Similar to many playwrights who explore themes, Stoppard uses symbolism to convey deeper meanings. In Arcadia, a significant symbol is the landscape of Sidley Park, which undergoes transformations throughout the play and is discussed by all the characters, both from the past and the present. Investigate the different perspectives on the Sidley Park landscape held by its inhabitants and explain how it serves as a crucial symbol in the narrative.

A central theme in Arcadia is the conflict between passion and reason, emotion and intellect. The Romantic movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries had a profound impact across Europe. Delve into Romanticism by researching some of the era's prominent literary figures, such as Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Mary Shelley, and Victor Hugo. What are some notable Romantic literary works created by these authors? How do these Romantic writers perceive the world? In what ways do they express this worldview in their creations?

Few plays incorporate mathematics and scientific theory as key plot components, yet they are vital to Arcadia. Explore the play's key scientific theories: Fermat's Last Theorem, Chaos Theory, and the Second Law of Thermodynamics (brief descriptions of each can be found in most encyclopedias). What does each theory propose? How or why is each theory symbolically significant to the plot, characters, and themes of Arcadia?

In Arcadia, Stoppard employs a technique called juxtaposition to place characters and ideas side by side for the audience to compare and contrast. This occurs whenever the scene transitions from the historical past to the modern present. It appears that characters from Sidley Park's past (the 1809-12 scenes) have counterparts in the contemporary scenes. They may share personality traits, express similar ideas, or have common interests. Who do you think serves as Septimus's counterpart in present-day Sidley Park? What about Ezra Chater's? Does anyone in the present closely resemble Thomasina and her intuitive abilities? Compare two or three pairs of character counterparts and explain how the juxtaposition of these characters enhances your understanding of the play.