Much Ado About Numbers: Shakespeare's Mathematical Life and Times

by Rob Eastaway

Discover the extraordinary mathematical world of Tudor England.

What's the connection between Shakespeare and maths? A lot as it turns out.

Shakespeare grew up in a time of remarkable mathematical innovation. From astronomy to probability, music to multiplication, new mathematical ideas were taking off — and much of this was reflected in his work. In this highly engaging book, award-winning author Rob Eastaway explores the surprising and entertaining ways that maths and numbers cop up in Shakespeare's plays.

Find out how Tudors multiplied, why Shakespeare never ended a line with the word orange, and why dice-playing was a serious hazard for the unwary. With historical asides about games, optics, astronomy, music and magic, you will never think about maths, history or Shakespeare the same way again.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mathematics, History, Science, Audiobook, Shakespeare

216 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2024

About the author

Robert Eastaway is an author who is active in the popularisation of mathematics. He is a former pupil of The King's School, Chester, England and has a degree in Engineering and Management Science from the University of Cambridge. He was President of the UK Mathematical Association for 2007/2008. Eastaway is a keen cricket player and was one of the originators of the International Rankings of Cricketers. He is also a former puzzle-writer for the New Scientist magazine and he has been involved in live mathematics shows on Virgin Radio (now Absolute Radio). He is the Director of Maths Inspiration, a national programme of maths lectures for teenagers which involves some of the UK’s leading maths speakers such as Simon Singh and Colin Wright.

Robert Eastaway's titles appear under the name "Rob Eastaway" in the UK and some other countries.

Reviews

[Moonkiszt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how happy am I to have found this book!!! Shakespeare + Numbers + Music + Words + language + Science + Pencils and soooooo much more! Accessible, even my 10+ grandkids will be soon possessed of Mr. Eastaway's incredible book. . . .

This book is a MUST for anyone who loves Shakespeare, numbers, shapes, colors, calendars, words we use every single day, days of the week, leap years, quarto printing on one sheet (did it myself), games - origin of games, useful appendices, Tudor academia, music, music, music (which is one of the maths) and the Seven Ages of Man. . .

For me this read was a multi-epiphany, or as Oberon says. .
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres. . . .

I'm buying this book for all my peeps. Brace yourselves, people. Do NOT miss this book. No library should be without a bunch of copies. (Note: read it with a pad and pen ready - you are going to want to work things out on paper - for fun!)

*A sincere thank you to Rob Eastaway, The Experiment, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #MuchAdoAboutNumbers #NetGalley 52:28

[Evelin]

Audiobook. I really have few feelings about this book

[John Galluzzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I'm reading my way through the Shakespeare titles I've decided to take some diversions. I found this book (while striking out on finding a copy of Henry VIII), and had to jump in. I have to admit, though, that when sitting at my son's guitar lessons reading a book about both Shakespeare and math at the same time, I do believe I am the biggest nerd in the room.

Nerd on, MacDuff.

While I found all of this book fascinating, there were a few items that stood out. One stood out for practical purposes. In preparation for a book I'm writing, I have been reading a number of 17th century wills. I had been confused about a certain numbering system appearing in wills, i.e., the use of ij, iij, iiij, etc. One simple explanation - the "j" was used as a closer to prevent anybody from adding extra numbers (Roman numerals) to the ends of entries - opened up a world of understanding about the numbers of horses, cows, pigs and bushels of potatoes left behind.

I think, too, the notion of just how much Shakespeare understood math adds another dimension to our lack of understanding of who he really was. The author points out at the start of the book that the Bard used a highly poetic term - "eight score eight" - to describe the number of hours in a week. Most of us don't know how many there are. He did, and expressed it as poetry. Furthermore, his ability to dive into various themes, such as accounting, and speak proficiently about them makes us wonder how he knew so much; was he an accountant on the side?

The author also repeatedly brings our attention to the facts of the day. Everything we learn about Shakespeare and his mathematical knowledge is placed into the context of early 17th century Europe, where, for instance, they believed there were only three colors in a rainbow. We're reminded that Shakespeare was a man ahead of his time (and yes, there is a section on time).

Reading Shakespeare can become a rabbit hole adventure. Plenty of people go far too deep into conspiracy theories. My question is, why? There's so much fun to play with on the surface to keep us all interested for our entire lives!

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating jaunt through the history of mathematical discovery in the late Elizabethan era. The author is good at explaining concepts in conversational terms, clarifying where needed without getting bogged down in overly detailed explanations, making it an engaging and accessible read even for someone with only basic mathematical knowledge. He also keeps things grounded in real-world usage and covers a wide range of topics, from astronomy to magic to the history of the pencil, which had me engrossed in topics I'd never even considered before. Definitely the sort of book that leaves you well-stocked with nerdy cocktail party factlets for quite some time.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A mathmetician analyzes some of the many, many uses of math and numbers in Shakespeare. He also explains many aspects of the history and development of math and science in Shakespeare's time, which were almost all new to me. The book has short chapters and was a quick, fun read.
As an accountant and someone who is definitely not an expert but who certainly loves to learn about Shakespeare, this was a great book for me.

[Sheena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Such an interesting book!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun book: what did numbers mean in the time of Shakespeare, what was mathematics in 1600, and how does Shakespeare use it? And even for those of us who know a lot of this sort of thing, there are revelations:

For instance, in the time of Shakespeare's father, all numbers were Roman (I, II, III etc); by the time Shakespeare died, almost everyone used Indo-Arabic (1, 2, 3, etc). You can see the difference in the poetry at the two ends of his career: Venus and Adonis (1593) all numbered in Roman; Sonnets (1509) all Arabic.

For instance, the importance of the number seven for ALL renaissance thinkers (notes, rainbows, planets, just about everything) because the Trivium (what you learnt at school) and the Quadrivium (what you learnt at University) were all part of one knowledge continuum, all based on Pythagorean mathematics.

For instance, there is no 'Zero' in Shakespeare, because the concept was new, and was still called 'Cypher' or 'Naught' or 'Nothing' (all also meaning women's pudenda, as you do), and those words, and Shakespeare's crazy numbering systems (all of which work mathematically) are used throughout: Eastaway reckons Shakespeare's some sort of mathematical genius as well.

For instance, why does Jupiter have four ghosts circling him? Because Galileo had just discovered the four moons of Jupiter, and Shakespeare was keeping up to date.

So what bugs me about this book is the little (unnecessary) over-simplifications: Eastaway states 'all' 154 sonnets are 14 lines of iambic pentameter: a brief note could have pointed out that three of them are not (it's not relevant to his argument, but it's an incorrect statement). Copernican astronomy was NOT a heresy in the time of Shakespeare: it did not become one till Galileo annoyed the Pope so much that he banned it, thus holding astronomy back in Catholic Europe for 300 years (I blame Galileo). None of these are relevant to his argument, but all of them could have been addressed with a couple of sentences added. I know it's me being a pedant, but this book, I suspect, will be read by pedants, and they will be niggled.

Nonetheless, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book. It is a phenomenally easy read, great fun, and I learnt a lot.

[Chris Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished reading Much Ado About Numbers by Rob Eastaway, and I can't recommend it enough! This book beautifully explores the fascinating world of numbers and their relevance in our daily lives.

Eastaway’s engaging writing style makes complex mathematical concepts accessible and enjoyable. Whether you’re a math enthusiast or someone who typically shies away from numbers, this book is a delightful read that sparks curiosity and appreciation for the beauty of mathematics.

It's a fantastic resource for educators, students, and anyone interested in the power of numbers. Thank you, Rob Eastaway, for shedding light on this often-overlooked subject!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The scholarship and research involved in creating this book are astounding. The author explores not only actual numbers in Shakespeare’s plays, but how and how much math Shakespeare (or whoever wrote this body of work) was exposed to in school. The author explains what scientific knowledge may have been woven into the plays as well. There is so much factual information presented in an entertaining way. This is a book that I would love to revisit and to internalize some of the non-random collection of interesting information.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explores the surprising ways math influenced Shakespeare’s plays and the lives of his contemporaries. From astronomy and code-breaking to navigation and music, this book reveals the fascinating intersection of science and art in Tudor England. It’s surprisingly interesting and fun, bringing the sixteenth century to life in unexpected ways.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[George Kasnic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant marriage of two languages, Math and English. The author wittily weaves mathematics into the Shakespearean galaxy, and finds English in the musical mathematics of the spheres. Using contemporary references from the time, meanings of words which have evolved into similar and different inferences, we learn the history of these times; from astronomy to optics, plays to puns, sonnets to sundials we experience the era and the relationships common to those living then.

[Bardfilm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful and varied exploration of mathematics in Shakespeare day and in Shakespeare works. Eastaway covers the new mathematical principle of zero ("cipher" to Shakespeare), how money worked in Shakespeare's day, what Elizabethans and Jacobeans thought about the stars and planets, and how many colors were in a rainbow back then. Intriguing and engaging. Recommended.

[Tom Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maths and Shakespeare. Some kid's nightmare. Some adults too!
But this was actually more about science and customs in Elizabethan England.
Eastaway is a master at writing about maths and science is a funny and engaging way. And of course you learn without even realising! Does any of it stick? We'll see. I've already forgotten how much a groat is...

[J Grimsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy Read but not what I thought it was about in that it was not the connections with Maths I'd hoped for.

[Diane Boudrias]

I never received the book.

[Rami Sarmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was kinda overwhelming for someone who hasnt read Shakespeare ever, almost DNF but pushed through it, definitely a good read.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love everything Shakespeare and there were some interesting bits but rare math trivia best describes the book.

[Jasmin Notarangelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I liked the overall idea of the book, I don't think that it was well executed.

There were a lot of times when I was sitting reading, and I thought to myself that he must've written this entire chapter to boost the word count.

The author waffled a lot, and there was too much unnecessary information that just brought down my rating of the book.

[Paulina Rowińska · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Shakespeare and I love maths. Of course I loved this book!