In a breakthrough discovery for Golden Age literature, a previously unknown play by 16th-century Spanish writer Lope de Vega has been identified by artificial intelligence technology, The Guardian reports.
The play, entitled "La Francesa Laura," is a tale of love, jealousy, and social hierarchy and is unique in that it features a happy ending, a theme rare for the time period.
AI Uncovers Lost 'Golden Age' Play
The discovery was made by Golden Age literature experts Germán Vega and Alvaro Cuéllar as part of their "Etso" program, which uses AI technology to determine the authorship of plays from the Spanish Golden Age.
The artificial intelligence tool makes use of a process known as stylometry to compare how each author uses the words in varying proportions; consequently, the works are typically related based on their respective writers.
The digital transcription of the play and its comparison with the Etso database ultimately led to the conclusion that Lope de Vega was its author.
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The play was previously categorized as anonymous and dismissed for a long time by literary experts. However, the application of AI technology has transformed the field's research, and more undiscovered precious works are anticipated in the future.
According to scholars, "La Francesa Laura" was composed between 1628 and 1630, at a particular point in the Thirty Years' War. The play's depiction of France supports this theory, and it has also been determined that Lope de Vega's distinctive writing style is present throughout the play.
Technology Bridging History
Although "La Francesa Laura" may not rank among Lope de Vega's greatest works, it is thought to be interesting and has the potential to be staged.
Fans of Spanish literature from the Golden Age will find the discovery of this long-lost play to be a significant development, and it also demonstrates the tremendous ability of AI technology to locate hidden gems.
The Etso project and this discovery have revealed Lope de Vega's writings and made way for additional discoveries in the area. The application of AI technology has transformed the field of literature and will continue to be crucial in the search for lost works of art.
This discovery demonstrates the remarkable technological advancements and the potential they hold for the literary world. It serves as a timely reminder of the value of safeguarding the works that make up our cultural heritage and the role that technology can play in assisting us in finding hidden treasures.
As per Phys.org, since its rediscovery in the 19th century, scholars have been able to make two-thirds of the Gilgamesh epic text readable. The saga has only been preserved in fragments, just like all Babylonian literature.
Enrique Jiménez, Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures, and his group have been working on digitizing all remaining cuneiform tablets since 2018, processing as many as 22,000 text fragments like the literary research from the Golden Age.
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