This paper examines the role of the ability to speak in Ovid's construction of identity within the Metamorphoses . As various scholars have recognized, metamorphosis in Ovid is closely connected with the issue of identity. An important aspect of identity in Metamorphoses is the linguistic ability of its characters. Ovid's manipulation of his characters' linguistic ability and, in particular, of their loss of speech adds meaning to what it is to be metamorphosed in Ovid's chef d'oeurve . Throughout the work, Ovid consistently portrays the metamorphosized human characters as changed due to their lack of linguistic ability. Since the ability was seen as an aspect strictly reserved for humans, the loss of such ability led to the dehumanization, or metamorphosis, of the character. In the stories of Lycaon, Acteon, Philomela, Echo, Io, et al., Ovid takes each characters ability to speak from them as they mutate into their changed shape. The mens of each is intact; however, they are unable to speak and, thus, are unable to communicate with humanity. This lack of connection to humanity results in the loss of the ability to express identity or, in fact, to have identity. To explore the role of speech loss in construction of identity, this paper analyzes Ovid's depiction of humans metamorphosed through the lens of modern socio-linguistic theory. The theory of performative utterance first introduced by J.L. Austin and then refined by many other scholars, most notably John Searle, provides an interestingly fresh prism through which to examine Ovid's construction of identity. In addition, if one includes the literary-philosophical ideas of the 20th century scholar Walter Benjamin into the mix, the picture is refined further. To these scholars, if one could not speak, one could not be. Words are not a simple means by which one can communicate. Instead, they form the ability to do within a society, thereby describing one's ability to become a part of humanity. By stripping the metamorphosed of their ability to be and, consequently, the ability to do something human, Ovid removes their human identity. Moreover, by looking at such narrative technique through the kaleidoscope of Benjamin, Austin, and Searle, this paper hopes to open doors to the discussion of how Ovid saw his own identity. As a poet, the power of speech was paramount to him and because of such speech, Ovid could be spoken of amongst humanity (ore legar populi), a concept later picked up by Martial (3.95,7 and 8.3,7). Could this power have led Ovid to see a heightened identity for himself as well, a melior pars that might possibly give him precedence over the rest of mankind, or possibly over Augustus himself? Or, in the words of 18th century German poet Heinrich Heine, "Don't belittle the poets, they can flash and thunder, they are more fierce than the bolt of Jove, which, after all, they created for him." / text

An in depth reflection of the development of my approach to directing theatre as seen through the production processes of co-creating and directing The Psyche Project, directing Our Town by Thornton Wilder, and the journey of becoming a wife and a mother. / text

The aim of this thesis is to study the iconography of the sphinx in Early Archaic Greek art and plot its origin and evolution. Therefore the Dark Age material is dealt with in some detail. Two types of sphinxes are attested, both radically different from the Minoan-Mycenaean sphinx. The wingless sphinx is a typically Dark Age creation attested throughout the period but without an obvious further influence in Archaic Greek art. The winged sphinx is introduced to Cretan Art in the Dark Ages from the Orient and the type preserves its vitality through successive waves of Oriental influence. The sphinx in the Geometric and Orientalizing period is more clearly traced to the Orient. In drawing up a typology I have taken as my starting point the hybrid winged feline and human character of the monster. Thus the following types emerge: a) winged female, b) winged male, c) wingless, d) with equine elements, e) with human arms, f) doublebodied, g) gorgon-sphinx, and i) sphinx protome. The iconography of each type is discussed in depth and a detailed pattern established of the interrelationship of workshops. In dealing with the imported sphinxes emphasis has been placed on discussing some classes of objects of a possibly Greek origin. Finally the evidence for the nature and the character of the motif in the Early Archaic period is discussed and the conclusion reached is that the sphinx does not enter the Boeotian myth earlier than the end of the seventh century.

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It is the purpose of this thesis to examine the classical allusion in Donne's secular poetry to show that the body of such allusion is more extensive than is generally conceded. More important, this study will evaluate rather than merely catalogue the allusions in order to show ho Donne employs such allusion and in what way his poetic practice as to the employment of classical allusion is different from the practice of his contemporaries. It will be demonstrated that, with very few exceptions, Donne uses the standard myth or allusion as a foundation or departure point from which he then goes on to synthesize the myth and turn it into poetic material that is of special significance to his theme.

The use of fantasy by the artists of the period 1250-1650 A.D. will be discussed under five categories. 1. Fantasy was used by artists in religious paintings, which served as a visual book to be viewed by the people. The artist used fantasy to show or illustrate events or miracles which could not be logically explained. 2. Fantasy was used by the artists to portray Greek and Roman mythological subjects and events. 3. Fantasy was used by the artists to present allegorical figures and ideas. 4. Fantasy was used to illustrated dreams or visions. 5. Finally, fantasy was used to create and present all kinds of fantastic creatures and monsters of the subconscious or dream world.

Very little of the huge corpus of Beowulf criticism has been directed at discovering the function and meaning of myth in the poem. Scholars have noted many mythological elements, but there has never been a satisfactory explanation of the poet's use of this material. A close analysis of Beowulf reveals that myth does, in fact, inform its structure, plot, characters and even imagery. More significant than the poet's use of myth, however, is the way he interlaces the historical and Christian elements with the mythological story to reflect his understanding of the cyclic nature of human existence. The examination in Chapter II of the religious component in eighth-century Anglo-Saxon culture demonstrates that the traditional Germanic religion or mythology was still very much alive. Thus the Beowulf poet was certainly aware of pre-Christian beliefs. Furthermore, he seems to have perceived basic similarities between the old and new religions, and this understanding is reflected in the poem. Chapter III discusses the way in which the characterization of the monsters is enriched by their mythological connotations. Chapter IV demonstrates that the poet also imbued the hero Beowulf with mythological significance. The discussion in Chapter V of themes and type-scenes reveals the origins of these formulaic elements in Indo-European myth, particularly in the myth of the dying god. Chapter VI argues that both historical and mythological layers of meaning reflect traditional man's view of history as cyclic, a temporal period with a beginning and an end. At the juncture between end and beginning is conflict, which is necessary for regeneration. The interlacing of Christian, historical and mythic elements suggests the impossibility of extricating the individual and collective historical manifestations from the cosmic imperative of this cycle. The Beowulf poet perhaps saw in the ancient myths which permeated his cultural traditions the basis of meaning of human existence.

This Thesis is my effort to understand what subjects I find interesting and why. In the processes of writing and making sculpture, I discovered that my underlying fascination is in history. I am interested in places and objects for their individual qualities, but I also want to know how they relate to the world. If I am drawn to an ancient place or object, I want to examine how it fits into the contemporary world, and visa versa. The complexity of these relationships is increased by the vast number of histories (or stories) that are intertwined in the world. Over the course of the thesis I write about my various influences, and the development of my work from undergraduate to graduate school. This progression has been from observation of natural world to a more complex questioning of how the world came to be what it is. I conclude by defining the direction in which I want my work to continue: directly along the border between myth and reality.

D.Litt. et Phil. / In the Oresteia of Aeschylus, the female characters meet with one of five different fates: vilification, silencing or erasure from the text, metamorphosis, sacrifice or murder. In Ancient Greek culture, ideas of the female corresponded to the following archetypes: Virgin and Wife/Mother. There exists, in mythology, another repository of archetypes which we may categorise as a group of women not connected to the household, functioning on the level of legend or the supernatural, who represent negative degrees of aberration of the feminine. The first two categories, Virgin and Wife/Mother, therefore, are integral to the Greek concept of the oikos (household) whilst the third category, Female Aberrations or Monsters, are seen as a direct threat to the oikos. I postulate a connection between the female characters of Aeschylus’ drama, the mythical archetypes of women found in myth and the fates suffered by each character. My focus in this dissertation, Archetypal Simulacra—Women in Aeschylus’ Oresteia is the depiction of female characters in the Oresteia and how the mythological archetypes of women as described above have influenced this depiction. I aim to determine how Aeschylus used traditional myths and depictions and what the extent and purpose was of his mythopoesis. I first offer a preliminary exploration of women as defined by social practice and various canonical literary works which served to define many mythological precedents for how women were conceived in later literature. This task I divide into two aspects: firstly in an assessment of the archetypes appearing in Greek mythology to which the female characters in the Oresteia correspond; and secondly in an exploration of how these characters were ‘scripted’ into the trilogy and to what extent they supported or undermined their societal ‘script’. In my aim to discover the connection between the portrayal of the female characters, their mythical determinants and the fates they suffer in the course of the drama I conclude that Aeschylus adapts myth in such a way that it underpins and justifies the patriarchal structures. He changes or eradicates his female characters who threaten to reject these strictures. He supplies us with female figures who support the male cause while he violently negates those women who threaten to damage male authority. The playwright has used the plasticity of traditional myth to support the society of Athens with its attitudes and fears regarding the feminine Other who exists in its shadows.

This essay aims to find a correlation between the poetry of William Butler Yeats and the social-cultural context of its time-period. With the aid of conceptual history, representations of fundamental concepts can be revealed in the written text. The methodological approach is based on Reinhart Koselleck's Begriffsgeschichte where concepts are used for timing history. The two concepts in focus in the essay are 'crisis' and 'the Golden Age'. The results found in the analysis of Yeats' poems displayed to a high amount the representation of the concept of 'crisis', revealing that crisis in the society at that time is reflected in Yeats' poems, but representations of the counter-concept 'the Golden Age' was only partly found in poems from his later collections. A suggestion for further research is to perform a study where several contemporary poets are investigated simultaneously with the aid of conceptual history.