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Ma Yongan—: A Painted-Face Role Type and a Non-Painted-Face Character

Eugenio Barba

in The Soul of Beijing Opera: Theatrical Creativity and Continuity in the Changing World

This chapter discusses the impact of Jiang Qing's “jingju revolution” on actors and on the genre. It elucidates how jingju's fundamental aesthetics were altered and how certain conventions of ... More

This chapter discusses the impact of Jiang Qing's “jingju revolution” on actors and on the genre. It elucidates how jingju's fundamental aesthetics were altered and how certain conventions of singing/speaking/movement and the colour pattern of the jing role's facial make-up were eliminated when contemporary costumes, Western musical instruments and composition, lighting, and scenery entered the revolutionary contemporary model theatre. It notes that this is perhaps the most peculiar phenomenon produced by the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966–76). It further notes that during this period, the entire traditional repertoire and the newly written historical plays (like Tang Sai'er) were abolished, while model theatre and a small number of its adherents, directly guided by Mao's wife Jiang Qing (1914–91), dominated the stage, broadcasting, and screen.Less

Slipstream Potentates

Sasha D. Pack

in The Deepest Border: The Strait of Gibraltar and the Making of the Modern Hispano-African Borderland

This chapter begins with the emergence of a convoluted new colonial arrangement created by the Act of Algeciras (1906) and the establishment of the Protectorate of Morocco (1912) under France and ... More

This chapter begins with the emergence of a convoluted new colonial arrangement created by the Act of Algeciras (1906) and the establishment of the Protectorate of Morocco (1912) under France and Spanish administration. This system created several new borders and jurisdictional ambiguities that a number of enterprising individuals learned to exploit. The chapter profiles the rise of three such figures, comparing and contrasting their tactics and accounting for their successes and failures. The Moroccans Bu Hmara and Raisuni, and the Spaniard Juan March, all found ways to amass wealth and political influence by positioning themselves on the borders of rival imperial spheres and inhabiting spaces of diluted sovereign authority. They were skilled at gaining protection from one imperial power while breaking the laws of another. Bu Hmara and Raisuni fell only after multiple powers aligned against them, a fate Juan March avoided altogether.Less

Renovating the House of Hades: Cult Extensions and Socratic Reconstructions

Anthony Hooper

in Aspects of Death and the Afterlife in Greek Literature

Chapter nine utilises the metaphor of extension-building to examine the different ways in which important religious and philosophical thinkers appropriated and adapted poetic visions of the ... More

Chapter nine utilises the metaphor of extension-building to examine the different ways in which important religious and philosophical thinkers appropriated and adapted poetic visions of the Underworld. Hooper argues that the Homeric vision of the House of Hades represented an attractive and flexible vision of the Underworld, which later thinkers could draw on in order to conceptualise and communicate their novel thinking concerning post-mortem fate. Hooper contrasts the extension-building undertaken in representations of Eleusinian eschatological thought with the more radical procedure of Plato’s Socrates. Taking the Myth of Er of the Republic as a case study, Hooper argues that Socrates deploys traditional material to ensure that his audience never feels ‘quite at home’ in this Underworld journey in order to provoke reflection on the key philosophical issues raised in this passage.Less

Cephalus, Odysseus, and the Importance of Experience

C. D. C. Reeve

in Blindness and Reorientation: Problems in Plato's Republic

Cephalus more or less begins the Republic; Odysseus more or less ends it. The two are seldom compared, yet each is portrayed as making good life choices despite being ignorant of philosophy. This ... More

Cephalus more or less begins the Republic; Odysseus more or less ends it. The two are seldom compared, yet each is portrayed as making good life choices despite being ignorant of philosophy. This chapter argues that the reason for this is that experience is being recognized as having an important role to play in craft knowledge and so in the wisdom of the philosopher-kings. The chapter also discusses the dramatis personae of the Republic and their importance.Less

More sentiment than science: Roman stargazing before and after Manilius

Elaine Fantham

in Forgotten Stars: Rediscovering Manilius' Astronomica

While Italian farmers looked to the stars as seasonal markers and signifiers of weather-change, educated Romans knew directly or indirectly the Platonic Myth of Er and the celestial map of Aratus. ... More

While Italian farmers looked to the stars as seasonal markers and signifiers of weather-change, educated Romans knew directly or indirectly the Platonic Myth of Er and the celestial map of Aratus. There is a division between their imaginative mythical and poetic worlds and the theories of Greek philosophy and science. In scientific mode, Cicero saw the stars as part of the divine cosmos and presented a sound vision of the stellar system; however, wise and virtuous souls were also divine, and apotheosis included catasterism. The Stoics believed in stars as signifiers sent by providence to warn mankind; and the alien art of astrology presented the conjunction of stars at a man’s birth as foretelling and controlling his destiny. But while astrology grew in popular influence, sources from Cicero to Seneca to the elder Pliny marginalize it, presenting arguments to repudiate any causal nexus between stars and human life.Less

The Rhetorical Office of Poetry

James L. Kastely

in The Rhetoric of Plato'S Republic: Democracy and the Philosophical Problem of Persuasion

Socrates’s return to the discussion of poetry now allows him to address the issue not as a technical one of control of the curriculum. Rather, this discussion focuses on the practice of mimesis and ... More

Socrates’s return to the discussion of poetry now allows him to address the issue not as a technical one of control of the curriculum. Rather, this discussion focuses on the practice of mimesis and its function in the rhetorical operation poetry. Book 10 is, in effect, an argument for the Republic as a revised form of the epic, one that is appropriate to a democracy. Equally, it is instruction in how to read the dialogue rhetorically so that it does not become simply the argument for a new ideology. In effect, Socrates’s discussion provides the antidote necessary to read poetry in a way that does not inadvertently injure the reader. Finally, in his myth of Er, he appropriates the Homeric hero, Odysseus, and makes him the epic hero of a new narrative that values justice for its own sake.Less

And Jacob Came Out: Parashat Vayetzei (Genesis 28:10–32:3)

Yoel Kahn

in Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible

This chapter focuses on Jacob's account, highlighting his queer characteristics and his journey toward Be'er Sheva. In contrast with Esau who personifies a macho older brother incline to extreme ... More

This chapter focuses on Jacob's account, highlighting his queer characteristics and his journey toward Be'er Sheva. In contrast with Esau who personifies a macho older brother incline to extreme sports and adventure travel, Jacob is a mama's boy who stays close to home. He is also a marginal figure who lives on wits and subterfuge to control his stronger brother. After deceiving his brother, Jacob runs from his family home and sets out on a journey, heading toward Be'er Sheva, the ancestral home of his grandfather, Abraham. He flees without food or clothing and is wandering in the wilderness. The story of Jacob can be considered as a classic coming-out narrative that reveals truths of human experience: the yearning to uncover and realize the authentic self, and the need to find food and sustenance as one lives out the journey.Less

Shaw's Republic

Sidney P. Albert

in Shaw, Plato, and Euripides: Classical Currents in Major Barbara

This essay traces striking parallels between Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara and Plato’s Republic as a way of revealing unexplored allusions and meanings in the modern play and illuminating how ... More

This essay traces striking parallels between Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara and Plato’s Republic as a way of revealing unexplored allusions and meanings in the modern play and illuminating how classical themes were modernized by Shaw.Less

Hermopolis Magna, &c., to Asyoo't.

Jason Thompson

in Description of Egypt: Notes and Views in Egypt and Nubia

The large village of Er-Reyremoo'n, which is situated a little above the site of Antinoe, on the opposite side of the Nile, may be called the port of the town of Mel'low'ee. A little further away, ... More

The large village of Er-Reyremoo'n, which is situated a little above the site of Antinoe, on the opposite side of the Nile, may be called the port of the town of Mel'low'ee. A little further away, there is a site of Hermopolis Magna. Within the mounds, towards the south, is the large village of Ash'moo'ney'n, or Oosh'moo'ney'n, which was once a flourishing city; as its ruined mosque and some of the older houses seem to testify. Furthermore, this chapter describes Mel'low'ee, which is a moderately large and populous town, containing numerous shops and mosques; but situated at an inconvenient distance from the river. Adjacent to the village of Et-Tell is the site of a very large ancient town; of which there are considerable remains. Finally, this chapter talks about the town of Menfeloo't, which is situated on the western bank of the Nile.Less

Gebʼel es-Silʼsilʼeh—Koʼm Oomʼboo, &c., to Aswaʼn.

Jason Thompson

in Description of Egypt: Notes and Views in Egypt and Nubia

On the eastern side of the Nile, a little above Ad ‘foo, is the village of Er-Redesee'yeh; where is a settlement of ‘Aba'b'deh Arabs. At the distance of about 23 miles above Ad'foo, the Nile is ... More

On the eastern side of the Nile, a little above Ad ‘foo, is the village of Er-Redesee'yeh; where is a settlement of ‘Aba'b'deh Arabs. At the distance of about 23 miles above Ad'foo, the Nile is hemmed within a narrow channel by the low, sandstone mountains on each side. This part of the mountains is called Geb'el es-Sil'sil'eh. A mass of rock, to which this mountain chain is attached, on the western side of the river, is called Hhag'ar es-Sil'sil'eh. At the distance of about eleven miles, is a large, fertile island, called El-Mun'soo'ree'yeh; opposite which, in the eastern side of the Nile, is Ko'm Oom'boo, the site of the ancient city of Ombos. A little above Ko'm Oom'boo, and on the same side of the Nile, is Dera ‘weh, the principal abode of the ‘Aba'b'deh Arabs who have settled near the river.Less

Hospital drama: reassurance, anxiety and the doctor-hero

Rebecca Feasey

in Masculinity and Popular Television

In the 1950s, hospital drama was home to morally principled and caring male doctors. However, recently, this image of infallible masculinity has been replaced by less exalted representations of the ... More

In the 1950s, hospital drama was home to morally principled and caring male doctors. However, recently, this image of infallible masculinity has been replaced by less exalted representations of the male. In fact, hospital dramas of today depict a number of doctors who are not only tortured and tormented in their personal and professional lives, but who are actually culpable for the deaths of their patients. This chapter discusses the history of the feminine nurse, the female practitioner and the male doctor-hero on the small screen, from the 1950s to the present day. It introduces the image of the infallible individual doctor in Medic and Emergency-Ward 10, the paternalistic junior–senior doctor relationship in Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey, and the harassed medical team in Casualty and St. Elsewhere. The chapter then examines the tortured and tormented image of the doctor-hero in ER and House, which challenges the saintly image of the doctor-hero and the traditional images of masculinity and the male sex role in society.Less

Introduction: Histories

Lucy Mazdon (ed.)

in The Contemporary Television Series

There has been a proliferation of television series/serials such as ER, Six Feet Under, Twenty Four and The X Files, shows which, whilst distinctive in many ways, share the label of quality which ... More

There has been a proliferation of television series/serials such as ER, Six Feet Under, Twenty Four and The X Files, shows which, whilst distinctive in many ways, share the label of quality which sets them apart. A significant number of these shows originate in the United States and are then sold and screened in countries across the globe. Others, however, are conceived and produced in the United Kingdom. It is striking that these series/serials and a whole host of others should have emerged during the last ten years or so, a period throughout which many commentators have identified the gradual dumbing down of television. Critics in Britain and the United States have decried the battle for ratings, the proliferation of reality television and the demise of serious television journalism and documentary. It is in this very context that these much-praised series/serials have emerged. Television drama played and continues to play a vital role in establishing television as a medium and an aesthetic form in its own right and in attracting audiences to the ever increasing programmes on offer.Less

Conclusion: “In a Healthy Way”

Roslyn Weiss

in Philosophers in the "Republic": Plato's Two Paradigms

This concluding chapter focuses on the myth of Er, which concludes Plato's Republic. Socrates recounts the tale of Er, a man who has recently died but returns to life to share with the living his ... More

This concluding chapter focuses on the myth of Er, which concludes Plato's Republic. Socrates recounts the tale of Er, a man who has recently died but returns to life to share with the living his observations of life after death. The myth is introduced, at least ostensibly, to bolster Socrates' assertion that in the long run the just will fare well and the unjust poorly. However, the myth provides few details about the afterlife's rewards and punishments. The bulk of the myth is also devoted to another matter entirely: the way in which the souls of the dead go about choosing their next life.Less

Creating ‘Quality’ Audiences for ER on Channel Four

Janet Mccabe

in The Contemporary Television Series

Despite Channel 4's past success with imported American programming, Steve Clarke wondered how viewers in the United Kingdom would react to its acquisition of ER (NBC, 1994–2009), when first ... More

Despite Channel 4's past success with imported American programming, Steve Clarke wondered how viewers in the United Kingdom would react to its acquisition of ER (NBC, 1994–2009), when first transmitted on British terrestrial television in February 1995. Even at the beginning of series seven, shown first on Channel 4's new pay-TV entertainment digital channel E4 in January 2001, reviewers still expressed concerns that new viewers would find its frenetic pace and dense plotting an unnerving experience. Despite reservations, ER was dubbed ‘must-see TV’ from the start. This chapter investigates how Channel 4 imagined its audience as it repositioned ER into the British television flow. The point here is that ER emerged as a distinctive quality televisual product within the abundant and highly competitive television flow precisely because it was contained and represented by institutional frameworks that said that this is what it is.Less

Emotional Rescue: The Sopranos (HBO 1999–2007), ER (NBC 1994–) and State of Play (BBC1 2003)

Kristyn Gorton

in Media Audiences: Television, Meaning and Emotion

This chapter employs textual analysis in order to focus on three examples of television programmes often referred to as 'quality' television drama: ER, The Sopranos, and State of Play. Concentrating ... More

This chapter employs textual analysis in order to focus on three examples of television programmes often referred to as 'quality' television drama: ER, The Sopranos, and State of Play. Concentrating on specific scenes, this chapter considers what formal qualities make these programmes so emotionally engaging to their viewers. For example, this chapter argues that editing is crucial to establishing emotion in ER. Other formal qualities such as music, characterisation, writing and the longevity of a series are also explored.Less

Estrogen Receptor Distribution in the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex

Annelyn Torres-Reveron, Wayne G. Brake, and Teresa A. Milner

in Estrogens and Memory: Basic Research and Clinical Implications

This chapter presents anatomical evidence for the distribution of estrogen receptors in the brain. First, the chapter presents a brief discussion of the historical findings that led to the discovery ... More

This chapter presents anatomical evidence for the distribution of estrogen receptors in the brain. First, the chapter presents a brief discussion of the historical findings that led to the discovery of nuclear and extranuclear estrogen receptors in the brain. A distribution pattern for each one of the receptors, estrogen receptor alpha (ERα‎), estrogen receptor beta (ERβ‎), and G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1), is presented in sequential subsections. The discussion focuses on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex areas, as these are largely involved in memory and cognitive behaviors, further discussed in other chapters in this book. In addition, co-localization studies with other neurotransmitter systems and molecules important for the functional activity of estrogen receptors is reviewed.Less

Labyrinth of Pure Reflection / Kafka

in The Problem of Distraction

This chapter examines Franz Kafka's thoughts on the concept of distraction. It explains that Kafka questioned the ethical status of a principle of distraction and argued that if the principle were ... More

This chapter examines Franz Kafka's thoughts on the concept of distraction. It explains that Kafka questioned the ethical status of a principle of distraction and argued that if the principle were accepted, a reform of ethical concepts would have to follow. It analyzes Kafka's concept of “er” and explains that the disruption in the most unified and universal human activity in Aristotle and the recueil of misfires in the moral and ethical agent Jean de La Bruyère become a political phenomenon in Kafka's depiction of diasporic-dispersed-distracted “living.”Less