / To murder, murder our solemnity?”

• Capulet personifies “time” as something that has disrupted the wedding and turned it into a tragedy.

“O child! O child! My soul and not my child! / Dead art thou! Alack, my child is dead, / And with my child my joys are burièd.”

• Repetition of “O child!” and “my child” emphasizes his grief. The phrase “my soul and not my child” suggests that he sees Juliet as part of himself.

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FRIAR LAWRENCE

“Peace, ho, for shame! Confusion’s cure lives not / In these confusions.”

• The Friar tells them to calm down, saying that mourning won’t change anything.

“Heaven and yourself / Had part in this fair maid. Now heaven hath all, / And all the better is it for the maid.”

• He reminds them that Juliet was a gift from God, and now she belongs to Heaven. This is meant to comfort them, but it might seem insensitive in their grief.

“She’s not well married that lives married long, / But she’s best married that dies married young.”

• The Friar suggests that a short life with love is better than a long life without it. This ironic statement foreshadows how Juliet will truly die for love.

“Dry up your tears, and stick your rosemary / On this fair corse, and, as the custom is, / And in her best array, bear her to church,”

• Rosemary was used both for weddings and funerals. The Friar tells them to prepare her body for burial instead of mourning endlessly.

“Yet nature’s tears are reason’s merriment.”

• He suggests that natural grief should be balanced with rational thinking, implying that excessive mourning is unreasonable.

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CAPULET

“All things that we ordainèd festival / Turn from their office to black funeral.”

• Capulet acknowledges that everything they prepared for the wedding must now be used for a funeral.

“Our instruments to melancholy bells, / Our wedding cheer to a sad burial feast, / Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change.”

• This contrast between wedding and funeral imagery is juxtaposition—Capulet highlights how joy has turned into sorrow.

Capulet: “Our bridal flowers serve for a buried corse, And all things change them to the contrary.”

• Explanation: Capulet mourns the tragic reversal of events. The flowers that were meant to decorate Juliet’s wedding are now used for her funeral. Everything that was supposed to bring joy has turned into sorrow.
• Analysis:
  • This contrast highlights the theme of fate and misfortune—what should have been a happy occasion is now a tragedy.
  • The phrase “all things change them to the contrary” shows how quickly fortune can reverse.
  • The imagery of flowers emphasizes Juliet’s youth and beauty, now wasted in death.

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Friar Lawrence: “Sir, go you in, and, madam, go with him, And go, Sir Paris. Everyone prepare To follow this fair corse unto her grave.”

• Explanation: Friar Lawrence tells Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Paris to go inside and make preparations for Juliet’s funeral.
• Analysis:
  • The word choice—”fair corse” (beautiful corpse)—reinforces the tragedy of Juliet’s untimely death.
  • The Friar, who knows Juliet is not really dead, tries to control the situation while keeping his secret.

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“The heavens do lour upon you for some ill. Move them no more by crossing their high will.”

• Explanation: The Friar suggests that fate or divine punishment has caused this misfortune, and the family should not resist it.
• Analysis:
  • Personification of “heavens”: He makes the heavens seem like an active force, punishing them for their actions.
  • Fate and divine will: This reflects the Elizabethan belief that fate controls human destiny.
  • Dramatic irony: The audience knows that Juliet is alive, making this statement seem misleading.

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First Musician: “Faith, we may put up our pipes and be gone.”

• Explanation: The musicians, who were hired to play for the wedding, now realize their job is over. They decide to leave.
• Analysis:
  • Contrast between tragedy and practicality: While the family mourns, the musicians think about their own situation.
  • This abrupt shift creates a jarring tone, moving from deep grief to mundane concerns.

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Nurse: “Honest good fellows, ah, put up, put up, For, well you know, this is a pitiful case.”

• Explanation: The Nurse tells the musicians to pack up their instruments because the situation is tragic.
• Analysis:
  • The repetition of “put up” emphasizes her urgency and sadness.
  • Calling the musicians “honest good fellows” softens the tone, showing her usual warm nature despite her grief.

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First Musician: “Ay, by my troth, the case may be amended.”

• Explanation: The musician agrees, implying that things might improve later.
• Analysis:
  • Understatement: The musician speaks lightly about a tragic event, contrasting with the family’s grief.
  • Dark humor: He treats the situation as something that can be fixed, when in reality, Juliet is “dead.”

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Comic Relief Section: Peter and the Musicians

After the intense sorrow, Peter (Capulet’s servant) has a humorous exchange with the musicians. This serves as comic relief, a technique Shakespeare often used to ease tension in tragic moments.

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Peter: “Musicians, O musicians, ‘Heart’s ease,’ ‘Heart’s ease.’ O, an you will have me live, play ‘Heart’s ease.’”

• Explanation: Peter asks the musicians to play a song called Heart’s Ease, implying that music might comfort him.
• Analysis:
  • Dramatic contrast: Everyone else is mourning Juliet, but Peter is focused on music, creating an awkwardly humorous moment.
  • Irony: He wants a song to ease his heart, but the situation is deeply tragic.

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First Musician: “Why ‘Heart’s ease?’”

• Explanation: The musician asks why Peter wants this specific song.

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Peter: “O musicians, because my heart itself plays ‘My heart is full.’ O, play me some merry dump to comfort me.”

• Explanation: Peter says that his heart is heavy with grief, so he wants a merry dump (a sad tune that paradoxically might lift his spirits).
• Analysis:
  • Wordplay: “My heart itself plays ‘My heart is full’” is a metaphor—he compares his sorrow to music.
  • Oxymoron: “Merry dump” is contradictory—he wants both a happy and a sad tune.

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First Musician: “Not a dump, we. ’Tis no time to play now.”

• Explanation: The musician refuses, saying this is not the right time for music.

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Peter: “You will not then?”

• Explanation: Peter checks if they are refusing to play.

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First Musician: “No.”

• Explanation: The musician confirms their refusal.

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Peter: “I will then give it you soundly.”

• Explanation: Peter threatens them, saying he will give them something harsh.
• Analysis:
  • Double meaning: He implies he will either insult them or physically attack them.

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First Musician: “What will you give us?”

• Explanation: The musician asks what Peter means.

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Peter: “No money, on my faith, but the gleek. I will give you the minstrel.”

• Explanation: Peter says he won’t give them money but will give them “the gleek”, meaning a sarcastic insult. Calling them “minstrel” was an insult in Shakespeare’s time.

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First Musician: “Then will I give you the serving-creature.”

• Explanation: The musician jokingly insults Peter back, calling him a servant, which was a low-status position.
• Analysis:
  • Verbal sparring: Peter and the musician engage in playful banter, which adds humor to the scene.
  • Social hierarchy: The musicians and servants occupy a lower status in society, but they still assert themselves through wit.

Peter: “Then will I lay the serving-creature’s dagger on your pate. I will carry no crochets. I’ll re you, I’ll fa you. Do you note me?”

• Meaning: Peter, a servant, threatens to hit the musician on the head with a dagger if they don’t play music. He plays on musical terminology, saying, “I’ll re you, I’ll fa you,” referring to musical notes (“re” and “fa” from the solfège scale). “Do you note me?” is a pun—he’s asking if they understand him, but also referring to musical notes.
• Technique: Wordplay and Pun—Peter uses musical jargon humorously to sound intimidating.

First Musician: “An you re us and fa us, you note us.”

• Meaning: The musician plays along with Peter’s pun, responding with a witty comeback: “If you ‘re’ us and ‘fa’ us, you are noting us,” meaning both paying attention to them and using musical notes.
• Technique: Pun—The musician humorously twists Peter’s words.

Second Musician: “Pray you, put up your dagger and put out your wit.”

• Meaning: The musician asks Peter to put away his dagger and stop trying to be witty.
• Technique: Parallel structure—”put up” (dagger) and “put out” (wit) create balance in the sentence.

Peter: “Then have at you with my wit. I will dry-beat you with an iron wit, and put up my iron dagger. Answer me like men.”

• Meaning: Peter declares he will “beat” them with his sharp wit instead of a weapon. “Iron wit” is a metaphor suggesting that his words will be as strong as a sword.
• Technique: Metaphor—Comparing wit to a weapon.

Peter Sings:

“When griping griefs the heart doth wound
And doleful dumps the mind oppress,
Then music with her silver sound—”

• Meaning: Peter quotes a melancholic song, implying that music soothes sadness. “Silver sound” is a poetic way of describing music.
• Technique: Alliteration (“silver sound”), Imagery (music as a comforting force).

Peter: “Why ‘silver sound’? Why ‘music with her silver sound’? What say you, Simon Catling?”

• Meaning: Peter asks why music is described as having a “silver sound.” He calls on Simon Catling, whose name is a joke (“catling” is a type of string for musical instruments, often made from catgut).
• Technique: Wordplay—Peter teases the musicians by calling them names related to their profession.

First Musician: “Marry, sir, because silver hath a sweet sound.”

• Meaning: The musician responds that silver has a pleasant sound, reinforcing the idea of music’s soothing effect.
• Technique: Metaphor—Comparing the sound of music to the sweetness of silver.

Peter: “Prates.—What say you, Hugh Rebeck?”

• Meaning: Peter dismisses the first musician’s answer as chatter (“prates”) and asks another musician. “Rebeck” refers to a type of stringed instrument, another pun.
• Technique: Pun—Using musicians’ names as wordplay.

Second Musician: “I say ‘silver sound’ because musicians sound for silver.”

• Meaning: The musician jokes that “silver sound” means musicians play for money (silver coins).
• Technique: Pun—”Sound for silver” has a double meaning: music produces sound, and musicians play for payment.

Peter: “Prates too.—What say you, James Soundpost?”

• Meaning: Peter again dismisses the answer as nonsense and asks another musician. “Soundpost” is a part of a stringed instrument, another pun on a musician’s name.
• Technique: Wordplay—Mocking musicians with names related to instruments.

Third Musician: “Faith, I know not what to say.”

• Meaning: This musician is at a loss for words.
• Technique: Irony—Unlike the others, he doesn’t attempt to give a witty answer.

Peter: “O, I cry you mercy. You are the singer. I will say for you. It is ‘music with her silver sound’ because musicians have no gold for sounding.”

• Meaning: Peter sarcastically suggests that music is described as having a “silver sound” because musicians are too poor to have gold.
• Technique: Satire—Peter mocks musicians’ low social status.

First Musician: “What a pestilent knave is this same!”

• Meaning: The musician calls Peter an annoying troublemaker.
• Technique: Characterization—Shows the musicians’ frustration.

Second Musician: “Hang him, Jack. Come, we’ll in here, tarry for the mourners, and stay dinner.”

• Meaning: The musicians decide to wait inside for the mourners and stay for dinner, prioritizing food over their grief.
• Technique: Dark Comedy—The musicians quickly shift focus from mourning to eating.