Overview

Shakespeare’s era was abuzz with mathematical progress, from the new concept of “zero” to Galileo’s redraft of the heavens. Now, Rob Eastaway uncovers the many surprising ways math shaped Shakespeare’s plays—and his world—through astronomy, code-breaking, time-keeping, navigation, music, games, and more. How does division feature in Juliet’s parting scene? Why was it hazardous to play with dice? How did audiences get to the Globe on time? Which of Galileo’s discoveries has a cameo in Cymbeline? Were cryptic messages hidden in the First Folio? Full of delights for devotees of both Tudor history and the Bard, Much Ado About Numbers is proof that the arts and sciences have always danced together.

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Reviews

""2024 Mathical Book Award for Grades 9–12 A Bloomberg Best Book of 2024 ""Presents the Bard’s characters as calculating in a way you probably never considered."" -- The Washington Post ""An entertaining look at what really counts in the tragedies, comedies and histories."" -- Boston Herald ""As Eastaway explains, Shakespeare’s works are richly adorned with numbers."" -- Financial Times ""Highly readable. . . . Shakespeare’s surprising yet unsurprising mathematical sophistication led to some of his most creative feats."" -- A Bloomberg Best Book of 2024, selected by Chris Flowers ""This entertaining history . . . succeeds in outlining the mathematical and scientific ideas that trickled into the Bard’s plays."" -- Publishers Weekly ""A playful and engaging book . . . bound to excite the appetite of all Shakespeare junkies."" -- Patrick Spottiswoode, Founder, Shakespeare’s Globe Education ""A fascinating and hugely entertaining guide to Shakespearean mathematics."" -- Sarah Hart, author of Once Upon A Prime ""You can count on both Rob Eastaway and Shakespeare to make mathematics entertaining."" -- Sir Tim Rice ""A spectacular journey. . . . Highly recommended!"" -- Dr. Simon Smith, The Shakespeare Institute ""Instead of cleaving math and English in twain, Eastaway brings them together to surprise and delight the reader."" -- Dr. Rebecca Fisher, The English Association ""A light, witty, and engaging tour through the mathematics hidden in Shakespeare’s plays. . . . The book’s charm lies in its balance: it is part literary insight, part math puzzle, and entirely enjoyable. Even readers who are not Shakespeare experts (or math enthusiasts) will find something entertaining and informative in the way Eastaway reveals just how much numerical playfulness is woven into the Bard’s work."" -- The Use of English

A fascinating and hugely entertaining guide to Shakespearean mathematics.--Sarah Hart, author of Once Upon A Prime An entertaining look at what really counts in the tragedies, comedies and histories.-- ""Boston Herald"" As Eastaway explains, Shakespeare's works are richly adorned with numbers.-- ""Financial Times"" Highly readable . . . Shakespeare's surprising yet unsurprising mathematical sophistication led to some of his most creative feats.--A Bloomberg Best Book of 2024, selected by Chris Flowers This entertaining history . . . succeeds in outlining the mathematical and scientific ideas that trickled into the Bard's plays.-- ""Publishers Weekly"" You can count on both Rob Eastaway and Shakespeare to make mathematics entertaining.--Sir Tim Rice A playful and engaging book . . . bound to excite the appetite of all Shakespeare junkies.--Patrick Spottiswoode, Founder, Shakespeare's Globe Education A spectacular journey . . . Highly recommended!--Dr. Simon Smith, The Shakespeare Institute Instead of cleaving math and English in twain, Eastaway brings them together to surprise and delight the reader.--Dr. Rebecca Fisher, The English Association 2024 Mathical Book Award for Grades 9-12 A Bloomberg Best Book of 2024 ""Presents the Bard's characters as calculating in a way you probably never considered.-- ""The Washington Post""

A fascinating and hugely entertaining guide to Shakespearean mathematics.--Professor Sarah Hart, author of Once Upon A Prime A highly readable nonfiction account of two great subjects: Shakespeare and the mathematics of his day. Shakespeare's surprising yet unsurprising mathematical sophistication led to some of his most creative feats of problem-solving and can inspire us all to learn from different fields.--A Bloomberg Best Book of 2024, selected by Chris Flowers, CEO and chairman of private equity firm J.C. Flowers & Co. A playful and engaging book . . . bound to excite the appetite of all Shakespeare junkies.--Patrick Spottiswoode, Founder, Shakespeare's Globe Education A spectacular journey . . . Highly recommended!--Dr. Simon Smith, The Shakespeare Institute Instead of cleaving math and English in twain, Eastaway brings them together to surprise and delight the reader.--Dr. Rebecca Fisher, The English Association This entertaining history . . . succeeds in outlining the mathematical and scientific ideas that trickled into the Bard's plays. This idiosyncratic study will help readers better understand the world that shaped Shakespeare's writings.-- ""Publishers Weekly"" This entertaining look at what really counts in the tragedies, comedies and histories. . . has plenty of history, science, language and, yes, number stuff here, such as a clever reference in ""Othello"" to a week as ""Eight score 8 hours,"" which, it turns out, is exactly how long a week is.-- ""Orange County Register"" You can count on both Rob Eastaway and Shakespeare to make mathematics entertaining, never more so than in this elegant tome which will make your Pericles tingle as you like it.--Sir Tim Rice 2024 Mathical Book Award for Grades 9-12 A Bloomberg Best Book of 2024 ""Presents the Bard's characters as calculating in a way you probably never considered. . . . This quirky little book will multiply the fun for any general reader interested in adding to their understanding of Shakespeare.--Ron Charles, The Washington Post

Author Information

Rob Eastaway has authored and coauthored several bestselling books that connect math with everyday life, including Why Do Buses Come in Threes? and How Many Socks Make a Pair? He is the director of Maths Inspiration, an interactive lecture program that has reached over 250,000 teenagers in the United Kingdom, New York, and Sydney. In 2017, he received the Zeeman Medal for excellence in the public communication of mathematics, and in 2025, he delivered the BSHM Gresham College Lecture on the subject of Shakespeare and mathematics. He lives in London.

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