Description
Book SynopsisWith its engaging alteration between past and present "Arcadia" offers a comedic and entertaining exploration of chaos theory, entropy, the Second Law of thermodynamics, iterated algorithms, fractals, and other concepts culled the realms of math and science. This guide provides students a comprehensive critical introduction to the play.
Trade Review"An enlightening entryway into Stoppard's luminous play, Fleming's commentary on Arcadia is informed by his attention to theatrical issues as well as his deep understanding of the of the play's multilayered themes." - Professor Michael Vanden Heuvel, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
"Fleming's book offers the student and Stoppard enthusiast a fully researched and clearly written analysis of what many call Stoppard's best play. From the background and context section describing Stoppard's entire oeuvre to date, to the final section offering suggestions for teaching Arcadia, this book situates the play squarely within Stoppard's writing about science. Fleming's precise analyses of the play's characters and his informed discussion of its themes offer the student and instructor an intelligent framework for understanding Arcadia as a profound and comic play of ideas." - Katherine E. Kelly, Texas A&M University, USA
Briefly reviewed in the Year's work in English Studies journal, vol 89, No. 1 ‘Drawing on previously unpublished material with Stoppard, Fleming's volume traces the history of the play's production and its cultural and historical context'
Table of ContentsGeneral Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Background and Context; 2. Analysis and Commentary; 3. Production History; 4. Workshopping the Play; Timeline; Further Reading; References; Index.
