The thesis introduction identifies the many theoretical approaches to myth, and reveals the need to find a new approach to the study of myth in the works and thought of C. S. Lewis. Most approaches to the study of myth are criticised by Lewis and his literary group of friends, known as the Inklings, as reductive. In contrast, Lewis proposed a more holistic, transcendent power of myth. The first chapter explores the specific importance of myth to Lewis' developing thought, from his early experiences of Norse myth to the development of his views in debate and through his involvement with the Inklings. Tensions and inconsistencies in Lewis' statements about myth are explored and the chapter culminates with Lewis' appreciation of myth in Christian faith, literature, and his realisation of myth as an object of contemplation. Chapter Two explores and contrasts the theories and approaches to myth of Ernst Cassirer with those of Lewis. Both thinkers are compared and areas of similarity and difference are identified, including their reactions to the problem of myth and Nazi ideology. Chapter Three applies the phenomenological traits, characteristics and principles of myth developed by Cassirer to Lewis' science fiction fantasy Perelandra. Mythical consciousness is evoked in this work through mythical images, the inner form of myth, and the type of worldview that threatens to engulf Ransom. We can observe the way that myth involves a sense of unification. Chapter Four identifies the symbolic form of myth in Till We Have Faces. The general characteristics of myth are explored and the inner form, or particular logic, of myth is revealed to actively form the mythical relations that dominate the lives of the characters. The function of myth as a form of thought is explored in the novel. Chapter Five delineates the symbolic form of myth within The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, with particular emphasis upon Lewis' handling of demonic and divine forces and the mythical concept of sacrifice and rebirth. In conclusion, a more holistic appreciation of myth in Lewis' works and thought is developed through the application of Cassirer's myth principles to Lewis' works. Apparently disparate aspects of myth are revealed to have a cohesive unity in mythical consciousness.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was initiated to gain insight into cabaret as a form of theatre for the migration of singers with a classical singing orientation. It researches a form of music theatre known as entertainment cabaret, which is individual by nature, as it is not bound by convention. The study entails a discussion of the nature of cabaret as a diverse form of theatre. It illustrates the role of the artist and the genre’s music style in researching structure, to determine differences and similarities in the frameworks of cabaret and opera, with specific reference to classical singing. Currently there is an abundance of musical theatre genres, and cabaret is not differentiated as an individual genre. This leads to problems in the definitive classifying of cabaret, as well as the bridging of a singer with a classical singing orientation migrating to cabaret. The study researches the concept of, and reasons for, this migration in South Africa. The qualitative research method, which makes use of in-depth interviews to gain insight, generated a wealth of information about the realities in South Africa. This method introduces a new method of acquiring information, where the changes of the last few years had a tremendous impact on the careers of performing artists in South Africa. For this reason, artists with a classical singing orientation must have a choice to take action; to generate their own opportunities. The main findings and the need for multi-talented artists to adapt to the different styles of genres were analysed in the theoretical section, followed by a discussion of the respondents’ feedback selected to contribute to this study. The gap in skills between the cabaret artist and the classical singer is identified to showcase and define the possibility of cabaret as a form of theatre for classical singers. New categories are generated in which ideas of how development can be adapted are laid out. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om insig te verkry in kabaret as moontlike teatervorm vir die migrasie van sangers met ’n klassieke sangoriëntasie. Dit ondersoek die vermaaklikheidsvorm kabaret, ’n eiesoortige vorm van musiekteater deurdat dit nie deur konvensies begrens word nie. Die studie behels ’n bespreking van die aard van kabaret as diverse teatervorm, en illustreer die rol en vaardighede van die kabarettis asook die genre se musiekstyl om die ooreenkomste en verskille in die raamwerk van kabaret en opera, met betrekking tot klassieke sangoriëntasie, te ondersoek. Tans oorvloei die musiekteatergenres, en word kabaret nie as eiesoortige genre onderskei nie. Dit maak die onderskeid van kabaret, asook die oorbrugging van ’n klassieke sanger wat na kabaret migreer, uiters problematies. Die studie stel ondersoek in na die konsep van en redes vir die migrasie van sangers met ’n klassieke sangoriëntasie na kabaret in Suid-Afrika. Die kwalitatiewe metode, wat met behulp van diepte-onderhoude insig verkry, het ’n magdom inligting oor die werklikhede in Suid-Afrika opgelewer. Hierdie metodologie is ’n nuwe manier om inligting in te samel, veral in die lig van veranderinge in die laaste paar jaar in die land, wat ’n geweldige impak op die loopbaan van Suid-Afrikaanse uitvoerende kunstenaars gehad het. Kunstenaars met ‘n klassieke sangoriëntasie moet kan kies om tot aksie oor te gaan; om hulle eie geleenthede te genereer. Die hoofbevindinge en die behoefte dat veelsydige kunstenaars by verskillende genrestyle moet kan aanpas word in die teoretiese afdeling ondersoek, gevolg deur ’n bespreking van die respondentterugvoering wat vir die doel van die studie geselekteer is. Die gaping tussen die vaardighede van die kabarettis en klassieke sanger word geïdentifiseer om sodoende die moontlikheid van kabaret as teatervorm vir klassieke sangers te definieer. Nuwe kategorieë word geskep waarin idees vir die moontlike aanpassing van ontwikkeling neergelê word.

Thesis (MDram (Drama))—University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Oral Art (Woordkuns) as a performing art form is a burgeoning independent theatre genre that has developed especially over the last decade with the rise of the national arts festivals. By investigating the literary term word art, the eclectic nature of oral art as a theatre genre, the oral art text and the role of the visual within an oral art performance, we are able to give a paraphrase or definition of oral art as a theatre genre. Oral art as a performing art form can firstly be defined with reference to the origins of the oral art text, namely an existing work(s) that originated as a non-dramatic literary work(s) and that is revisited within a new context; secondly a shift in the dramatic presentation from physical action to the spoken word. The eclectic nature of oral art is a further characteristic of this theatre genre. Oral art has the ability to change in form and function and not only can it be biographical or autobiographical, but it can also be socio-politically intended. The hybrid nature of oral art – oral art texts combine in many cases works from different genres – also shows many similarities with other theatre genres like cabaret and black political protest theatre. Three possible structures are identified within the oral art text, namely an episodic structure, a developing story line or argument and a compilation consisting of a number of short stories or narratives. The oral art text can be compiled from a number of literary genres and the choice of material is determined by the overarching theme and the format of the performance. Visual elements support the oration within an oral art performance. The different types of texts used in the compilation of an oral art program determine the presentation style and stage composition. Physical action is representational rather than realistic. The use of décor, props, costumes and lighting are minimal and multi-functional.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Scholarly analysis of rhetorical speeches over the last century has been concentrated on the “traditional” ways of approaching this kind of texts, without paying much attention to their theatrical nature. The old critical analysis paid attention primarily (if not exclusively) to textual issues such as the recognition of grammatical points and the use of such texts as sources of information about historical and legal issues. The interest of scholars focuses, recently, on the study of rhetorical speeches as performances. Although some critical approaches of Demosthenes’ On the Crown appeared over the last few years, there is no systematic argument about the theatrical features of this masterpiece. By reading On the Crown, I emphasize the connection between law and theater and I suggest that rhetoric has its own “performativity”. The speech is a judicial performance: the speaker is like an actor, the court rostrum is like a theatrical scene and the audience that will vote for Demosthenes consists of the same people who take part in a theatrical performance, praising or booing the actors. The comic and tragic language and imagery, the use of emotional appeals (pathos) that is associated with the construction of characters (ēthopoiia), and finally, delivery (hypocrisis) are important theatrical devices, which Demosthenes uses in the speech. This report has a twofold structure: first, it offers a brief theoretical survey of the above-mentioned theatrical devices. Second, it provides a text-based analysis of the theatrical features of On the Crown, discussing how Demosthenes by using theatrical techniques in his speech succeeds in persuading the audience of the Crown trial and gaining an overwhelming victory over Aeschines. / text

Plusieurs encriers se sont déjà épuisés à écrire sur la Venise des films, mais leurs études étaient avant tout d'ordre historique. Nous tenons compte de cette approche, de cette histoire de l'imaginaire, car nous pensons qu'elle est le passage vers un regard esthétique sur certaines interprétations de l'espace vénitien, tel qu'il est représenté dans le cinéma de fiction. Choisies pour leur éclectisme mais aussi pour leurs éventuelles correspondances, les images de notre corpus filmographique nous entraînent vers une analyse variée de l'espace du plan (le cadre, le champ) et de celui du montage (la " dialectique " des plans). Notre démarche, attachée aussi bien aux rapports spirituels et matériels qu'aux résultats signifiants et inconscients entre le créateur et Venise, retrace la sensibilité perceptible dans chacun des films concernés. Grâce à cette sensibilité, nous voulons mieux connaître les conditions d'une poétique de l'espace vénitien (et urbain) à travers le film, mais aussi le statut de la fiction pour son spectateur. Nous considérons objectivement autant les lieux communs que les visions anti-mythiques de la ville, car la spectacularité, le quotidien et la découverte font tous partie de sa nature. Nous cherchons simplement à comprendre comment les images filmiques et leurs histoires peuvent encore progresser vers une définition plus claire de la " place " de Venise et du cinéma pour chacun de leurs observateurs, pour chacun de leurs auteurs.

Cette thèse porte sur l'émergence, puis l'évolution, d'une esthétique de l'altérité dansle cinéma de David Lean à partir du Pont de la Rivière Kwaï (1957) et jusqu'à sondernier film réalisé, La Route des Indes (1984). Elle adopte également la perspectived'une réévaluation qualitative du cinéma du cinéaste britannique, en mettant au jourles fondements idéologiques qui expliquent sa marginalisation dans le contextefrançais.Cette thèse interroge la façon dont le cinéma de David Lean contribue aux définitionsanthropologiques et culturelles de l'identité occidentale, dans sa relation avecl'altérité orientale. Le rôle des représentations de genre, de race et de classe estexaminé en lien avec les techniques cinématographiques dans la perspective de faireapparaître l'historicité et l'ethnicité des modalités de la figuration.L'analyse détaillée des quatre films que David Lean a consacrés à la représentationde l'histoire impériale britannique s'accompagne d'une étude précise du contexte deproduction de chacun des films. De plus, les filiations cinématographiques sontprises en compte afin de situer les films dans une histoire des représentations del'altérité. Le rôle central de la relation coloniale et postcoloniale dans l'élaborationd'une esthétique de l'altérité est envisagé tout au long de la période étudiée.Cette thèse aboutit à la conclusion d'une esthétique de l'altérité structurée par lanécessité pour la civilisation occidentale d'intégrer la notion de crise dans unprocessus de reconfiguration permanent. Cette nécessité émerge avec lesindépendances et la décolonisation. Elle s'impose à partir des années 1970 avecl'autonomie des sujets dominés qui composaient jusque-là l'Orient imaginaire

<p>This dissertation contains two related documents: a piece of music entitled <italic>Hallmarks, Sigils & Colophons</italic> for three female singers and chamber orchestra setting excerpts from Christian Bök's <italic>Eunoia</italic>; and an article entitled "Reorganizing the Rock and Roll: U.S. Maple's Musical Deconstructions." These two chapters are linked by an engagement with the phonic materiality of speech and the polyvalent implications that arise from the intense musical study of that materiality. </p><p>Chapter 1, <italic>Hallmarks, Sigils & Colophons</italic>, is a six-movement work for soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, and chamber ensemble. Each movement sets excerpts from the individual chapters of Christian Bök's <italic>Eunoia</italic>, a collection of prose poems inspired by the avant-garde literary group Oulipo. As such, each chapter only uses single vowels: "Chapter A" uses only words with the letter a, "Chapter E" uses only e, and so on. The piece explores the sound worlds of each individual vowel, attempting to create unified musical ideas from each vowel's unique sonic character. I am particularly interested in the ways in which the limited range of vowel sounds changes the affect of a sonic space. I occasionally attempt to mimic (or at least reference) Bök's use of constraints, though I never allow constraint to override musical concerns. Despite using words, this piece tells no unified story, and each movement exists, on some levels, as self-contained wholes.</p><p>Chapter 2, "Reorganizing the Rock and Roll: U.S. Maple's Musical Deconstructions," discusses the relationship between the music of the rock group U.S. Maple and Derrida's theories of deconstruction. U.S. Maple's music is often described by critics and fans as "deconstructing" rock music, though the band dismisses the term for its pejorative implications. In this article, I argue that the band's music could, in fact, be read as expanding the Derridean concepts of <italic>différance</italic> and the "trace" into the realm of music. I describe how US Maple performs what Marcel Cobussen terms "deconstruction in music" to the case of conventional hard rock tropes. I focus particularly on the way in which singer Al Johnson creates a language out of paralinguistic utterances--singing in yelps, growls, grunts, groans, and garbled words--and thereby cultivates the multiplicity of sounds and significations that are typically relegated to subordinate status by other rock singers. I also use Richard Middleton's ideas about repetition in pop music to analyze how the band deconstructs the syntax of rock by imbuing their songs with the affect of improvisation.</p> / Dissertation

An analysis of the transformation from Stravinsky's opera The Nightingale to The Song of the Nightingale, a symphonic poem by the same composer. The text includes a brief history of Stravinsky's life and the genesis of The Nightingale and The Song of the Nightingale. The bulk of the dissertation discusses actual changes employed by Stravinsky (with score examples). Patterns of modifications are identified and discussed as they relate to the composer's change of attitude in orchestration. The analysis focuses on overall patterns of alteration imposed by Stravinsky and their perceived effectiveness achieving a symphonic aural outcome.

Where and how can the live experience 'being there' be positioned in Scottish live art culture? Such transformatively liminal corporeity is situated in three examples of performative objects intrinsically linked to readings of Scottish identity. By collating a 'blood culture imprint' of 1970s performance art with Scottish live artist Alastair McLennan's positioning of the artist body as art, the thesis presents a revised understanding of how and where the live can be placed within Highland Gaelic culture. The specificity of this frame is intrinsically linked to the 'blood culture imprint' of Culloden and as such presents a liminal outworking in the three examples chosen which collectively portray an object body in the form of a textual anatomy of 'Scotland' or 'Alba'. Using contemporary live art discourse, the ontological origins of performance art in Scotland are situated as potentially live within the transfixed frame of the thesis itself, thereby positioning the authorship and readership of its contents as a revivifying act per se, reflecting the theoretical argument. I will argue that despite a seeming lack of performance art tradition in Scotland, this 'blood culture imprint' of the 1970s can be used to define Culloden and post- Culloden culture as necessarily animated by instances of live art. The examples chosen are James Clerk Maxwell's first colour photograph of a tartan ribbon, scalping survivor Scotsman Robert McGee's cabinet card and James MacPherson's Ossian repositioned as a post-genocide numinous wish text. Each performative object betrays its ontological origins, displaying a textual anatomy which argues that collating a performer body of 'Alba' can demonstrate a fundamental and historical performance culture.