TOM STOPPARD’S ARCADIA AND THE QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE

Öz

The present paper brings attention to the importance of humanities in shaping a better world. Human sciences are a reliable means of order without which the human thinking might be even more disorderly than it is. The problem is to keep it in motion, to prevent the dominant realms of scientific thought of damaging the emotional attributes of human lives. Another problem is to make it yield to the critical crises of the modern austere world. Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia reveals that it is only in the equation of love, that order can be found. The line between emotion and reason has been mirrored in the relationship between Thomasina and Septimus and arises out of the human emotions between the other characters especially Hannah and Bernard. The waltz scene engages the reader in an implicit dialogue between science and humanities. It comes to symbolize the healing effect of arts. Just right before her tragic death Thomasina dances with Septimus in a dance which proves that science and mathematics without love and humanities may lead to the tragic ending of the universe.

And, as the play shows it, the final scene of waltz intertwines the past and the present. It alternates between the pastoral past of romanticism and emotions and the present of technological progress to show us that knowledge is only complete when emotions and reason are matched. Accordingly, the future of chaotic behaviour in this ambiguous world, is not a random reality, it results from that conflict between reason and emotion. The victory of emotion at the end of the play (the final dance between characters ) proves that human sciences, ranging from music, poetry, drama, paintings etc, have been always in motion and thanks to them one’s humanity is fulfilled . Arts and emotions illuminate and heal the suffocating patterns underlying the chaotic human life. As a “science play” entwined with a unique love story, Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia intends to highlight the fact that the peculiar nature of the human self can be only mirrored in the realm of the artistic thought. Needless to say, that even the power of scientific thinking can be truly achieved through active human sciences. In this respect, this paper will examine and highlight the duality of reason and emotions in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. It will shed lights on their ultimate relation to the mobility of humanities reflected in the themes and language of the play. To deal with these ideas in a thorough way, I will analyze the play in the light of a thematic study.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Humanities,motion,science,emotions,art,ambiguity

Kaynakça

1. Stoppard, Tom. Arcadia. London: Faber and Faber, 2008.
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3. Fleming, John. Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. London: Continuum Interna-tional Publishing Group, 2008.
4. Gale. A Study Guide for Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. London: Drama for Studies, 2008.
5. H, Kellert. Borrowed Knowledge: Chaos Theory and the Challenge of Learning Across Disciplines. Chicago and London: The University of Chica-go Press, 2008.
6. Purse, Niguel. Tom Stoppard’s Plays: Patterns of Plenitude and Parsi-mony. London: Chester Academic Press, 2009.
7. Niederhoff, Burckhardt. “Fortuitous Wit: Dialogue and Epistemology in Tom Stoppard’s
8. Arcadia”. London: Connotations: A Journal for Critical Debate. Vol1, 2011.