Musicians

The opening stage directions for the scene of Capulet's feast is "And Servingmen come forth with napkins. Musicians waiting." Later in the scene Capulet makes the maskers (Romeo and his friends) feel welcome by inviting them to dance with the ladies and calling out "come, musicians, play" (1.5.25). The musicians play, the dancing begins, and Romeo sees Juliet for the first time. [Scene Summary]

On the morning Juliet is supposed to marry Paris, three musicians accompany Paris to wake the bride. Then it is discovered that Juliet is dead. (Only we know that she is not.) Everyone grieves, then leaves to prepare for Juliet's funeral, and the musicians are thinking they will have to pack up and leave, too, when Peter suddenly appears, with an urgent request: "Musicians, O, musicians, 'Heart's ease', Heart's ease', O, an you will have me live, play 'Heart's ease'" (4.5.102-104). The musicians won't play for Peter, so he insults them, and then poses a riddle about musicians. Only Peter can answer his own riddle, and he exits, singing "'Then music with her silver sound / With speedy help doth lend redress'." (4.5.142-143). Peter's humor seem to have put the musicians in a better mood; at the end of the scene one of them says, "Come, we'll in here; tarry for the mourners, and stay dinner" (4.5.145-146). Wherever the "here" is that they're going to go "in," it's a place where they can wait until the mourners come back from church, when lunch ("dinner") will be served, and they'll get to eat. [Scene Summary]