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Essay on Arcadia

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Arcadia refers to a Utopian ideal: the idea of harmony with nature and the entire world. The term is derived from a Greek province, which bears the same name. The Province’s mountainous landscape and history of containing a sparse population of farmers later caused the word “Arcadia” to develop into a poetic byword for an idyllic vision of unspoiled natural beauty. The inhabitants are regarded as living without pride and avarice that corrupted other regions of the world. The inhabitants of Arcadia are regarded as living close to nature, uncorrupted by civilization, and being virtuous. In other words they live in a place that many people would consider a paradise.

The title “Arcadia” from Tom Stoppard’s play is actually an abbreviation …show more content…

Out of all the characters in the play Thomasina is perhaps the most beautiful. She is innocent, driven by academic zeal, and a genius of epic proportions. What is truly the most beautiful trait about her is that unlike Mrs. Chater and Lady Croom, it is “an insult in a gazebo,” (6) that she desires but true love. The final waltz that Septimus and Thomasina share could not be any more romantic as “Septimus holding Thomasina, kisses her on the mouth. The waltz lesson pauses. She looks at him. He kisses her again, in earnest. She puts her arms around him.” (95) The affection the two feel for each other is a huge part of any person’s definition of paradise: two people truly in love with each other uncorrupted by the society around them. Yet even in this seemingly paradisiacal situation, Thomasina still tragically dies.

The title also alludes to a very important theme which is apparent throughout the play. Mathematics serves as a recurring reference to the

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