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All Site ContentRomeo and JulietAct 4Scene 5
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"carry no crochets"
Wordplay
Act 4,
Scene 5
Lines 111-116

An explanation of musical puns in Act 4, Scene 5 of myShakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Peter

I will give you the minstrel.

First Musician

Then will I give you the serving-creature.

Peter

Then will I lay the serving-creature's dagger on
your pate. I will carry no crotchets; I'll re you,
I'll fa you. Do you note me?

First Musician

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

Here, Peter uses musical puns to tell the musicians that he won't put up with their mischief. A crochet is a musical note. He then uses the names of notes ("re" and "fa") to tell them he'll ruin them if they try anything else. By "Do you note me?" he means, "Do you get me?" The First Musician carries the puns over into his next line.