Romeo and Juliet, Act IV, Scene 5

Romeo and Juliet
Act IV, Scene 5

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Juliet's chamber.
Enter Nurse
NURSE
Mistress! what, mistress!
Juliet! fast, I warrant her, she--
Why, lamb! why, lady! fie, you slug-a-bed!
Why, love, I say! madam! sweet-heart! why, bride!
What, not a word?

Upstairs, the Nurse tries to awaken Juliet. The sleepy little thing seems unusually drowsy, and slow to rise.

You take your pennyworths now;
Sleep for a week; for the next night, I warrant,
The County Paris hath set up his rest,
That you shall rest but little. God forgive me,
Marry, and amen, how sound is she asleep!
I must needs wake her. Madam, madam, madam!
Ay, let the county take you in your bed;
He'll fright you up, i' faith. Will it not be?

The Nurse says that Juliet had better get her rest now, since she will not get much sleep after the two of them are married. This wisecrack is often used by many scholars to demonstrate the Nurse's "earthy" nature. The reality, of course, is that the Nurse has a dirty mind.

Undraws the curtains
What, dress'd! and in your clothes! and down again!
I must needs wake you; Lady! lady! lady!
The Nurse "undraws" the curtains. She pulls out her best eraser.

Alas, alas! Help, help! my lady's dead!
O, well-a-day, that ever I was born!
After some verbal attempts, and a few good shakes, the Nurse finally realizes that something is wrong with this picture. The girl will not wake up. The Nurse thinks Juliet is dead, of course, and she begins to weep and wail.

Some aqua vitae, ho! My lord! my lady!

The Nurse yells for some "aqua vitae." Your textbook will foootnote this as "water of life." Don't be fooled. She wants a good, stiff drink.

Enter LADY CAPULET
LADY CAPULET
What noise is here?

NURSE
O lamentable day!

LADY CAPULET
What is the matter?

NURSE
Look, look! O heavy day!

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

The Nurse's "weeping and wailing" causes everyone to parade into the bedroom, to join in the fun.
First comes Lady Capulet, who is obviously upset.

Help, help! Call help.
[Editor's note: The people of Shakespeare's time had not yet invented "911."]

Enter CAPULET
CAPULET
For shame, bring Juliet forth; her lord is come.

NURSE
She's dead, deceased, she's dead; alack the day!

The next person to enter the room is Capulet.

LADY CAPULET
Alack the day, she's dead, she's dead, she's dead!

CAPULET
Ha! let me see her: out, alas! she's cold:
Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff;
Life and these lips have long been separated:

"Alack the day," says Lady Capulet. "She's dead, she's dead, she's dead!" She is suddenly seized with a bad case of "repetitionitis."

Death lies on her like an untimely frost
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.

NURSE
O lamentable day!

LADY CAPULET
O woeful time!

Famous Lines Department: Capulet's speech about an "untimely frost" has become a very well known piece of poetry.

CAPULET
Death, that hath ta'en her hence to make me wail,
Ties up my tongue, and will not let me speak.
Capulet claims that his daughter's death has left him speechless. This is known as hyperbole. Hyperbole is a literary term that scholars use when they really mean "he is telling a lie."

Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE and PARIS,
with Musicians
Friar Lawrence enters, along with Paris, and a few musicians.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
Come, is the bride ready to go to church?

CAPULET
Ready to go, but never to return.

How the Friar can keep a straight face at this point is a complete mystery.

[To Paris.]
O son! the night before thy wedding-day
Hath Death lain with thy wife. There she lies,
Flower as she was, deflowered by him.
Death is my son-in-law, Death is my heir;
My daughter he hath wedded: I will die,
And leave him all; life, living, all is Death's.

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

LADY CAPULET
Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful day!
Most miserable hour that e'er time saw
In lasting labour of his pilgrimage!
But one, poor one, one poor and loving child,
But one thing to rejoice and solace in,
And cruel death hath catch'd it from my sight!

Capulet uses a metaphor here. He says that "death" has laid with Juliet. He says that "Death" has deflowered the girl. It has stolen her virginity. This is some of Shakespeare's more powerful language. It may also win the award in the "poor taste" category.

NURSE
O woe! O woeful, woeful, woeful day!
Most lamentable day, most woeful day,
That ever, ever, I did yet behold!
O day! O day! O day! O hateful day!
Never was seen so black a day as this:
O woeful day, O woeful day!

PARIS
Beguiled, divorced, wronged, spited, slain!
Most detestable death, by thee beguil'd,
By cruel cruel thee quite overthrown!
O love! O life! not life, but love in death!

CAPULET
Despised, distressed, hated, martyr'd, kill'd!
Uncomfortable time, why camest thou now
To murder, murder our solemnity?
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 buried.

Either the Nurse is feeling some very strong emotions, or the "aqua vitae" has finally kicked in.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
Peace, ho, for shame! confusion's cure lives not
In these confusions. Heaven and yourself
Had part in this fair maid; now heaven hath all,
And all the better is it for the maid:
Your part in her you could not keep from death,
But heaven keeps his part in eternal life.
Friar Lawrence finally decides this nonsense has gone on long enough, and he interrupts.
The Friar tells the parents that, in a way, the girl is better off, now.

After all, she is in heaven. And, she does not have to listen to all of this silly dialogue.

The most you sought was her promotion;
For 'twas your heaven she should be advanced:
And weep ye now, seeing she is advanced
Above the clouds, as high as heaven itself?
O, in this love, you love your child so ill,
That you run mad, seeing that she is well:
She's not well married that lives married long;
But she's best married that dies married young.
The Friar reminds Capulet that he was trying to get the girl "promoted," through marriage. He points out thatt she has been "promoted," to a better place.

Dry up your tears, and stick your rosemary
On this fair corse; and, as the custom is,
Friar Lawrence tells them to "dry up" their tears. He also tells them where they can stick their "Rosemary."

In all her best array bear her to church:
For though fond nature bids us an lament,
Yet nature's tears are reason's merriment.

He advises the Capulets to hurry up and bury the girl, fast.

CAPULET
All things that we ordained festival,
Turn from their office to black funeral;
Our instruments to melancholy bells,
Our wedding cheer to a sad burial feast,
Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change,
Our bridal flowers serve for a buried corse,
And all things change them to the contrary.

FRIAR LAWRENCE
Sir, go you in; and, madam, go with him;
And go, Sir Paris; every one prepare
To follow this fair corse unto her grave:

Capulet notes that the supplies they ordered for the wedding are now going to be used for a funeral. The man's frugality is admirable, even if his sense of good taste is lacking.

The heavens do lower upon you for some ill;
Move them no more by crossing their high will.
He indicates that the gods must be angry at the family, for some “ill.” He urges them to bury the girl, fast, before they get even more angry.

Exeunt CAPULET, LADY CAPULET,
PARIS, and FRIAR LAWRENCE

Most of the characters make their way out of the room. The only ones remaining are the Nurse, the servants, and the musicians. And, of course, Juliet.

FIRST MUSICIAN
Faith, we may put up our pipes, and be gone.

NURSE
Honest goodfellows, ah, put up, put up;
For, well you know, this is a pitiful case.

(Nurse Exits.)
FIRST MUSICIAN
Ay, by my troth, the case may be amended.

(Enter PETER.)

There is a rather brief section at the end of this scene in which a servant (Peter), engages in some clever word-play with the hired musicians.

PETER
Musicians, O, musicians, 'Heart's ease, Heart's
ease:' O, an you will have me live, play 'Heart's ease.'

FIRST MUSICIAN
Why 'Heart's ease'?

Peter (who is the Nurse's own servant) requests a song from the musicians. It is a well-known top-forty tune, known as "Heart's Ease."

PETER
O, musicians, because my heart itself plays 'My
heart is full of woe:' O, play me some merry dump,
to comfort me.

FIRST MUSICIAN
Not a dump we; 'tis no time to play now.

PETER
You will not, then?

FIRST MUSICIAN
No.

A "dump" was a very sad song, usually played at funerals.

PETER
I will then give it you soundly.

FIRST MUSICIAN
What will you give us?

Peter means, "I will give it to you, good."

PETER
No money, on my faith, but the gleek;
I will give you the minstrel.

FIRST MUSICIAN
Then I will give you the serving-creature.

The word "gleek" means a jest, or a joke.
When he says "give you the minstrel," he means "call you a minstrel." It's not nice to call someone a minstrel. Want to find out? Call Spike Lee a minstrel. See what happens.

PETER
Then will I lay the serving-creature's dagger on
your pate. I will carry no crotchets;

The word "crotchets" had a double meaning. It can mean a "whim" or "nonsense." It also means (to any musisican), a quarter note. When Peter says he will "carry no crotchets," he means he will not put up with any of the guy's stuff. He also means he will not listen to any of the guy's bad quarter notes.

PETER
I'll re you,
I'll fa you; do you note me?

FIRST MUSICIAN
An you re us and fa us, you note us.

SECOND MUSICIAN
Pray you, put up your dagger, and put out your wit.

More bad puns department: "Re?" "Fa?" Hint: think "Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la..."

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:
[Sings:]
'When griping grief the heart doth wound,
And doleful dumps the mind oppress,
Then music with her silver sound'--
[Stops singing:]
Why 'silver sound'? why 'music with her silver
sound'?

What say you, Simon Catling?

MUSICIAN
Marry, sir, because silver hath a sweet sound.

The musician's real name is (most probably) not "Simon Catling." Catling is the same as "cat gut." The strings of a violin and a lute (supposedly) were made of cat gut.

PETER
Pretty! What say you, Hugh Rebeck?

A "rebeck" was the name of an actual musical instrument. It was a fiddle with only three strings.

SECOND MUSICIAN
I say 'silver sound,' because musicians sound for silver.
Musisicans "sound" for silver coins. In other words, they solicit it.

PETER
Pretty too! What say you, James Soundpost?

THIRD MUSICIAN
Faith, I know not what to say.

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:
'Then music with her silver sound
With speedy help doth lend redress.'

Vocabulary help: A "soundpost" is the part of a musical instrument where the strings are raised off of the top.

Exit
FIRST MUSICIAN
What a pestilent knave is this same!

SECOND MUSICIAN
Hang him, Jack! Come, we'll in here; tarry for the
mourners, and stay dinner.

Exeunt

In this time of great sadness, one cannot help but be cheered by the giggling and laughing in this scene. Is the audience giggling? Their response is certainly more obvious than Juliet's.
Besides, what better way to end an act?

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Shakespeare for Scholars:	Shakespeare for Everyone Else:
Juliet's chamber. Enter Nurse NURSE Mistress! what, mistress! Juliet! fast, I warrant her, she-- Why, lamb! why, lady! fie, you slug-a-bed! Why, love, I say! madam! sweet-heart! why, bride! What, not a word?	Upstairs, the Nurse tries to awaken Juliet. The sleepy little thing seems unusually drowsy, and slow to rise.
You take your pennyworths now; Sleep for a week; for the next night, I warrant, The County Paris hath set up his rest, That you shall rest but little. God forgive me, Marry, and amen, how sound is she asleep! I must needs wake her. Madam, madam, madam! Ay, let the county take you in your bed; He'll fright you up, i' faith. Will it not be?	The Nurse says that Juliet had better get her rest now, since she will not get much sleep after the two of them are married. This wisecrack is often used by many scholars to demonstrate the Nurse's "earthy" nature. The reality, of course, is that the Nurse has a dirty mind.
Undraws the curtains What, dress'd! and in your clothes! and down again! I must needs wake you; Lady! lady! lady!	The Nurse "undraws" the curtains. She pulls out her best eraser.

Alas, alas! Help, help! my lady's dead! O, well-a-day, that ever I was born!	After some verbal attempts, and a few good shakes, the Nurse finally realizes that something is wrong with this picture. The girl will not wake up. The Nurse thinks Juliet is dead, of course, and she begins to weep and wail.
Some aqua vitae, ho! My lord! my lady!	The Nurse yells for some "aqua vitae." Your textbook will foootnote this as "water of life." Don't be fooled. She wants a good, stiff drink.
Enter LADY CAPULET LADY CAPULET What noise is here? NURSE O lamentable day! LADY CAPULET What is the matter? NURSE Look, look! O heavy day! LADY CAPULET O me, O me! My child, my only life, Revive, look up, or I will die with thee!	The Nurse's "weeping and wailing" causes everyone to parade into the bedroom, to join in the fun. First comes Lady Capulet, who is obviously upset.
Help, help! Call help.	[Editor's note: The people of Shakespeare's time had not yet invented "911."]
Enter CAPULET CAPULET For shame, bring Juliet forth; her lord is come. NURSE She's dead, deceased, she's dead; alack the day!	The next person to enter the room is Capulet.
LADY CAPULET Alack the day, she's dead, she's dead, she's dead! CAPULET Ha! let me see her: out, alas! she's cold: Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff; Life and these lips have long been separated:	"Alack the day," says Lady Capulet. "She's dead, she's dead, she's dead!" She is suddenly seized with a bad case of "repetitionitis."
Death lies on her like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower of all the field. NURSE O lamentable day! LADY CAPULET O woeful time!	Famous Lines Department: Capulet's speech about an "untimely frost" has become a very well known piece of poetry.
CAPULET Death, that hath ta'en her hence to make me wail, Ties up my tongue, and will not let me speak.	Capulet claims that his daughter's death has left him speechless. This is known as hyperbole. Hyperbole is a literary term that scholars use when they really mean "he is telling a lie."
Enter FRIAR LAWRENCE and PARIS, with Musicians	Friar Lawrence enters, along with Paris, and a few musicians.
FRIAR LAWRENCE Come, is the bride ready to go to church? CAPULET Ready to go, but never to return.	How the Friar can keep a straight face at this point is a complete mystery.
[To Paris.] O son! the night before thy wedding-day Hath Death lain with thy wife. There she lies, Flower as she was, deflowered by him. Death is my son-in-law, Death is my heir; My daughter he hath wedded: I will die, And leave him all; life, living, all is Death's. PARIS Have I thought long to see this morning's face, And doth it give me such a sight as this? LADY CAPULET Accursed, unhappy, wretched, hateful day! Most miserable hour that e'er time saw In lasting labour of his pilgrimage! But one, poor one, one poor and loving child, But one thing to rejoice and solace in, And cruel death hath catch'd it from my sight!	Capulet uses a metaphor here. He says that "death" has laid with Juliet. He says that "Death" has deflowered the girl. It has stolen her virginity. This is some of Shakespeare's more powerful language. It may also win the award in the "poor taste" category.
NURSE O woe! O woeful, woeful, woeful day! Most lamentable day, most woeful day, That ever, ever, I did yet behold! O day! O day! O day! O hateful day! Never was seen so black a day as this: O woeful day, O woeful day! PARIS Beguiled, divorced, wronged, spited, slain! Most detestable death, by thee beguil'd, By cruel cruel thee quite overthrown! O love! O life! not life, but love in death! CAPULET Despised, distressed, hated, martyr'd, kill'd! Uncomfortable time, why camest thou now To murder, murder our solemnity? 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 buried.	Either the Nurse is feeling some very strong emotions, or the "aqua vitae" has finally kicked in.
FRIAR LAWRENCE Peace, ho, for shame! confusion's cure lives not In these confusions. Heaven and yourself Had part in this fair maid; now heaven hath all, And all the better is it for the maid: Your part in her you could not keep from death, But heaven keeps his part in eternal life.	Friar Lawrence finally decides this nonsense has gone on long enough, and he interrupts. The Friar tells the parents that, in a way, the girl is better off, now. After all, she is in heaven. And, she does not have to listen to all of this silly dialogue.
The most you sought was her promotion; For 'twas your heaven she should be advanced: And weep ye now, seeing she is advanced Above the clouds, as high as heaven itself? O, in this love, you love your child so ill, That you run mad, seeing that she is well: She's not well married that lives married long; But she's best married that dies married young.	The Friar reminds Capulet that he was trying to get the girl "promoted," through marriage. He points out thatt she has been "promoted," to a better place.
Dry up your tears, and stick your rosemary On this fair corse; and, as the custom is,	Friar Lawrence tells them to "dry up" their tears. He also tells them where they can stick their "Rosemary."
In all her best array bear her to church: For though fond nature bids us an lament, Yet nature's tears are reason's merriment.	He advises the Capulets to hurry up and bury the girl, fast.
CAPULET All things that we ordained festival, Turn from their office to black funeral; Our instruments to melancholy bells, Our wedding cheer to a sad burial feast, Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change, Our bridal flowers serve for a buried corse, And all things change them to the contrary. FRIAR LAWRENCE Sir, go you in; and, madam, go with him; And go, Sir Paris; every one prepare To follow this fair corse unto her grave:	Capulet notes that the supplies they ordered for the wedding are now going to be used for a funeral. The man's frugality is admirable, even if his sense of good taste is lacking.
The heavens do lower upon you for some ill; Move them no more by crossing their high will.	He indicates that the gods must be angry at the family, for some “ill.” He urges them to bury the girl, fast, before they get even more angry.
Exeunt CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, PARIS, and FRIAR LAWRENCE	Most of the characters make their way out of the room. The only ones remaining are the Nurse, the servants, and the musicians. And, of course, Juliet.
FIRST MUSICIAN Faith, we may put up our pipes, and be gone. NURSE Honest goodfellows, ah, put up, put up; For, well you know, this is a pitiful case. (Nurse Exits.) FIRST MUSICIAN Ay, by my troth, the case may be amended. (Enter PETER.)	There is a rather brief section at the end of this scene in which a servant (Peter), engages in some clever word-play with the hired musicians.
PETER Musicians, O, musicians, 'Heart's ease, Heart's ease:' O, an you will have me live, play 'Heart's ease.' FIRST MUSICIAN Why 'Heart's ease'?	Peter (who is the Nurse's own servant) requests a song from the musicians. It is a well-known top-forty tune, known as "Heart's Ease."
PETER O, musicians, because my heart itself plays 'My heart is full of woe:' O, play me some merry dump, to comfort me. FIRST MUSICIAN Not a dump we; 'tis no time to play now. PETER You will not, then? FIRST MUSICIAN No.	A "dump" was a very sad song, usually played at funerals.
PETER I will then give it you soundly. FIRST MUSICIAN What will you give us?	Peter means, "I will give it to you, good."
PETER No money, on my faith, but the gleek; I will give you the minstrel. FIRST MUSICIAN Then I will give you the serving-creature.	The word "gleek" means a jest, or a joke. When he says "give you the minstrel," he means "call you a minstrel." It's not nice to call someone a minstrel. Want to find out? Call Spike Lee a minstrel. See what happens.
PETER Then will I lay the serving-creature's dagger on your pate. I will carry no crotchets;	The word "crotchets" had a double meaning. It can mean a "whim" or "nonsense." It also means (to any musisican), a quarter note. When Peter says he will "carry no crotchets," he means he will not put up with any of the guy's stuff. He also means he will not listen to any of the guy's bad quarter notes.
PETER I'll re you, I'll fa you; do you note me? FIRST MUSICIAN An you re us and fa us, you note us. SECOND MUSICIAN Pray you, put up your dagger, and put out your wit.	More bad puns department: "Re?" "Fa?" Hint: think "Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la..."
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: [Sings:] 'When griping grief the heart doth wound, And doleful dumps the mind oppress, Then music with her silver sound'-- [Stops singing:] Why 'silver sound'? why 'music with her silver sound'?
What say you, Simon Catling? MUSICIAN Marry, sir, because silver hath a sweet sound.	The musician's real name is (most probably) not "Simon Catling." Catling is the same as "cat gut." The strings of a violin and a lute (supposedly) were made of cat gut.
PETER Pretty! What say you, Hugh Rebeck?	A "rebeck" was the name of an actual musical instrument. It was a fiddle with only three strings.
SECOND MUSICIAN I say 'silver sound,' because musicians sound for silver.	Musisicans "sound" for silver coins. In other words, they solicit it.
PETER Pretty too! What say you, James Soundpost? THIRD MUSICIAN Faith, I know not what to say. 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: 'Then music with her silver sound With speedy help doth lend redress.'	Vocabulary help: A "soundpost" is the part of a musical instrument where the strings are raised off of the top.
Exit FIRST MUSICIAN What a pestilent knave is this same! SECOND MUSICIAN Hang him, Jack! Come, we'll in here; tarry for the mourners, and stay dinner. Exeunt	In this time of great sadness, one cannot help but be cheered by the giggling and laughing in this scene. Is the audience giggling? Their response is certainly more obvious than Juliet's. Besides, what better way to end an act?