Quantitative Drama Analysis and Time

Abstract

Quantitative drama analysis mostly relies on static metrics for plays as a whole, and pays little attention to historical changes in the structural properties described by these metrics. In this paper, therefore, we complement our previous results – which have explored structural differences between dramatic genres (comedies and tragedies) on a quantitative basis – with an aspect of temporality in two senses. On the one hand, we will examine the influence of the date of publication on the clusterization, and on the other hand, we will explore the development of some features within the works (during the progression of the plot). In doing so, we will show that the connection between form and content, which was established earlier on, becomes weaker in the course of the drama history, but does not lose its impact later on; furthermore we will also emphasise the processual nature of the genre-specific realisation of the relationships between characters.