Abstract

The “Shakespearean Character Network” dataset leverages XML editions of Shakespeare’s plays from the Folger Shakespeare Library to analyze character interactions and dynamics within the plays. These XML files, containing detailed textual data such as dialogue and stage directions, are processed using the Python script in the repository. The script generates matrices that document character presence on stage and their verbal exchanges, stored in various directories such as output_onstage and output_exchange. Additionally, visualizations like heatmaps and network graphs offer visual and quantifiable insights into character co-presence and communication patterns. Centrality measures and clustering indices, computed for these interaction networks, further enhance the analysis by quantifying the degree of character clustering and the intensity of their interactions. The dataset aims to provide a comprehensive view of the structural relationships in Shakespeare’s plays. This resource is for researchers aiming to explore the dynamics of Shakespearean characters through a combination of computational methods and literary analysis.