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Wherefore art thou?

Romeo and Juliet [PNGwing]


In Shakespeare’s notable romantic tragedy, Juliet hurls the question: “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” The meaning is ‘Why are you Romeo?’ Those who are familiar with the play will understand what Juliet meant. If Romeo’s name was different, their love would have met with no resistance. Romeo was the son and heir of the Montague family while Juliet was a Capulet. There is a violent feud going on between the two families and hence the love between Romeo and Juliet is not welcome. Juliet’s question, in fact, is: ‘Why are you a Montague?’

‘What’s in a name?’ A few moments later in the play, Juliet who has not turned 14 yet, will ask. That little girl who is yet to understand that there is much to a name will end up stabbing herself in the heart for the sake of love.

Wherefore art thou, Juliet? I am left thinking.

I turned 63 the other day. [Hitler and I share the same birthday!] Half a century older than Juliet, I ask myself: Wherefore art thou, Tomichan?

Why did Juliet exist? Why do I exist? Why does anyone exist?

Does life have a purpose?

Long ago, I chose to accept the existentialist absurdity of life. Today, as a senior citizen, I still accept the same absurdity. I haven’t been able to discover any given (by god or any sublime entity) purpose in human life in general. I do admit that there are millions of excellent human beings who live fabulously meaningful and purposeful lives, contributing tremendously towards the progress of human civilization, adding value to existence. Blessed are such people. They chose their purpose in life, I’m sure.

What we make of our life is our choice. Juliet also made that choice. She chose Romeo. She chose love, that is. What’s in a name? She would have been right. There’s nothing in a name where there is love.

But there’s no love, Juliet. That’s the problem with us human beings. We found religions in the name of love and then hate people in the name of those religions. We build up ideologies in the name of love for the nation and then go around killing people in the name of nationalism. We even kill in the name of love for cows.

There’s so much in a name, Juliet. Five centuries after you asked that question – What’s in a name? – the world hasn’t changed a bit. Name matters much. Identity matters. Which party you are matters. If you belong to this party, you can rape and kill, assault and plunder, with impunity. If you belong to that party, you can’t even crack a joke. So we keep changing parties according to the situation. We get paid for changing allegiances too. Fabulous sums of money. Dishonesty pays, Juliet. Deceit pays more. You died in vain as a child. You should have lived to understand human beings better. If you had, you wouldn’t have died for the sake of love.

I imagine you as a grown woman with grey hairs and wrinkled skin plus a lot of wisdom in your heart. Instead of stabbing your heart yourself on the realization that Romeo killed himself for your sake, I imagine that you accepted the tragedy with stoic resignation that wouldn’t have been hard to muster for a woman of your times. You would then grow up observing people and their follies. You would become wise through understanding the essential absurdity of human life. You would have gained a developed consciousness.

What makes God tolerate human beings must be God’s developed consciousness.

Wherefore didst thou die, Juliet, when nothing less than divinity awaited you? 

PS. This post is part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023

Previous Post: Velocity in Shillong

Coming up tomorrow: Xenophobia

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  1. JaiApril 26, 2023 at 9:33 AM

    Hey Tom! Aren't you being slightly over cynical today morning! Yes you are correct but there are things that signify love. Things that cannot be destroyed! The sweet melody of music, the precision of mathematics which I know you love! I do agree affection between human beings is a bit overrated and is not worth dying for... But what about love that is not tangible even in spiritual terms...

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    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 26, 2023 at 9:51 AM

      The precision of maths and the chaos of emotions, both are dominant in me, Jai. The idealism of youth and the cynicism of age too. I gave in to that paradox this morning.

      Delete
  2. CareenaApril 26, 2023 at 9:53 AM

    I used to scoff at Romeo Juliet because i always saw it as puppy love gone wrong. 14 is a weird age, i was 14 not thaaat long ago. So i never appreciated the story for its message. But as you say nothing has changed. And though Juliet seems to have died for a seeimingly insignificant cause...in the present world there's little noble left to die for. So i agree. Stoic acceptance is the only way to accept. But even then, i think not everyone who lives upto the wise age has mastered stoicism to deal with it- Already I know I wont be one of them!

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    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 26, 2023 at 10:04 AM

      Your self-awareness is going to take you farther than you seem to presume.

      I never liked the play either. One of the immature plays of the Bard. But Juliet keeps popping her head in my heart every now and then.

      Delete
  3. docdivatravellerApril 26, 2023 at 11:42 AM

    Really such a thoughtful post! Purpose of life ..I chose medical profession so that I could be of some value to the society. But after having kids, I feel that my main purpose would be to raise them to be worthy human beings.

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    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 26, 2023 at 12:42 PM

      There's no better purpose than that: to make our children worthy human beings.

      Delete
  4. Yamini MacLeanApril 26, 2023 at 3:03 PM

    Hari OM
    Belated greetings, fellow Aprilian... today I count off number 64! I would like to think I have become the crone you describe, for I certainly never fell into the Juliet format. YAM xx

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    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 26, 2023 at 3:10 PM

      Greetings to you too, Yam. You must be laughing heartily looking back at your life, I'm sure.

      Delete
  5. Janaki/Ishaan SaiApril 26, 2023 at 9:10 PM

    What an imagination! Sometimes, I too think what is the purpose of this existence...may be this should end and I should begin again from scratch so that I can correct some errors I made along the way. And yes! I agree, everything IS in a name, at least in the times we live in. If I didn't have the invisible 'Iyer' surname clinging with my name, I would have had so many more opportunities! That's just one thing...there's so much more!

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    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 26, 2023 at 9:23 PM

      Excited to meet yet another candid person. I've felt a million times that this should end and I should be given a chance to begin again. But we are condemned to this one existence, one form, one format!

      And the name too. I lived mostly in North India and statements like 'Ab Madrasi ka bhi sun-na hai' were too frequent.

      Name matters too.

      Maybe, i didn't learn the necessary tricks.

      Delete
  6. SuchitaApril 30, 2023 at 2:29 PM

    I have never liked Romeo and Juliet as a play. Them dying felt like a cop out. Like they didn't have enough courage to do what they wanted to do. They gave in. But now that I'm older and wiser, maybe they were just tired of always having to explain themselves and perhaps death felt like a release.

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    1. Tomichan MatheikalMay 2, 2023 at 7:44 AM

      Not a great play, of course, especially from a genius. And they were too young. Then those times...

      Delete

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