Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: "The growth of any discipline depends on the ability to communicate and develop ideas, and this in turn relies on a language which is sufficiently detailed and flexible" (Singh 1997: 59). Many metaphors relating to creativity are too misleading, confusing, and restricted in scope for a meaningful exploration of the phenomenon and its fluctuating social and cultural contexts. Given the Muse's long-term association with literature, philosophy, education, and more recently, the fine arts and other "creative" fields, an analysis of this concept may provide a unique opportunity to gain insight into the "mechanisms" underlying the creative process. Since affiliation with the Muse appears to have signalled attainment of critical cultural and/or social status by cultural practitioners in various societies, from the ancient to the present (a category which was broadened substantially), it is thus logical to assume this concept encompasses and has accumulated characteristics particular to the creative process as historically and currently valued in Western culture. Given the limited scope of the thesis, I have focused on specific concerns: 1) Provide an overview of the history, origin and development of the concept via specific examples ranging from antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern. 2) Assess the changes which have occurred in the development of the concept, and postulate likely causes: such as for example, the impact of an increased focus on the visual - and by extension, the physical - due to a more literate populace, on a concept originally conceived of as experienced through predominantly audial means. 3) Identify closely related concepts, the characteristics of which may have played a role in the formulation of the initial concept, along with those integrated into it, to form the modern version of the Muse: examples include the influence of the myth of Pygmalion on notions regarding the poet's relationship with both material and Muse; and the consequences of an amalgamation of characteristics of Aphrodite with those of the pastoral Muse. 4) Explore the extent to which the Muse-poet interaction can reveal fundamental aspects of the creative process and its main components: the differences between the public invocation and experience of the Muse in an oral context, as opposed to the privately experienced Muse of the literate poet; also, the changes imposed on the concept's perceived means of functioning due to its extension to the practice of the visual arts; and the correlation between the Jungian notion of the anima and aspects of the Muse. 5) Postulate the fundamental aspects of the creative process as revealed by analysis of the concept of the Muse for further investigation. In brief then, the main intention of this thesis is simply to examine by analysis of particular examples, the feasibility of applying the concept of the Muse as metaphor through which to identify for further exploration, issues and themes relating to the production and changes in social assessment of creative enterprises. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: "The growth of any discipline depends on the ability to communicate and develop ideas, and this in turn relies on a language which is sufficiently detailed and flexible" (Singh 1997: 59). Menige metafore verbonde aan kreatiwiteit is te misleidend, verwarrend, of beperk in omvang vir 'n betekenisvolle ondersoek van díe verskynsel en die fluktueerende sosiale en kulturele kontekste daarvan. Gesien in die lig van die Muse se langtermyn assosiasie met letterkunde, filosofie, opvoedkunde en meer onlangs, the skone kunste en ander "kreatiewe" velde, mag 'n analise van die konsep moontlik 'n unieke geleentheid bied om insig te verkry in die onderliggende "meganismes" van die kreatiewe proses. Aangesien affiliasie met die Muse blyk om die bereiking van kritiese kulturele en/of sosiale status, deur kulturele praktisyne in verskeie samelewings, van die antieke tot die huidige ('n kategorie wat aansienlik uitgebou is) aan te dui, is dit dus logies om te aanvaar dat die konsep alomvattend is van eienskappe kenmerkend van die kreatiewe proses, soos geskiedkundig en huidig op prys gestel in die Westerse kultuur. Gegewe die beperkte bestek van die tesis, is gefokus op spesifieke kwessies: 1) Verskaf 'n oorsig van die geskiedenis, oorsprong, en ontwikkeling van die konsep deur spesifieke voorbeelde, in omvang vanaf die antieke, die middeleuse periode, en die moderne. 2) Evalueer die veranderinge wat voorgekom het in die ontwikkeling van die konsep, en veronderstel moontlike redes daarvoor: soos byvoorbeeld, die impak van vermeerderde fokus op die visuele - en daarby die fisiese - as gevolg van 'n meer geletterde bevolking, op 'n konsep wat aanvanklik hoofsaaklik ouditief ondervind is. 3) Identifiseer verwante konsepte, die eienskappe waarvan moontlik 'n rol kon gespeel het in die formulasie van die aanvanklike konsep, asook die wat daarby geintegreer is, om die moderne weergawe van die Muse te vorm: voorbeelde sluit in, die invloed van die mite van Pigmalion op begrippe aangaande die digter se verhouding met beide die materiaal en Muse; en die gevolge van 'n samesmelting van Aphrodite se karaktertrekke met die van die pastorale Muse. 4) Ondersoek die mate waartoe die Muse-digter verhouding fundamentele aspekte van die kreatiewe proses en sy hoof komponente kan ontbloot: soos die verskille tussen die publieke invokasie en ervaring van die Muse in 'n verbale konteks, in teenstelling met die geletterde digter wat die Muse privaat ondevind; asook die veranderinge temeegebring op die persepsies aangaande die konsep se funksionering as gevolg van die uitbreiding daarvan tot die visuele kunste; en die korrelasie tussen die Jungiaanse idee van die anima, en aspekte van die Muse. 5) Veronderstel die fundamentele aspekte van die kreatiewe proses, soos ontbloot deur analise van die konsep van die Muse vir verdere ondersoek. Kortliks dan, die hoof voorneme van hierdie tesis is om deur analise van spesifieke voorbeelde, die uitvoerbaarheid te ondersoek om die konsep van die Muse toe te pas as metafoor vir verdere navorsing waardeur kwessies en temas, aangaande die produksie en veranderinge in sosiale waardering van kreatiewe ondernemings, ge-identifiseer kan word.

Medea’s powerful ability to inspire and confuse is at the core of this study. The contradiction concerning Euripides’ character of Medea as a murderer and a victim will be explored in order to understand what implications this would have held for an ancient Greek audience. Thus the irregularities in this female character will be used to indicate the inconsistencies within the society from which Euripides was writing. Women’s lack of freedom in ancient Greece, their confinement to the house and their lack of opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns produced an imbalance in society. This masculine community led to extremes in behaviour. Male heroes overemphasised traits which stressed their physical prowess and masculine bravery. As a hero, Jason’s all-consuming ambition was to succeed in endeavours such as the quest for the Golden Fleece, and to reclaim his title of king. He took advantage of Medea’s gifts until she was no longer of any use to him and then left her for a younger, more beneficial princess to accomplish his subsequent task of gaining a kingdom. Medea’s excessive behaviour was a protest against her position as supportive wife when she found that Jason had neglected his obligation as a protective husband. Euripides’ tragedy was a rebellion against a cultural definition of men and women which did not work. Men were pressured into being the sole providers and authorities over a whole household, whereas women were relegated to the status of possessions. The situation generally suited men, but women were not given a choice of career and had their marriage prearranged by their fathers. More importantly they were not provided with an opportunity to voice their displeasure and were in the hands of fate, whether they attained a kind or a cruel husband. This study argues that by challenging the definition of heroes and victims, Euripides questioned the preconceived perceptions of the nature of women and foreigners. He was also commenting on social restriction and the possible consequences of restraining women’s behaviour and their opinions. / Prof. J.L.P. Wolmarans

Essa pesquisa, a partir de construtos da Psicologia Analítica e Psicologia Arquetípica, apresenta uma reflexão teórica sobre vivências de perdas, concretas ou metafóricas, que ocorrem no cotidiano, as mortes simbólicas, seguidas de luto, um trabalho psíquico de desconstrução da presença e da reconstrução da ausência, um processo de transformação, experiências denominadas no senso comum como depressões. Tal termo é empregado, referindo-se aos afetos relativos a essas perdas, seguidas de suas elaborações, e não aos transtornos mentais classificados no Manual Diagnóstico e Estatístico (DSM) utilizado pela Psiquiatria. A observação dos assim chamados fenômenos da depressão e a reflexão sobre este tema na clínica particular da autora, motivaram a leitura sobre morte e luto na academia e na literatura, além da execução de uma amplificação mítico-simbólica dos conteúdos em filmes contemporâneos (Um Conto Chinês, Cisne Negro, Enrolados, O Show deve continuar e A partida). Compreender a depressão, para além da patologia psiquiátrica, como a noite escura da alma, uma descida ao mundo dos Ínferos, uma possibilidade de introspecção e um acesso ao mundo interno, uma oportunidade de autoconhecimento e uma vivência necessária às transformações de si mesmo nas diferentes etapas da vida, torna indispensável a ancoragem dessas experiências nos processos inconscientes arquetípicos constituintes de nossas psiques. Em cada filme, foi escolhido um personagem, que foi pareado com temas dos divinos gregos respectivamente, Crono, Deméter, Perséfone, Dioniso e Hades. O personagem do filme analisado ilustra um padrão dominante de comportamento referente à vivência de perda, diferenciando essas experiências vitais de transformação como expressões arquetípicas de diversos modelos de morte e luto simbólicos / This research, from Analytical Psychology and Archetypal Psychology constructs, presents a theoretical analysis about loss experiences, concrete or metaphorical, that occurs daily, the symbolical deaths, followed by mourning, a psychic work of presence deconstruction and absence reconstruction, a process of transformation; experiences known as depressions in the common sense. The term depression here refers to the affects related to those losses, followed by its elaborations, rather than to the disorders classified on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) used by Psychiatry. The observation of the so called phenomena of depression and this theme analysis on authors private clinic have motivated the reading of the themes death and mourning in the academy and in literature, and the execution of a mythic-symbolical amplification of the contents in contemporary movies (Chinese Take-Out, Black Swan, Tangled, All That Jazz and Departures). To understand the depression, beyond psychiatric pathology, as a souls dark night, a journey into the Underworld, an introspection and internal world access possibility, a self-knowledge opportunity and a necessary experience for self-transformation over lifes different times, it is necessary to link these experiences to the archetypal unconscious processes constituents of our psychics. In each movie, a character was chosen and he/she was respectively paired to one of the following greek divine themes: Cronus, Demeter, Persephone, Dionysus and Hades. A character illustrates a dominant behavior pattern referring to loss experience, differentiating those vital transformation experiences as archetypical expressions of several symbolical death and mourning models

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2005. / Supervisor: Howard Jones. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 264-272). Also available via World Wide Web.

The author's Habilitationsschrift--Universität Kiel, 1969. / Includes indexes. Includes bibliographical references (p. [169]-171).

Diss.--Zürich. / Bibliography: p. 217-223.

Texte remanié de : Dissertation : Philosophie : Universität des Saarlandes : 1985. / Bibliogr. p. 351-359. Notes bibliogr. Index.

This report examines heroism in Apollonius’ Argonautica and argues that a different heroic model predominates in each of the first three books. Unlike Homer’s epics where Achilles with his superhuman might and Odysseus with his unparalleled cunning serve as the unifying forces for their respective poems, there is no single guiding influence in the Argonautica. Rather, each book establishes its own heroic type, distinct from the others. In Book 1, Heracles is the central figure, demonstrating his heroic worth through feats of strength and martial excellence. In Book 2, Polydeuces, the helmsmen, and—what I have called—the “Odyssean” Heracles use their mētis to guide and safeguard the expedition. And in Book 3, Jason takes center stage, a human character with human limitations tasked with an epic, impossible mission. This movement from Book 1 (Heracles and biē) to Book 2 (Polydeuces/helmsmen and mētis) to Book 3 (Jason and human realism) reflects the epic tradition: the Iliad (Achilles and biē) to the Odyssey (Odysseus and mētis) to the Argonautica (Apollonius’ epic and the Hellenistic age). Thus, the Argonautica is an epic about epic and its evolving classification of what it entails to be a hero. The final stage in this grand metaphor comes in Book 3 which mirrors the literary environment in Apollonius’ own day and age, a time invested in realism where epic had been deemed obsolete. Jason, as the representative of that Hellenistic world, is unable to successively use Iliadic or Odyssean heroics because he is as human and ordinary as Apollonius’ audience. Jason, like his readers, cannot connect to the archaic past. Medea, however, changes this when she saves Jason’s life by effectively rewriting him to become a superhuman, epic hero. She is a metaphor for Apollonius himself, a poet who wrote an epic in an unepic world. The final message of Book 3, therefore, is an affirmation not of the death of epic but its survival in the Hellenistic age. / text

This dissertation examines the function and relevance of invective in late 4th century oratory. I bring together recent approaches to performance, humor, and legal studies in order to reevaluate the role of character depiction, and especially character assassination, in forensic rhetoric. Both on the comic stage and in the courts, evoking derisive laughter from the audience was an important mechanism for effecting social control. I demonstrate how the orators draw from Old and Middle Comedy to depict opponents as character types, like braggarts (alazones), flatterers (kolakes), and comic prostitutes (male hetairai/pornoi). I argue further that speakers do not use invective to skirt legal issues; rather, they tailor their arguments about character to the legal charge. In the Athenian system, the concept of legal relevance was broad and subject to manipulation. The only mechanism of restraint on a speaker was the threat of being shouted down (thorubos) by the jury. Invective, therefore, was not automatically “out of bounds”. Moreover, issues of character and morality were of increasing public concern in 4th-century Athens (as evidenced by Xenophon, Middle Comedy, and oratory alike). To the minds of Athenian jurors, information about character provided important evidence for reaching a just verdict. / text

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