Much Ado About Numbers

‘A spectacular journey… Highly recommended!’ Dr Simon Smith, The Shakespeare Institute ‘A fascinating and hugely entertaining guide to Shakespearean mathematics.’ Prof Sarah Hart, author of Once Upon A Prime ‘The Bard by Numbers, brilliantly accounted for by Rob Eastaway.’ Johnny Ball What’s the connection between Shakespeare and maths? A lot, as it turns out! – Why was it hazardous to play with dice? – How did audiences get to the theatre on time? – Why was ‘nothing’ so significant to the Tudors? – What could Falstaff buy with a groat? – Were cryptic messages hidden in the First Folio ? – And why did Shakespeare never end a line with the word orange? Shakespeare grew up in a time of remarkable mathematical innovation. From astronomy to probability, new mathematical ideas were taking off. In this highly engaging book, Rob Eastaway uncovers the many surprising ways that maths and numbers shaped Shakespeare’s plays.