Why masters, have your instruments been in Naples, that they speak i’ th’ nose thus?
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 3, Scene 1. The humorous exchange between the Clown and musicians in this scene is for the purpose of providing some light-hearted relief, while Iago plots to sow seeds of deceit and discord. The Clown comments on the musicians’ instruments sounding so nasal and wonders have they been to Naples. As well as making a sexual pun on the word instruments, the Clown is referring to the reputation Naples had as a hotbed of venereal disease and syphilis, which attack the mucous membranes in the nose and cause nasal damage.