From Michael Clarke
The caption “Juliet, Juliet, wherefore art thou?” to your picture of the endangered diademed sifaka, Romeo, for whom a mate is being sought (In Brief, 18 November) perpetuates a common misconception. “Wherefore?” is not a longer Shakespearean version of “where?” as your caption-writer, like countless writers of comedy sketches, appears to believe. It means “why?”.
In the balcony scene in the play, Juliet says: “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” She is asking herself not where Romeo is, but why he is Romeo rather than some other suitor who would not be unwelcome because of a feud between their families.
“Wherefore?” and “therefore” are related to each other in exactly the same way as “when?” and “then”.
