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Tracking Social Networking In Shakespeare Plays

Posted by simoniker on from the rosencrantz-and-guildenstern-closely-allied dept.

An anonymous reader writes "By feeding PieSpy (an IRC bot used to visualise social networks) with the entire texts of Shakespeare plays, it became possible to produce drawings of the social networks present in his plays - it is now possible to visualize the relationships between the characters in his works, and see Shakespeare in an entirely new light."

5 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. Symmetric vs. Asymmetric relationships by G4from128k · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Based on the article and PieSpy site, it seems that PieSpy only finds the existence of a connection between members -- a symmetric relationship in which "A connects to B" implies "B connects to A". Yet human relationships tend to be asymmetric: "A likes B" does not imply that "B likes A" and "A controls B" certainly does not imply "B controls A".

    A more powerful version of PieSpy would examine the text (and context) of who is connecting to whom. For example, the introduction of new words by some members of the network and the echoing of those words by others would help identify the directional flow of information in the network and help assess the level of control of the thread by some members over others. Analyzing the emotional content of words in threads could probably even let the software make approximate judgements of who likes/hates whom. Analyzing when some members leave IRC as a function of the joining of other members might also help detect asymmetric relationships.

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
    1. Re:Symmetric vs. Asymmetric relationships by paiute · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Based on the article and PieSpy site, it seems that PieSpy only finds the existence of a connection between members -- a symmetric relationship in which "A connects to B" implies "B connects to A". Yet human relationships tend to be asymmetric: "A likes B" does not imply that "B likes A" and "A controls B" certainly does not imply "B controls A".

      Spot on. The plots are driven by asymmetric interpersonal relationships. It is the very basis of all the humor and all the tragedy.

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    2. Re:Symmetric vs. Asymmetric relationships by Otter · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Spot on. The plots are driven by asymmetric interpersonal relationships. It is the very basis of all the humor and all the tragedy.

      You mean that A loves B but B doesn't realize she's a woman dressed as a man and therefore loves C who loves D? I guess that's true.

      On the other hand, what does come across strikingly is how the peripheral goofball characters (Dogberry and Verges, the rude mechanicals, the various collections of guards) float around in isolation for four acts before crashing in to help wrap up the ending.

      --
      What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  2. Re:ENG 201 by 16K+Ram+Pack · · Score: 5, Insightful
    My Eng Lit classes made me think that Shakespeare was nothing but a chore. Thankfully, some friends encouraged me to go and see it at the theatre.

    Before any kid is given a book of a Shakespeare play, they should go and see it performed.

    And a note to english teachers - these are stories and are meant to entertain people - remember that when you teach it.

  3. Re:Am I the only one ... by slim · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This could have easily been done with any other author/book/etc. Lord of the Flies IMO would have been more fitting

    Theorising, somewhat, but if this software was designed for IRC, it expects input roughly in the form "Name of speaker: words spoken".

    Hence it needs plays rather than novels.