Corpus of Dramas by the Čapek Brothers From a Quantitative Perspective

Abstract This text presents the first quantitative analysis of the plays of the Čapek brothers, exploring the linguistic and stylistic differences between their individual and collaborative works. Utilizing computational methods and quantitative approaches, it analyses a corpus of ten plays, focusing on the distribution and proportion of parts of speech in both dialogue and stage directions. The analysis reveals significant stylistic differences: Josef Čapek is characterized by a descriptive language rich in nouns with fewer words overall, while Karel Čapek uses a more dynamic approach with a predominance of verbs. Cluster analysis shows that Josef’s dramas form a separate, distinct group when both dialogue and stage directions are considered, with stage directions showing particularly marked differences. Morphological coefficients, including the noun coefficient (Kn) and Busemann coefficient (B), quantitatively confirm these stylistic differences, with Josef’s plays showing extreme values that indicate high descriptive saturation, especially in the stage directions. This structural analysis not only provides quantitative evidence of different authorial styles, but also lays a foundation for future research.