Plagiarism-Detection Software Confirms Shakespeare Play 185
mi tips us that software intended to help essay graders detect plagiarism has been used to attribute to Shakespeare — with high probability — a hitherto unattributed play, 'The Reign of Edward III.' It seems that the work was co-authored by Shakespeare and another playwright of the time, Thomas Kyd. "With a program called Pl@giarism, Vickers detected 200 strings of three or more words in 'Edward III' that matched phrases in Shakespeare's other works. Usually, works by two different authors will only have about 20 matching strings."
Phony (Score:4, Funny)
So what they're saying is that... (Score:3, Funny)
... Shakespeare plagiarized himself? Stop the presses!
Stake Your Claim (Score:5, Funny)
Game Show Host (John Cleese): Good evening and welcome to Stake Your Claim. First this evening we have Mr Norman Voles of Gravesend who claims he wrote all Shakespeare's works. Mr Voles, I understand you claim that you wrote all those plays normally attributed to Shakespeare?
Voles (Michael Palin): That is correct. I wrote all his plays and my wife and I wrote his sonnets.
Host: Mr Voles, these plays are known to have been performed in the early 17th century. How old are you, Mr Voles?
Voles: 43.
Host: Well, how is it possible for you to have written plays performed over 300 years before you were born?
Voles: Ah well. This is where my claim falls to the ground.
Host: Ah!
Voles: There's no possible way of answering that argument, I'm afraid. I was only hoping you would not make that particular point, but I can see you're more than a match for me!
Host: Mr Voles, thank you very much for coming along.
Voles: My pleasure.
Host: Next we have Mr Bill Wymiss who claims to have built the Taj Mahal.
Wymiss (Eric Idle): No.
Host: I'm sorry?
Wymiss: No. No.
Host: I thought you cla...
Wymiss: Well I did but I can see I won't last a minute with you.
Host: Next...
Wymiss: I was right!
Re:Stake Your Claim (Continued...) (Score:2, Funny)
Host: ... we have Mrs Mittelschmerz of Dundee who cla... Mrs Mittelschmerz, what is your claim?
Mittelschmerz (Graham Chapman in drag): That I can burrow through an elephant.
Host: (Pause) Now you've changed your claim, haven't you. You know we haven't got an elephant.
Mittelschmerz: (Insincerely) Oh, haven't you? Oh dear!
Host: You're not fooling anybody, Mrs Mittelschmerz. In your letter you quite clearly claimed that ... er ... you could be thrown off the top of Beachy Head into the English Channel and then be buried.
Mittelschmerz: No, you can't read my writing.
Host: It's typed.
Mittelschmerz: It says 'elephant'.
Host: Mrs Mittelschmerz, this is an entertainment show, and I'm not prepared to simply sit here bickering. Take her away, Heinz!
Mittelschmerz: Here, no, leave me alone! (Sound of wind and sea).
Mittelschmerz: Oooaaahh! (SPLOSH)
Re:Oblig. Shakespear Quote (Score:5, Funny)
In Soviet Russia, Shakespeare misspells THEE!
Re:Umm (Score:1, Funny)
Queen: Edward, do you have a sheep in there?
Edward: NO MOTHER!!!
Sheep: Baaaaa!
Queen: It's the lying that hurts...
I plagiarized Shakespeare too! (Score:5, Funny)
Back in college I briefly took a creative writing course which was filled with snobs clutching their leatherbound Infinite Jest copies who used words like "perspectival" and "serendipitous."
During one of the meetings the lecture focused on poetic expression with an emphasis on sonnets. Homework consisted of writing an abab, cdcd, efef, gg sonnet and reading it outloud to the circle of douchebags who then offered their opinions about the piece. Being an industrious person, I applied my murky understanding of F/OSS principles to the fine craft of poetic expression and forked one of Shakespeare's obscure sonnets, changing some archaic words into more modern form.
I got a round of faint applause then dropped the class 2 weeks later.
Divine inspiration (Score:5, Funny)
Another use would be to apply the algorithms to religious books to reveal which parts were really inspired by a divinity, and which parts were simply invented by some random, power hungry, con man, to control his peers.
They could call it Bl@sphemy.
Re:So what they're saying is that... (Score:4, Funny)
It might be plagiarism but it most certainly isn't copyright infringement.
At least in theory...the american legal system is convoluted enough that might not be true.
hackneyed phrases ... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:So what they're saying is that... (Score:5, Funny)
Shakespeare's stuff is still copyrighted? Damn, these extensions are getting ridiculous.
Re:I plagiarized Shakespeare too! (Score:5, Funny)
Wait, "serendipity" is a pretentious word now?
Sometimes strange, wonderful, coincidental things happen.
Re:I plagiarized Shakespeare too! (Score:3, Funny)
It's also a cromulent word.
DO NOT let Harlan Ellison hear about this software (Score:1, Funny)
Seriously, he's filed to many lawsuits as it is.
One for thine homies (Score:4, Funny)
It seems that the work was co-authored by Shakespeare and another playwright of the time, Thomas Kyd.
When working together, they were known by the name "Kyd Shakez."
Re:I plagiarized Shakespeare too! (Score:3, Funny)
Well damn my eyes, I think I've been using writers' words for years without even realizing it!
Re:Or... (Score:2, Funny)
Imagine how backwards computers would be if you had to write a new kernel, window system, and libraries every time you wanted to write an application.
Re:I plagiarized Shakespeare too! (Score:3, Funny)