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Tom Stoppard's plays : patterns of plenitude and parsimony / by Nigel Purse.
Van Pelt Library PE1 .C66 n.s. v.217
Available
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Purse, Nigel, author.
- Series:
- Costerus ; new ser., v. 217.
- Costerus
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Stoppard, Tom--Criticism and interpretation.
- Stoppard, Tom.
- Criticism and interpretation.
- Genre:
- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
- Physical Description:
- xxxii, 654 pages ; 24 cm.
- Place of Publication:
- Leiden ; Boston : Brill Rodopi, [2016]
- Summary:
- 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 Quoting extensively from all Stoppard's published works, many of his interviews and also unpublished material Nigel Purse arrives at a comprehensive and unique appraisal of Stoppard's plays. Book jacket.
- Contents:
- 1 Occam's Razor 1
- Stoppard and Occam's Razor 3
- Occam's Razor Applied Structurally 5
- Occam's Razor Applied to Writing 15
- Occam's Razor Applied to an Argument-Metaphysical 19
- Occam's Razor Applied to an Argument-Methodological 22
- Storm in a Teacup 23
- 'You don't have to be Einstein' 37
- Defining the Question 41
- The Language of Symbols' 47
- Anti-razor 52
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead 53
- Parsimony 55
- 2 The Stoppardian Stage Debate 57
- Intellectual Ping-Pong 62
- Internal Debate 70
- The Debate in the Vehicle 74
- The Multi-Faceted Debate 79
- Internal Contradictions 84
- Skirmishes 117
- The Multi-Play Debate 121
- Parsimony 125
- 3 The Vehicle versus the Idea 126
- 'Et in Arcadia ego!' 136
- Mental Acrobatics' 152
- The Play-Within-A-Play 159
- The Vehicle Comes First 182
- The Worked Example 185
- The Vehicle as Man 193
- Misalignment? 222
- Too Complicated? 225
- Parsimony 234
- 4 Ethics 235
- Absolutism versus Relativism-Morality 238
- God 249
- Truth 261
- Free Speech 277
- Freedom 298
- Fate 308
- Art 324
- Absolutism versus Relativism-General 336
- Parsimony 360
- 5 Dualism-Illusion and Reality 361
- Illusion and Reality 362
- Duality 397
- Parsimony 423
- 6 Stoppard's Theatricality 427
- Comedy 431
- The Pun 436
- The Intellectual Joke 438
- The Double Entendre 440
- Malapropisms 442
- The Cheap Gag 443
- Farce 446
- The Cross Purpose 451
- The Running Gag 454
- Satire 458
- Parody 463
- Straightforward Wit 468
- Visual Effects 470
- Poetry 473
- Music 477
- Opening Scenes 490
- Nudity 497
- Mystery 498
- Art 504
- Adaptations 509
- Literary Influences 513
- Beckett 527
- Chekhov 537
- Shakespeare 547
- Parsimony 559
- 7 Stoppard's Time Shifts 560
- Emotional Recall 561
- Perspective 566
- Integrating the Idea 569
- Reprising the Debate 576
- Narrative Recall 578
- Parsimony 578
- 8 Coda 580.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Other Format:
- Online version: Purse, Nigel, author. Tom Stoppard's plays
- ISBN:
- 9789004318366
- 9004318364
- OCLC:
- 945029664
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