Question

Read the following passage.

Juliet. O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father, and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

What does "wherefore" mean? Be sure to look at the word in context.

Where
Who
Why
How

Answer 1

Your answer is "why"

‘wherefore’ is a bit more difficult because it could be confusing. In Renaissance English ‘wherefore’ meant ‘why.’ So Juliet is saying “Why are you Romeo?”