# Common time-window check (1590–1613)

This is a **time-window sensitivity check**, not a comparison in which date has been controlled. Both groups (Shakespeare's plays; all other plays of the genre) are restricted by the same rule — estimated first-performance / composition year (British Drama first, Annals fallback, as on the Chronology page) between 1590 and 1613 inclusive — and the existing work-level topic shares are re-aggregated with the measure unchanged (one representative edition per work, works equal-weighted, share of all words, 53 included topics). Nothing is re-embedded, re-clustered or re-reviewed; the full-period results are not replaced. The window is the span of Shakespeare's own dated works in these genres and was fixed before the results were seen. The full-period random reference does not apply to the window groups and is not reused. A difference that persists in the window is not thereby shown to be independent of date, and a difference that shrinks is not thereby shown to be caused by date; the check only says what remains when the earliest and latest plays are set aside.

## Comedy

Works: Shakespeare 11 → 11 in the window; others 140 → 64. Mean included-topic coverage: Shakespeare 30.0 % → 30.0 %; others 34.6 % → 31.8 %. JSD on the selected topics (descriptive): 0.2129 → 0.2435 bits; with the rest bin 0.0696 → 0.0751. Dates inside the window are still not matched: median adopted year Shakespeare 1596 (IQR 1594–1599) vs others 1604 (IQR 1600–1607).
Other plays set aside by decade: 1520s: 1, 1530s: 1, 1550s: 2, 1560s: 2, 1570s: 2, 1580s: 10, 1610s: 10, 1620s: 22, 1630s: 26. Authors most represented among them: Shirley, James (16), Lyly, John (7), Jonson, Ben (6), Heywood, Thomas (4), Fletcher, John (4), Massinger, Philip (3).

| topic | Shakespeare full → window (%) | others full → window (%) | difference full → window (pp) | works with topic, window (S / others) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour | 3.84 → 3.84 | 4.76 → 3.17 | -0.92 → +0.66 | 6/11 / 21/64 |
| T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint | 4.36 → 4.36 | 1.62 → 2.00 | +2.73 → +2.36 | 5/11 / 22/64 |
| T6 Money, debt and credit | 2.54 → 2.54 | 1.75 → 2.20 | +0.79 → +0.34 | 2/11 / 24/64 |
| T3 Sickness, physic and doctors | 1.39 → 1.39 | 2.54 → 2.20 | -1.14 → -0.81 | 3/11 / 15/64 |
| T1 Death, grief and revenge | 1.39 → 1.39 | 1.78 → 1.48 | -0.39 → -0.09 | 3/11 / 19/64 |
| T16 Gallantry: ladies, lordships and compliment | 1.13 → 1.13 | 1.39 → 1.32 | -0.26 → -0.19 | 3/11 / 20/64 |
| T22 Shepherds, flocks and Pan | 1.72 → 1.72 | 0.36 → 0.32 | +1.36 → +1.41 | 2/11 / 3/64 |
| T32 Rings and jewels as tokens | 1.56 → 1.56 | 0.49 → 0.41 | +1.08 → +1.16 | 3/11 / 8/64 |
| T28 Marriage-making: weddings, brides and matches | 0.87 → 0.87 | 1.08 → 0.88 | -0.21 → -0.01 | 3/11 / 14/64 |
| T8 Captains, gallants and cheats | 0.00 → 0.00 | 1.86 → 2.75 | -1.86 → -2.75 | 0/11 / 16/64 |

Topics whose difference of means moves by ≥ 1 pp or changes sign (all selected topics): T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour (-0.92 → +0.66, sign change), T30 Constables, justices and the watch (-0.47 → +0.22, sign change), T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil war (+0.07 → -0.03, sign change).
The paper's ten topics (full-period rule) that leave the window's own top ten: T28; entering: T9.

## Tragedy

Works: Shakespeare 12 → 12 in the window; others 99 → 40. Mean included-topic coverage: Shakespeare 35.7 % → 35.7 %; others 42.6 % → 42.1 %. JSD on the selected topics (descriptive): 0.2773 → 0.2711 bits; with the rest bin 0.1099 → 0.1074. Dates inside the window are still not matched: median adopted year Shakespeare 1603 (IQR 1598–1606) vs others 1606 (IQR 1600–1610).
Other plays set aside by decade: 1550s: 1, 1560s: 14, 1570s: 1, 1580s: 12, 1610s: 8, 1620s: 13, 1630s: 9, 1640s: 1. Authors most represented among them: Seneca, Lucius Annaeus (10), Massinger, Philip (6), Marlowe, Christopher (5), Anonymous (5), Studley, John (4), Heywood, Jasper (3).

| topic | Shakespeare full → window (%) | others full → window (%) | difference full → window (pp) | works with topic, window (S / others) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil war | 11.86 → 11.86 | 5.73 → 9.29 | +6.13 → +2.56 | 4/12 / 13/40 |
| T1 Death, grief and revenge | 3.98 → 3.98 | 7.06 → 7.40 | -3.08 → -3.42 | 8/12 / 29/40 |
| T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its aftermath | 4.80 → 4.80 | 2.39 → 0.57 | +2.42 → +4.23 | 2/12 / 4/40 |
| T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour | 1.17 → 1.17 | 4.73 → 5.41 | -3.56 → -4.24 | 2/12 / 9/40 |
| T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint | 2.24 → 2.24 | 0.71 → 0.71 | +1.54 → +1.54 | 4/12 / 8/40 |
| T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and soldans | 0.00 → 0.00 | 2.69 → 0.34 | -2.69 → -0.34 | 0/12 / 3/40 |
| T25 Kings, power and law: political sententiae | 0.25 → 0.25 | 1.65 → 2.98 | -1.41 → -2.74 | 1/12 / 9/40 |
| T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, slaughter and funeral rites | 0.22 → 0.22 | 1.46 → 0.00 | -1.24 → +0.22 | 1/12 / 0/40 |
| T15 Friars and holy orders in plot | 1.20 → 1.20 | 0.36 → 0.36 | +0.84 → +0.84 | 1/12 / 3/40 |
| T6 Money, debt and credit | 1.19 → 1.19 | 0.29 → 0.49 | +0.91 → +0.70 | 1/12 / 6/40 |

Topics whose difference of means moves by ≥ 1 pp or changes sign (all selected topics): T2 Roman politics: senate, consuls and civil war (+6.13 → +2.56), T17 Eastern conquest: Persians, Turks and soldans (-2.69 → -0.34), T7 The Trojan war: conflict and its aftermath (+2.42 → +4.23), T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, slaughter and funeral rites (-1.24 → +0.22, sign change), T20 Hercules: labours, suffering and virtue (-1.45 → -0.08), T25 Kings, power and law: political sententiae (-1.41 → -2.74), T52 Prodigals, portions and poor kin (+0.33 → -0.01, sign change), T11 Siblings, kin and confidants (-0.07 → +0.16, sign change).
The paper's ten topics (full-period rule) that leave the window's own top ten: T17, T34, T15; entering: T54, T59, T40.

## History

Works: Shakespeare 11 → 11 in the window; others 23 → 15. Mean included-topic coverage: Shakespeare 36.8 % → 36.8 %; others 37.9 % → 36.5 %. JSD on the selected topics (descriptive): 0.2948 → 0.3666 bits; with the rest bin 0.1099 → 0.1343. Dates inside the window are still not matched: median adopted year Shakespeare 1595 (IQR 1592–1597) vs others 1599 (IQR 1595–1604).
Other plays set aside by decade: 1580s: 4, 1610s: 1, 1620s: 2, 1630s: 1. Authors most represented among them: Anonymous (4), Fisher, Jasper (1), Jonson, Ben (1), Drue, Thomas (1), W., J. (1).

| topic | Shakespeare full → window (%) | others full → window (%) | difference full → window (pp) | works with topic, window (S / others) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T10 England and France: war, embassy and peace | 13.45 → 13.45 | 3.19 → 2.09 | +10.26 → +11.36 | 6/11 / 4/15 |
| T18 Rebels, barons and the king's wars at home | 3.11 → 3.11 | 9.16 → 8.89 | -6.05 → -5.78 | 5/11 / 7/15 |
| T43 York and Lancaster: dynastic claims and conflict | 5.77 → 5.77 | 1.78 → 0.86 | +3.99 → +4.91 | 6/11 / 4/15 |
| T31 Popes, cardinals and the crown | 3.34 → 3.34 | 3.33 → 2.86 | +0.02 → +0.48 | 2/11 / 3/15 |
| T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour | 2.27 → 2.27 | 3.27 → 1.59 | -1.00 → +0.68 | 6/11 / 2/15 |
| T1 Death, grief and revenge | 2.50 → 2.50 | 2.12 → 1.86 | +0.38 → +0.63 | 7/11 / 5/15 |
| T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation | 0.00 → 0.00 | 3.15 → 4.82 | -3.15 → -4.82 | 0/11 / 2/15 |
| T38 Death, parting and grief at court | 1.65 → 1.65 | 1.49 → 1.93 | +0.17 → -0.28 | 4/11 / 7/15 |
| T14 Royal love, favour and dynastic relationships | 0.90 → 0.90 | 1.44 → 2.20 | -0.54 → -1.30 | 3/11 / 4/15 |
| T15 Friars and holy orders in plot | 0.00 → 0.00 | 2.33 → 1.84 | -2.33 → -1.84 | 0/11 / 1/15 |

Topics whose difference of means moves by ≥ 1 pp or changes sign (all selected topics): T0 Court life: dukes, favour and honour (-1.00 → +0.68, sign change), T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation (-3.15 → -4.82), T10 England and France: war, embassy and peace (+10.26 → +11.36), T38 Death, parting and grief at court (+0.17 → -0.28, sign change).
The paper's ten topics (full-period rule) that leave the window's own top ten: T15; entering: T6.

## Membership sensitivity

window_topic_means.csv and window_counts.csv repeat every value with the works whose bracketed date limits cross a window edge placed by their lower limit and by their upper limit (boundary works listed in checks.json). These are boundary cases for the membership rule, not alternative datings, and the window itself is not changed.