Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Aeneid A National Epic, Gretchen Mary Schmidt

Bachelors’ Theses

The epic has always held a foremost place in the literature of the worlds It does, indeed, date hack to the early days of Greece when Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. Thereafter, from century to century, a writer of some country would produce such a poem as the people would not willingly let die, and as a result, they would accept it as a representative poem of that country. And so it is today, that the epic of Spain is The Cid; of France, Chanson de Roland; of Germany, The Nibelungen- 1ied; of England, Paradise Lost. And so …

An Insight Into The Human Interest Stories Of The Daily Newspaper, Marjory H. Shong

Bachelors’ Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the importance of the human interest feature as a distinctive branch of feature writing and to study the various types and methods under this category. The method used was a daily appraisal of the local newspapers, a perusal of a certain collection of feature articles and an additional study of various texts on the subject.

The Three Unities And Their Relation To The Drama, Neil E. Gonyo

Bachelors’ Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to define the subject clearly and give an accurate account of its progress. My intention is to clarify the technical points of which the laws controlling the Unities of the Drama consist, and trace them from the very primitive drama to that of modern times. It is imperative to follow their course through the different literary epochs, which were influenced by the very brilliant figures gracing those ages. It is necessary to see before you the effect of the Unities in the circles of literati in countries educated in the arts of the drama. …

Samuel Johnson's Conception Of A Critic, Helen F. Giese

Bachelors’ Theses

It is the purpose of this thesis to develop the function of a critic as conceived by Samuel Johnson; to develop his theory of literary criticism as discernible from the facts of his life, the Rambler Essays, Rasselas, The Lives of the Poets; and to show those things which most influenced him in choosing the standards which were to be the basis for his system of criticism.

George Lillo And His Domestic Tragedies, Vivian Violet Waters

Bachelors’ Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to discover what part George Lillo played in the evolution of the English domestic tragedy, to estimate the artistic worth of this tragic type, and its relations to the social and moral ideas of the time. Allardyce Nicoll's books have been most helpful, especially the following: "A History of Early Eighteenth Century Drama", "An Introduction to Dramatic Theory", "British Drama", "A History of Late Eighteenth Century Drama", "The Development of the Theater", and "Readings from British Drama". I have read, analyzed, and scrutinized "The London Merchant", or "George Barnwell", "Fatal Curiosity", and "Arden of …

A Criticism Of Hume's Analysis Of Causation, Gilbert C. Wittig

Bachelors’ Theses

The question of cause and effect is an interesting and important one. Upon it and its interpretation many philosophers have argued. Some have said that cause and effect are considered together because of custom, but most of them have declared. the existence of a necessary connection between the two. Among the former is David Hume, an English philosopher of the eighteenth century; among the latter are classed most of the great philosophers of all times, including Plato and Aristotle, St. Thomas and St. Augustine. Indeed, if all of the latter were put side by side the line would be of …

Jeanne D'Arc In Modern Drama, Mary Cordea Woelfel

Bachelors’ Theses

The Jeanne d'Arc literature provides a delightful as well as scholarly excursion that may keep the mind entranced for days, months, nay even for years. But we shall confine ourselves to a short and pointed description. We shall follow Jeanne of Domremy through five centuries of stormy upheavals, religious as well as political. We shall meet her entrancing figure, exalted and deified, maligned and reviled, in history and otherwise, in medieval and modern versions of drama and poetry. But everywhere we shall greet her as a perennial yet youthful charming figure, in American, German, and English literature, and naturally in …

Evolution And Ethics: A Discussion Of The Ethical Theories Of The Evolution Philosophers, Wilbur E. Kearney

Bachelors’ Theses

It is indeed unfortunate that our mental make-up is so prone to accept as fact whatever appeals to it as novel and plausible. We are, it is true, rational beings but it is just as true that we accept without due consideration and study, any theory which has but a scintilla of truth and a majority of appeal, if that theory is new to us and has embodied in it, something interesting and fanciful. In our quest for modernity, we often overlook or fail to appreciate the fundamental truths of antiquity. And very often, what we think is new, is …

America In Ruppius' Novels, Mary Juliana Schroeder

Bachelors’ Theses

When given this author as the topic of my thesis, I must confess I had never heard of him before. I was told that his novels would be found in the library in German, but that very little, if anything, about his life would be available. I can bear witness to the truth of this remark, for my visit to the library and my letters to prominent dealers in German and in German-American books brought meagre information.

The Technique Of The Humor: Production In The Plays Of Plautus, Jerome W. Archer

Bachelors’ Theses

The purpose of this thesis is an exposition of the methods used in the production of humor in the plays of that great Roman comic-dramatist, Titus Maccius Plautus. Humor is here understood to be that quality of the writer's imagination which tends to excite mirth. We intend to indicate just what constitutes the technique of Plautus' humor-production.

The Plays Of John Masefield, Catharine Genevieve Coffey

Bachelors’ Theses

In this thesis I propose by a study of the plays of John Masefield to discover his dramatic technique and his claim to fame and regard in the capacity of a playwright. The method that I used was to examine the plays of John Masefield, to read his theory of tragedy and to apply it particularly to "The Tragedy of Nan".

In preparation for the compiling of this thesis I read a collection of the pre-war plays of John Masefield and was chiefly indebted. to "John Masefield, "A Study" by Cicil Biggane and "John Masefield, A Critical Study" by W.H. …

Mary I, Queen Of England, Magdalene Katherine Brandt

Bachelors’ Theses

Mary was born to Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII of England at Greenwich, February 18,1516. Cardinal Wolsey was chosen as the godfather of the ill-fated princess who later because of religious fanaticism was to be branded in the annals of history as "Bloody Mary." About the time of Mary's birth it would have been considered heresy to question papal authority; the Church of England did not exist, even in the most fantastic dreams of an Englishman. In fact, Henry VIII wrote a refutation of Lutheranism entitled "Defense of the Seven Sacraments." For this zeal on behalf of the Catholic …

The History And Technique Of The Art Of Makeup And The Masks, Marion L. Brady

Bachelors’ Theses

In this thesis I have endeavored to compile in one paper as complete a history o,f the Mask and Makeup as was practical in a shorter treatise. The material contained in the following pages has been drawn from many and scattered sources. Kenneth MacGown's book, Masks and Demons, has proved an invaluable source, and I am indebted to him for much of the material concerning the source and history of the Mask. I have drawn freely from the following works: John F. Baird's book, Makeup, and Glenn Hughes' History of the Theatre. Magazines and periodicals have contributed …

A Study Of Racine's Drama Berenice, Rachel Benyas

Bachelors’ Theses

This thesis is a study of Jean Racine's drama Berenice. It analyzes the play act by act and attempts to show the ability of Racine as a poet-dramatist as exemplified in Berenice. There is a brief sketch of the life of the author and the cen­tury in which he lived, since both had a direct bearing upon his work.

The Counter-Reformation, Elizabeth Dolores Egan

Bachelors’ Theses

There have been but few periods in the history of the Western church in which its administration and the lives of the clergy have been completely exempt from censure. Abuses occurred in the middle ages which required the constant effort of reformers to counter-act. In the eleventh century the church was confronted with the contest about Lay-investiture. This was an abuse which grew out of the feudal system. In addition to investing nobles with feudal property it became the custom to invest the clergy, especially bishops and archbishops, with fiefs...

Saint Boniface, Dorothy Helen Francis

Bachelors’ Theses

The withdrawal of the Roman legions from Britain in the fifth century was followed by invasions of Teutonic peoples from the mainland of Europe. Jutes, Angles, and Saxons crossed the English Channel, crowded the original Britons into the Welsh highlands, and founded the old Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. One of these seven kingdoms was Wessex. Here was born about the year 680 A. D., at Crediton or Kyrton, the great apostle of the Germans, Boniface, known originally as Winfrid.

Radicalism In The Poetry Of Walt Whitman, Camille A.H. Fortier Jr

Bachelors’ Theses

Walt Whitman was a rabid radical. Not only in his poetry, but in his love and religion as well the spirit of radicalism prevails.

This foreword is to prepare the reader for the startling, and overwhelming statements and thoughts of Whitman in regard to his radicalism. This thesis is written purely objectively and no personal opinions have entered into the discussion of the radicalistic view of Walt Whitman in his poetry, love, and religion.

How anyone can sa the whole idea of the Church is low, loathsome, horrible, a sort of moral degration, out of touch with the struggles of …

The Cynical Philosophy Of The Poet Francois Villon With Special Reference To His Obscure Existence, Robert E. La Due

Bachelors’ Theses

When so much has been written about Maistre Francois Villon, the Poet of the fifteenth century, the question arises: why another essay on this subject? Why attempt to repeat Longnon, Payne, and Lewis? Most of what has been written, however, has centralized about Villon as a rogue and a genius at the many taverns of medieval Paris. It is true that at times remarks have been made in passing, of Villon’s Cynical Philosophy, or his Cynical Humor, but no one has taken it up to make it a unit of consideration. In this brief essay the sources were not consulted …

Staging Of Mediaeval Drama, Adeline E. Hoehnen

Bachelors’ Theses

It is my purpose in this thesis to trace briefly the development or the staging of Mediaeval drama in the outstanding continental coun­tries from its beginnings which originated in the sacrifice of Mass in the Catholic Church. The first chapter has been written to show what had been accomplished in the field of dramatic art prior to the Mediae­val period and to show the decline of this early art, then with the revival or the art in the middle ages we see the germ of one of the greatest forms of entertainment the world has ever known.

Humor In Shakespeare, Melba J. Isaacson

Bachelors’ Theses

It is the object of this thesis to show the meaning, purpose, and use of humor in Shakespeare's plays and to discuss some of his humorous characters and the part they play in his dramas.

The Catholic Ideal In Modern American Fiction, Antoinette J. Newton

Bachelors’ Theses

Within the comparatively small compass of these pages, certain limitations are necessarily imposed upon the writer. It is physically impossible to include a complete survey of every novel written by an American author during the past thirty years. In the first place, many of our American fiction creators have taken up residence in Europe, from where they now write their novels; contrarily, also, many foreign authors have emigrated to America to market their wares. Owing to the difficulty of tracing every clue concerning a writer's nationality, many barriers arise to block an attempted, complete survey. Then, too, the present writer …

Art For Art's Sake, Mary Collopy

Bachelors’ Theses

In every age literature, whether it be poetry, prose, or criticism, has attracted to its ranks many a brilliant intellect. Some enthusiasts have devoted but a portion of their time and efforts while others have spent entire lives in its service. In the latter group stands Walter Pater, a most interesting and distinguished figure among the many who graced that no less interesting and romantic nineteenth century. When he was about nineteen years old, Pater went to Oxford and there resided until his death in 1894. He was extremely reticent by nature although it has been conclusively pointed out that …

The Alexandrian Back-Ground Of The Letter To The Hebrews, Paul A. Boriack

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this treatise is to present mainly those facts which are generally adduced to prove the Alexandrian back-ground of the Letter to the Hebrews. Since some scholars, however, deny this back-ground, their evidence, as far as available from sources at hand, shall also be considered.

The Doctrine Of The Real Presence Of Christ In The Eucharist With Special Reference To The Doctrine Of Transubstantiation, Fred C. Kreiss

Bachelor of Divinity

In a Catholic tract of recent date, “The Holy Eucharist Explained” (by Our Sunday Visitor Press, Huntington, Ind.), We read the modest claim that “All Christians for 15 centuries believed the Eucharist to contain the true body and blood, soul and divinity or Jesus Christ, under the appearances or bread and wine” (p. 16); that this is substantiated by the following facts: “In the first place the Greek Church and all the Christian sects or Asia, which are older than Protestantism by 1000 years, believe as we do. Hence such must have been the prevailing belief or Christians during the …

The Old Testament Prophets, And Their Symbolical Actions, Alexander Heidel

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

From the earliest times on men have believed that God speaks directly to and through man.

The Attitude Of Yeats And Stephens Toward The Irish Fairy World Compared With The Traditional Attitude, Josephine M. Purtell

Bachelors’ Theses

The subject of the fairy world in modern Irish literature should prove rather interesting to Americans because there are so many conflicting ideas in the minds of casual readers of Irish literature. The person who would pick up Yeats' drama, "The Land of Heart's Desire" might, be led to believe that the work of modern Irish writers is thoroughly imbued with a fantastic spirit; while he who would read "The Silver Tassie" or "Juno and the Paycock" by O'Casey might draw the conclusion that the spirit of scientific scepticism which is so prevalent in the world today has affected the …

A Study Of Shakespere's Dramatic Technique Through His Comedies, Dorothy Tolford

Bachelors’ Theses

The dramatic technique of any author, if it is to be studied for its growth and development and increase of skill, is best and most clearly seen when his works are put in chronological order and then compared one with the other. In each play or novel, the acquisition of some new dexterity or aptitude, which makes it an Improvement over the preceding work, is evident. It is not enough to look simply for the general effect of the play; the growth of technique is seen only in a thorough study of the mechanics of the play.

Christian Spirit In Horace's Odes, Gertrude E. Stangler

Bachelors’ Theses

To point out the Christian spirit in Horace’s odes seems an almost impracticable, impossible problem upon first thought, For how can a person possess the spirit of a religion or system of philosophy of which there is no knowledge, in fact, whose very existence has not yet become a reality? Therein lies the problem! For, Horace was, as we know, a pagan--perhaps one of the most pagan writers of the ages and yet we say he possessed a Christian spirit. And so he did. But, is it necessary to adopt a certain religion or certain forms of worship in order …

The Secularization Of The Liturgical Play, Sylvester G. Peters

Bachelors’ Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to trace the origin and development of the drama from the liturgy of the Mass to the time of its complete secularization. I shall endeavor to show the process by which the Church itself, through the introduction of dramatic elements into its liturgy came to make its appeal to mimetic instinct, out of which grew the great popular religious dramas of the miracle plays, with its offshoots in the moralities and dramatic pageants.

The Church At The Turning Points Of History: A New Turning Point, Mary Bernice Boos

Bachelors’ Theses

In this paper we shall consider a few of the turning points of history of the Catholic Church, and if we are intellectually honest we shall have to admire her wonderful organization, her adaptability to the genius of every people, and her many spiritual triumphs through the centuries. We shall see how confidently and unfalteringly she has met the many assaults made upon her. Despite the fury of the storm she has sailed a marvelously straight path.