The Limitations of Microattribution

This article explores methods for textual analysis of early modern plays and assesses approaches toward collecting verbal links between texts in attribution studies. As a case study, the article assesses Gary Taylor and John V. Nance’s methodology— known as microattribution—for identifying word combinations within play samples that they ascribe to Marlowe. In particular, the complex verbal relations between uncontested Marlowe and Kyd texts are examined. Finally, the article proposes a new methodology for collecting collocations utilizing a shared database.