Key Words and Key Sections:Exploring Shakespeare
Mike ScottSchool of English
University of LiverpoolTALC, Paris 3.7.06
This presentation is at www.lexically.net/downloads/corpus_linguistics
KWs of Shakespeare2
Starting Point
Scott and Tribble (2006) studying Romeo and Juliet:
1. “All Shakespeare plays” is a suitable reference corpus
2. A large number of KWs are proper nouns: characters in the play
3. Others: 1. theme KWs (love, death etc.)2. exclamations3. pronouns4. copula verbs
KWs of Shakespeare3
Aims of the Paper
To investigate KWs in all of Shakespeare's plays
To identify proportions of character/place KWs
To locate “unexpected” KWs in terms ofcharacterdistribution
KWs of Shakespeare4
Methods1. Obtain all plays (OUP 1916 edition)2. Convert to .txt 3. Use WordSmith’s WordList tool to
compute word-lists4. Use KeyWords tool to compute KWs for
each using all the plays as a reference corpus
5. Export the KWs for each into an Excel spreadsheet
6. Repeat 3-5 for all characters7. Identify KW types; understand why they
are key
KWs of Shakespeare5
HTML from Online Library of Liberty
KWs of Shakespeare6
the HTML source…
<div class="sp"><span class="ital_speaker">Lys.</span><p style="margin-top: -0.5em;">I am, my lord, as well deriv’d as he,</p>
<p class="p-no-indent1">As well possess’d; my love is more than his;<span class="milestone_right" title="Craig1916_line_100">100</span></p>
<p class="p-no-indent1">My fortunes every way as fairly rank’d</p>
<p class="p-no-indent1">If not with vantage, as Demetrius’;</p>
<p class="p-no-indent1">And, which is more than all these boasts can be,</p>
<p class="p-no-indent1">I am belov’d of beauteous Hermia.<span
KWs of Shakespeare7
Clean up process
1. Convert to XML (Dreamweaver)2. Custom program:
Remove standard headers Convert to Unicode Replace markup such as “deriv&8217;d” with
“deriv’d” Find XML markup for Dramatis Personae, build
standard list of characters Identify Act and Scene numbers, remove line
numbers; separate out stage directions Mark up all speech beginnings and endings Export each speech to a file for each character
KWs of Shakespeare8
Cleaned up
<LYSANDER> <5%>I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he,As well possess'd; my love is more than his;My fortunes every way as fairly rank'dIf not with vantage, as Demetrius';And, which is more than all these boasts can be,I am belov'd of beauteous Hermia.Why should not I then prosecute my right?Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,Upon this spotted and inconstant man.
</LYSANDER>
KWs of Shakespeare9
WordSmith Processing
Wordlists: of all the plays of each play (batch, 37 lists) of each character’s speeches (batch, 1313
lists)Using the first wordlist as the reference corpus
and exporting results to Excel, make KW lists … of each play (batch) of each character’s speeches (batch) and KW databases of the plays & the
characters
KWs of Shakespeare10
Examine KWs
Characters:FORTINBRAS, GERTRUDE, GUILDENSTERN, HAMLET,
HAMLET'S,HORATIO, LAERTES, OPHELIA, PYRRHUS, ROSENCRANTZ
Places:DENMARK, NORWAY
Pronouns:I, IT, T, THEE, THOU
Themes, events:MADNESS, PLAY,PLAYERS
Other (“unexpected”): E'EN, LORD, MOST, MOTHER, PHRASE, VERY
KWs of Shakespeare11
Most of these are uninteresting….
if you know the play you already know it concerns Hamlet and some other characters, that it’s set in Denmark and that Ophelia goes mad.
Approximately 50% are characters or places, compared with 30% in BNC, Scott & Tribble 2006:71)
KWs of Shakespeare12
KW databases
the KKWs of the plays:I, HER, SIR, YOU, KING, LOVE, SHE,
T, THY (6 or more plays each) the KKWs of the characters:
SIR, HER, LORD, YOU, MASTER, THOU, CAESAR, MADAM, THY, LOVE, SHE, A, I, OUR, WARWICK (12 or more characters each)
KWs of Shakespeare13
but the “others” and pronouns may be interesting
Why are such words “key” in this play?
“A word which is positively key occurs more often than would be expected by chance in comparison with the reference corpus.” (Help file, definition of keyness)
KWs of Shakespeare14
but what about Negative KWs?
“A word which is negatively key occurs less often than would be expected by chance in comparison with the reference corpus.” (Help file, definition of keyness)
KWs of Shakespeare15
All the negative KWs
A, AND, DOTH, FATHER, FOR, FROM, GOOD, HE, HER, HIM, HIS, I, I’LL, IN, IT, KING, LORD, LOVE, MASTER, ME, MOST, MY, OF, OUR, SHE, SIR, THE, THEE, THEIR, THERE, THY, THOU, TIS, WE, WHAT, WHY, YOU, YOUR
These are potentially interesting…
KWs of Shakespeare16
… if the generally negative KWs happen to be positive
Why are IT, LORD and MOST positively key in Hamlet…
if they are negatively key in the other plays?
Which characters are they most key of?
Where are they found, how are these KWs dispersed throughout the play?
KWs of Shakespeare17
Some are unsurprising
“LOVE”:Midsummer Night’s Dream – Helena,
LysanderAs You Like It – RosalindLove’s Labour’s Lost – ArmadoMuch Ado About Nothing – BenedickTwo Gentlemen of Verona – Julia,
Proteus, ValentineRomeo & Juliet – Juliet, Romeo
KWs of Shakespeare18
“SIR” Measure For Measure – Abhorson, Elbow,
Pompey Merry Wives of Windsor – Bardolph, Ford,
Rugby, Simple Henry IV part 2 – Bullcalf, Davy, Shallow Comedy of Errors – Angelo, Dromio of
Ephesus, Dromio of Syracuse Two Gentlemen of Verona – Speed
KWs of Shakespeare19
“MASTER”Merry Wives of Windsor – Evans,
Falstaff, Ford, Mistress Quickly, Shallow
Henry IV part 2 – FalstaffComedy of Errors – Dromio of
Ephesus
KWs of Shakespeare20
But some are puzzling
Why is IT key in the speeches of Hamlet? In the plays 0.95% (1 word in 100) but in
Hamlet’s speeches 1.48%: a 50% increase in this one character’s speeches…
Or in the speeches of Horatio in the same play?
In the plays 0.95% but in Horatio’s speeches 2.33%: nearly 250% of the average in this one character’s speeches!
KWs of Shakespeare21
IT in Hamlet
In Hamlet’s speeches, distributed evenly:
per 1,000 Plot
1 173 14.67
In Horatio’s speeches:per 1,000 Plot
1 23.74
KWs of Shakespeare22
Some references to the Ghost…
Concordance
212 <HAMLET> Did you not speak to it? <HORATIO> My lord, I did; But
213 my noble father's person, I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape And bid
214 <HAMLET> Very like, very like. Stay'd it long? <HORATIO> While one with
215 I warrant it will. <HAMLET> If it assume my noble father's person, I'll
KWs of Shakespeare23
… but that cannot explain more than a fraction
KWs of Shakespeare24
DO in Othello
Nearly twice as frequent as in the other plays
Characteristic of Iago (nearly twice as often) and Desdemona (more than 3 times as often)
DOST characteristic of Othello (more than 6 times as frequent)
KWs of Shakespeare25
Iago commanding
Concordance
1 <IAGO> Do thou meet me presently at the
2 knows you not. I'll not be far from you: do you find some occasion to anger
3 time, man. I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's wife is now the general:
4 vow I here engage my words. <IAGO> Do not rise yet. Witness, you ever-burni
5 out to savage madness. Look! he stirs; Do you withdraw yourself a little while, He
6 speak with me; The which he promis'd. Do but encave yourself, And mark the
7 mind again. This night, Iago. <IAGO> Do it not with poison, strangle her in her
8 him so That I may save my speech. Do but go after And mark how he
9 I am none such. <IAGO> Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day! <EMILIA> Has
10 I am sure I am none such. <IAGO> Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day!
KWs of Shakespeare26
Desdemona and conditionals
Concordance
11 warrant of thy place. Assure thee, If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it To the
12 go seek him. Cassio, walk hereabout; If I do find him fit, I'll move your suit And seek
13 tears, my lord? If haply you my father do suspect An instrument of this your
14 and ever did, And ever will, though he do shake me off To beggarly divorcement,
15 Good faith! how foolish are our minds! If I do die before thee, prithee, shroud me In
16 tell me, Emilia, That there be women do abuse their husbands In such gross
KWs of Shakespeare27
Othello’s DOST: suspicionConcordance
1 Ha! I like not that. <OTHELLO> What dost thou say? <IAGO> Nothing, my lord:
2 I love you. <OTHELLO> I think thou dost; And, for I know thou art full of love
3 thy brain Some horrible conceit. If thou dost love me, Show me thy thought.
4 for aught I know. <OTHELLO> What dost thou think? <IAGO> Think, my lord!
5 My noble lord,— <OTHELLO> What dost thou say, Iago? <IAGO> Did Michael
6 He did, from first to last: why dost thou ask? <IAGO> But for a
7 thought Too hideous to be shown. Thou dost mean something: I heard thee say
8 meditations lawful? <OTHELLO> Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago, If
9 to me as to thy thinkings, As thou dost ruminate, and give thy worst of
10 know my thoughts. <OTHELLO> What dost thou mean? <IAGO> Good name in
11 but keep 't unknown. <OTHELLO> Dost thou say so? <IAGO> She did
12 Farewell, farewell: If more thou dost perceive, let me know more; Set on
13 My noble lord,— <OTHELLO> If thou dost slander her and torture me, Never
14 you not hurt your head? <OTHELLO> Dost thou mock me? <IAGO> I mock
15 most cunning in my patience; But—dost thou hear?—most bloody. <IAGO>
16 And nothing of a man. <OTHELLO> Dost thou hear, Iago? I will be found most
17 t on the tree. O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade Justice to break her
18 in 's hand. O perjur'd woman! thou dost stone my heart, And mak'st me call
KWs of Shakespeare28
VERY
Traugott (1990) points out that diachronically, the meaning of an item may evolve:
propositional ((> textual) > (expressive))(Traugott, 1990:496)
KWs of Shakespeare29
VERY in Hamlet
Adamson & Gonzalez-Dias (forthcoming) show that very moves from an adjective (“true”) and develops adverbial uses in the 14th - 15th Centuries. By the 16th Century, we get
VERY+N formal VERY+ADJ formal, informal VERY+ADV more informal
KWs of Shakespeare30
VERY in Hamlet
VERY+N high status characters (Iago, Macbeth, Othello, Antony, Hamlet)
VERY+ADJ medium-low status (Mercutio (R&J), Beatrice (Ado), Fluellen (H5), Touchstone (AYL), Osric (Ham), Iago (Oth), Parolles (AllsW))
VERY+ADV low status (Pompey (MM)
Adamson & Gonzalez-Dias (forthcoming: table 3)
KWs of Shakespeare31
Osric & Hamlet
Concordance
16 head. <OSRIC> I thank your lordship, t'is very hot. <HAMLET> No, believe me, 'tis
17 full of most excellent differences, of very soft society and great showing: indeed,
18 <OSRIC> Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry,--as 'twere--I cannot tell how.
19 carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very responsive to the hilts, most delicate
KWs of Shakespeare32
VERY + ADV
Concordance Tag
61 well bethought: 'Tis told me he hath very oft of late Given private time to <POLONIUS>
62 this, Reynaldo? <REYNALDO> Ay, very well, my lord. <POLONIUS> 'And <REYNALDO>
63 it. <POLONIUS> Marry, well said; very well said. Look you, sir, Enquire <POLONIUS>
64 not? I Play. Ay, my lord. <HAMLET> Very well.--Follow that lord; and look <HAMLET>
65 enters.] [Enter a King and a Queen very lovingly; the Queen embracing <HAMLET>
66 How came he mad? 1 Clown. Very strangely, they say. <HAMLET> <HAMLET>
KWs of Shakespeare33
Hamlet’s KWs
It, woo’t, very, phrase, the, t, could e’en, why, sense, of, a, or, whereto, this, let, how
… a questioning role
KWs of Shakespeare34
Conclusions
Approximately 50% of the KWs are predictable names of characters and places, a higher ratio than in the BNC…
… because these are dialogues in plays. The high-frequency KWs investigated will naturally vary
in use from character to character and from play to play but methinks they do vary too much for this variation to
be mere chance KW patterns can illuminate diachronic study of language and understanding of character and role but there is a long way to go …
KWs of Shakespeare35
a warning to us all…
<COUNTESS>Marry, that's a bountiful answer that fits all questions.</COUNTESS>
<CLOWN>It is like a barber's chair that fits all buttocks; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock.</CLOWN>
<COUNTESS>Will your answer serve fit to all questions?</COUNTESS> <CLOWN>As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French
crown for your taffeta punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's forefinger, as a pancake for Shrove-Tuesday, a morris for Mayday, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a scolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin.</CLOWN>
<COUNTESS>Have you, I say, an answer of such fitness for all questions?</COUNTESS>
<CLOWN>From below your duke to beneath your constable, it will fit any question.</CLOWN>
<COUNTESS>It must be an answer of most monstrous size that must fit all demands.</COUNTESS>
KWs of Shakespeare36
Adamson, Sylvia & Victorina Gonzalez-Dias, “Back to the very beginning: the development of intensifiers in English”. Paper presented at 13th International Conference of English Historical Linguistics, Vienna, Aug. 2004.
Aston, Guy & Lou Burnard, 1988. The BNC Handbook. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Crystal, David & Ben Crystal, 2002. Shakespeare’s Words: a glossary and language companion. London: Penguin.
Scott, Mike & Chris Tribble, 2006. Textual Patterns: key words and corpus analysis in language education. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
Traugott, Elizabeth, 1990. “From Less to More Situated in Language: the Unidirectionality of Semantic Change” in S. Adamson, V. Law, N. Vincent & S. Wright, Papers from the 5th International Conference of English Historical Linguistics, Cambridge, 1987. Benjamins: Amsterdam, pp. 497-517.
References