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The Shakespeare Computational Stylistics Facility

 

The CSF is an initiative of the Australian e-Humanities Network. It was created by the Centre for Literary and Linguistic Computing at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. The project was funded by the Australian Research Council through a Learned Academies Special Projects grant. Design and programming is by Russell Whipp.

 

Introduction

The Computational Stylistics Facility presents a set of Shakespeare play texts with a ready-made apparatus for computational-stylistics exploration. Within its parameters, users can define any number of variations on what is analysed and how. The system has been designed for use by those with no experience in computational stylistics, and is set out so as to work intuitively as far as possible.

The texts can be analysed as whole plays, blocks, i.e. sequential segments of plays, or as character parts. Word-variables for the analyses can be typed or pasted in, or the system can calculate for you the 20, 50, or 100 most common words of the whole set or the sub-set of texts you are using. The best way to start is with a simple walk-through. Four are offered below.

Fuller instructions are in the CSF manual which you can download here. You may also like to consult a recent poster presentation on the CSF.

CSF Walk-throughs

(Note that when navigating back to re-run any analysis, you need to “Remove all” of your play or character selections, and “Clear” your word selections in order to start afresh.)

A. Exploring broad differences between the three genres

B. Exploring differences between the three Falstaffs of Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 and The Merry Wives of Windsor

C. Exploring larger characters’ use of the various forms of the second person pronoun

D. Exploring the consistency in the contrast between some representative tragedies and comedies of Shakepeare’s middle period

Start the CSF applet