Question

Read the excerpt from Act IV, scene v of Romeo and Juliet.

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

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Nurse: Honest good fellows, ah! put up, put up, for, well you know, this is a pitiful case. [Exit.]

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

[Enter PETER.]

Peter: Musicians! O! musicians, ‘Heart’s ease, Heart’s ease:’ O! an ye will have me live, play ‘Heart’s ease.’

First Musician: Why ‘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.

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Second Musician: Not a dump we; ’tis no time to play now.

Peter: You will not then?

Musicians: No.

Peter: I will then give it you soundly.

First Musician: What will you give us?

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

How does this excerpt offer comic relief?

by describing the unlikely instruments at the wedding
by showing how unaware Peter is to others’ grief
by explaining the cost of wedding musicians
by mocking the popular music of Shakespeare’s day

Answer 1

by showing how unaware Peter is to others’ grief

Peter’s comic, clueless requests for cheerful music and his joking about paying with “the gleek” (no money) create a comic interruption in a grieving scene, relieving tension by highlighting his obliviousness.