Chaos Theory and Stoppard's Arcadia

Abstract

This study aims at presenting how Chaos Theory can be held in a work of art, especially in the hands of Tom Stoppard, who is a very renown British playwright. Chaos and Chaotic Systems may sound to be the main areas of interest of the disciplines like mathematics and physics, however, Chaos Theory stands for the matrix of Postmodern theory and art as well. Chaos Theory illustrates the very essence of almost all plays of Stoppard because the main question he has been dealing with is: "Is there a system behind the absurdity of existence?". This theory attracts Stoppard mostly because it asks the same question. Stoppard, as an artist deals with human being and meaning of its existence. In Arcadia, he tackles this subject matter relating it to concepts like bifurcation, entropy and second law of thermodynamics. He moulds these scientific concepts with the idea of history, love and the irreversibility of time in two distinct time periods. Some of the scenes take place in 1800s, whereas others in 1990s. Stoppard, in a way, wants to demonstrate that however much physics and literature sound remote, they still deal with the same problems and concerns related to existence.