How art thou response ? How to respond to how art thou ?

Behold! The archaic tongue of the English language did bear two forms of the second person pronoun: “thou” and “ye” (which hath morphed into the modern “you”). This linguistic feature was not unique to English; it doth exist in modern tongues like French (tu/vous), Spanish (tu/usted), German (du/Sie), among others.

• “Thou” was a term reserved for addressing those who were either of lower rank or intimately familiar. Dependent on the context, its usage might have been perceived as an insult instead of a show of familiarity. Eventually, it became deemed excessively informal and was phased out of the English vernacular, although it persists in some dialects.
• “Thou” did also serve as a verb (as it doth in thy sentence). “To thou” meant referring to someone using “thou” instead of “you.”
• Thus, the implication of thy sentence is one of disdain: “I shall refer to thee as ‘thou’ as an expression of my lack of respect for thy person.”

Lo, the query of “How Art Thou?” hath long been a source of consternation for many a soul. Indeed, the answer to this age-old inquiry is as varied and unique as the individual being queried. Nevertheless, there are certain tenets which one might keep in mind to proffer an appropriate rejoinder.

Primarily, one must remember that the question is not about oneself; rather, the querent seeks to uncover more about thee and thy life. Thus, it behooves thee to offer a brief, yet insightful overview of thyself.

Secondly, when answering this question, it is prudent to maintain a positive disposition. Doleful tales of woe and misfortune shall not avail thee here. Instead, focus on the felicitous aspects of thy life and let the inquisitor know what brings thee joy and satisfaction.

Ultimately, it is of paramount importance that one remain true to oneself when formulating an answer. Eschew the temptation to exaggerate or embellish the details of thy life. Instead, reveal the veritable essence of thy being and allow the inquirer to truly know thee.

The word “where” isn’t actually the one you’re looking for; it’s “wherefore” – a completely different word altogether. This specific question is asked in what is called the “balcony scene” in Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy. It occurs in Juliet’s query, “wherefore art thou Romeo?” Oddly enough, it is one of those Shakespearean quotes that’s highly likely to be misunderstood. This could be due to the definition of the (now outdated) word “wherefore” – and likewise the “art thou” in the question – as well as it being a weird question that Juliet is asking. It only makes sense in its context if one understands the word itself: “wherefore?” is a classic way of saying “why?” (which also explains the old phrase “the whys and the wherefores”)

The text in question concerns one of the most famous lines from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which is often misinterpreted due to the use of archaic language. The line is spoken by Juliet in the balcony scene and reads, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” Despite the popular belief that “wherefore” refers to Romeo’s location, the word actually means “why.” This makes Juliet’s question essentially, “Why do you have to be Romeo, a Montague?” The play is centered around the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, so the two lovers being from opposing families is the main obstacle to their relationship. This sets the stage for the tragic ending that the play ultimately reaches. If you ever visit Verona, you can even see the supposed “House of the Capulets” with its famous “Juliet balcony.”

Old English:

Middle English:

Shakespearean English:

After the time of Shakespeare, the familiar singular of “you” fell out of use, which is why “you are” is now standard English for both singular and plural.

As for “how”, that’s from Middle English hou, from Old English hū, used as an adverb. So in Middle or Shakespearian English, “how art thou” is just “how are you”, addressed to a single person who either the speaker either knows very well, or is of inferior social status to the speaker. In Old English, it would have been hu eart þu.