Romeo & Juliet - Act 4 Scene 4
Hall in Capulet's house.
Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse
The shifts from high tragedy to frenetic comedy become more sudden and more intense, building to an inevitable climax.
LADY CAPULET
Hold, take these keys, and fetch more spices,
Nurse.
Nurse
They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.
Enter CAPULET
CAPULET
Come, stir, stir, stir! The second cock hath crowed,
The curfew-bell hath rung, 'tis three o'clock;
Look to the baked meats, good Angelica:
Spare not for the cost.
Nurse
Go, you cotquean, go,
Get you to bed; faith, you'll be sick tomorrow
For this night's watching.
CAPULET
No, not a whit; what! I have watch'd ere now
All night for lesser cause, and ne'er been sick.
Lady Capulet teases her husband about his sexual past, whether with her or with others. Even the chiding here seems playful, giving a glimpse of warm domesticity.
LADY CAPULET
Ay, you have been a mouse-hunt in your time;
But I will watch you from such watching now.
Exeunt LADY CAPULET and Nurse
CAPULET
A jealous hood, a jealous hood!
Enter three or four Servingmen, with spits, logs, and baskets
Now, fellow, What's there?
Capulet is doing his best to be helpful, but there's some question as to how effective he actually is. Where Lady Capulet and the Nurse seem competent and in charge of the situation, Capulet bursts in, frantically giving orders.
First Servant
Things for the cook, sir; but I know not what.
CAPULET
Make haste, make haste.
Exit First Servant
Sirrah, fetch drier log;.
Call Peter, he will show thee where they are.
Second Servant
I have a head, sir, that will find out logs,
And never trouble Peter for the matter.
Exit
CAPULET
Mass, and well said; a merry whoreson, ha!
Thou shalt be loggerhead. Good faith, 'tis day!
The County will be here with music straight,
For so he said he would; I hear him near.
Music within
The music, presumably a joyful tune in anticipation of the wedding, may sound once here, or it may continue throughout, creating a counterpoint to the following scene.
Time is once again condensed here, as we've moved from 3 a.m. to dawn in two short pages.
Nurse! Wife! What, ho! What, Nurse, I say!
Re-enter Nurse
Go waken Juliet, go and trim her up;
I'll go and chat with Paris; hie, make haste,
Make haste; the bridegroom he is come already;
Make haste, I say.
Exeunt