Tom Stoppard's plays : : patterns of plenitude and parsimony / / by Nigel Purse.

• Superior document: Costerus New Series, Volume 217
• VerfasserIn: Purse, Nigel,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, Netherlands ;, Boston, [Massachusetts] : : Brill Rodopi,, 2017.; ©2017
• Year of Publication: 2017
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Costerus ; Volume 217.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (686 pages).

In Tom Stoppard’s Plays: Patterns of Plenitude and Parsimony Nigel Purse assesses the complete canon of Tom Stoppard’s works on a thematic basis. He explains that, amongst the plenitude of chaotic comedy, wordplay and intellectual ping-pong of Stoppard’s plays, the principle of parsimony that is Occam’s razor lies at the heart of his works. He identifies key patterns in theme – ethics and duality - and method – Stoppard’s stage debates and his dramatic vehicles - as well as in theatrical devices. Quoting extensively from all Stoppard’s published works, many of his interviews and also unpublished material Nigel Purse arrives at a comprehensive and unique appraisal of Stoppard’s plays.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Occam’s Razor -- The Stoppardian Stage Debate -- The Vehicle versus the Idea -- Ethics -- Dualism–Illusion and Reality -- Stoppard’s Theatricality -- Stoppard’s Time Shifts -- Coda -- Appendix 1: Hamlet vs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead -- Appendix 2: Indian Ink – Timeline -- Appendix 3: The Coast of Utopia – Timeline -- Bibliography -- Works by Tom Stoppard -- Characters in Stoppard’s Works -- General Index.