So many levels, so little time!
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Set in present day and the 18th century, it involves chaos thoery, and the complex and dangerous job of decifering history. i would go into more detail but no short paragraph coul do justice to this masterful work that as only written in 1993!
when i first read the play i found it entertaining, but diffecult at times when dealing with the complex chaos and iteration theories Stoppar has chosen to add. However, after re-reading it, the shere mastery of the play came through. the complex scietific theories do dominate when people think about Arcadia, but there are great characters the way the play is set up is remarkable. The whole play can be seen as a mixture of chaos an order, with each character from the present having their 'twin' in the past.
The play is effectively a detective story, for the audience as well as the characters as Stoppard chooses to reveal key bits of information throughout that alter what we thought was the truth.
the play is a search for truth that can be read as the only challenege in life. one that if we find, we will have nothing else.
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a masterpiece of the stage
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In this play Stoppard displays a tremendous amount of talent and intellect through the wit, humour and wealth of knowledge apparent in this play. The diverse characters are cleverly paralleled in a different time period as a means of showing histories anility to repeat itself. This is not the only prominent theme that Stoppard cleverly brings out, love is also conveyed in ways that will leave you in stitches and tears. it truely is one of the best plays i have ever seen. Fascinatingly interesting to watch - brilliant
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A view of "Arcadia" from a student
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Having read the previous review of this text, I feel compelled to write and agree with that author's sentiment. I have just finished studying this text for my English A-level. These lessons were entertaining and interesting due to the humour and character portrayals within this text. "Arcadia" is by far one the most enthralling texts that I have studied for a long time. I have kept my copy and regularly reread it. I strongly recommend that this text is read.
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Landmark theatre of the 1990's.
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While a gushing review should no doubt be treated with suspicion, there is little choice when confronted with Stoppard's brilliant piece of theatre. All the usual criticisms - intellectual, clever-clever, literary - are perhaps fair, but not as criticisms. Put simply, if you want something which is fin de siecle wit at its best and which also makes you think a little bit (which can be a pleasure, no really!), then you can do a lot worse than read this. Better, of course, is to see it, but I found it such a great read *without* seeing it that I felt like I knew the play off by heart when I finally saw it in performance. 'Bonking Byron shoots poet!' - the portrayal of obsessed English academics is scarily accurate (I've seen it for real), and the combination of science and art makes Stoppard, once again, the physicist's artist. This is a landmark piece of theatre for the 1990s, and is already an undisputed classic. Your kids and your kids' kids are going to love English lessons when this hits the syllabus.
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