Enlarge Cover
Media/Desk Copy Request
Open a new portal into Shakespeare’s words—and his Renaissance life—with math and numbers as your key “Highly readable. . . . Shakespeare’s surprising yet unsurprising mathematical sophistication led to some of his most creative feats.”—Bloomberg
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.
“A Bloomberg Best Book of the Year
A 2025 Mathical Honor Book for Grades 9–12
"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.”—Bloomberg, a Best Book of the Year, 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
“This delightful book provides surprising examples of Shakespeare’s references in his sonnets and plays to new discoveries in mathematics and science that were occurring at the end of the 16th century. . . . It offers an excellent opportunity for secondary school mathematics, science, and English teachers to collaborate.”—Mathical Book Prize selection committee, a 2025 Honor Book
