title: 'Morbid Exhilarations': Dying Words in Early Modern English Drama

authors: Martin, Fiona

abstract: In Renaissance England, dying a good death helped to ensure that the soul was prepared for the afterlife. In the theatre, however, playwrights disrupt and challenge the conventional formulas for last words, creating death scenes that range from the philosophical to the blackly comic. In expanding the potential of the dying speech, dramatists encourage in their audiences a willingness to contemplate less orthodox responses to death. This thesis thus focuses on the final utterances of dying characters, in selected scenes from early modern English tragedies. While scenes from iconic dramatists such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe are considered as part of the discussion, emphasis is primarily given to those of less canonical playwrights, including George Chapman, Thomas Dekker, John Fletcher, Thomas Kyd, Gervase Markham, John Marston, Philip Massinger, Thomas Middleton, John Webster, William Sampson, and Robert Yarington. Chronologically, the scenes span nearly four decades, from Marlowe’s Tamburlaine plays in 1590, to Sampson’s Vow Breaker in 1636. The thesis encompasses four major contexts for the study of dying speeches: beheadings, murder, revenge and suicide. Chapter One, on public execution, focuses on scaffold speeches delivered prior to simulated beheadings on the stage. The second chapter examines the genre of the murder play and the pattern of the victim’s displaced last words. Chapter Three explores the creative freedom taken by playwrights in the composition of dying speeches in revenge scenarios, and the final chapter foregrounds the verbal preoccupations of characters who choose to take their own lives. Each subject is established in relation to social, religious and political contexts in early modern England, so that characters’ final words are considered from both historical and literary perspectives.

text: 'Morbid Exhilarations': Dying Words in Early Modern English Drama In Renaissance England, dying a good death helped to ensure that the soul was prepared for the afterlife. In the theatre, however, playwrights disrupt and challenge the conventional formulas for last words, creating death scenes that range from the philosophical to the blackly comic. In expanding the potential of the dying speech, dramatists encourage in their audiences a willingness to contemplate less orthodox responses to death. This thesis thus focuses on the final utterances of dying characters, in selected scenes from early modern English tragedies. While scenes from iconic dramatists such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe are considered as part of the discussion, emphasis is primarily given to those of less canonical playwrights, including George Chapman, Thomas Dekker, John Fletcher, Thomas Kyd, Gervase Markham, John Marston, Philip Massinger, Thomas Middleton, John Webster, William Sampson, and Robert Yarington. Chronologically, the scenes span nearly four decades, from Marlowe’s Tamburlaine plays in 1590, to Sampson’s Vow Breaker in 1636. The thesis encompasses four major contexts for the study of dying speeches: beheadings, murder, revenge and suicide. Chapter One, on public execution, focuses on scaffold speeches delivered prior to simulated beheadings on the stage. The second chapter examines the genre of the murder play and the pattern of the victim’s displaced last words. Chapter Three explores the creative freedom taken by playwrights in the composition of dying speeches in revenge scenarios, and the final chapter foregrounds the verbal preoccupations of characters who choose to take their own lives. Each subject is established in relation to social, religious and political contexts in early modern England, so that characters’ final words are considered from both historical and literary perspectives.

year: 2010

title: Fatiguing verbal working memory to reduce explicit hypothesis testing during skill acquisition: A new implicit motor learning paradigm?

authors: Boaz-Curry, Ko-Tahi-Ra

abstract: How we learn novel motor skills is crucial for motor performance. Motor skills learned through implicit processes have been shown to have higher neural efficiency, lower likelihood of interference from conscious control during motor output, and more stable performance under pressure, stress, fatigue and multitasking situations (Maxwell, Masters & Eves, 2000; Steenbergen, Van Der Kamp, Verneau, Jongbloed-Pereboom & Masters, 2010; Zhu, Yeung, Poolton, Lee, Leung & Masters, 2015). These performance benefits are sought after in both clinical and sporting domains, and make implicit motor learning a viable alternative to explicit forms of learning. However, current implicit motor learning paradigms have encountered limitations that hinder their practical application (Lam, Maxwell & Masters, 2009; Zhu et al., 2015); therefore, new implicit motor learning paradigms need to be created. This thesis investigated whether cognitive fatigue can be used to encourage novices to perform a novel motor task in an implicit manner. We hypothesized that inducing cognitive fatigue in people would suppress verbal working memory activity, thereby minimising hypothesis testing about the task to be performed and causing implicit motor learning. The research was conducted on thirty-three healthy adults (women=19, men=14; mean age= 23.3±5.5) who reported limited golf experience. All participants were randomly allocated to one of two treatment conditions: control (non-fatigued) or experimental (fatigued). We analysed the differences in verbal working memory performance, motor skill performance and hypothesis testing measures between the two groups. Our results showed that participants in the experimental condition reported a significant increase in subjective feelings of fatigue following the intervention; however, this was not reflected by a decrease in working memory activity. The results also illustrated no significant differences in motor performance or hypothesis testing between the two groups. Overall, the cognitive fatigue task was shown to successfully alter self-reported levels of fatigue (VAS-f), although we speculate that the fatigue levels produced by the intervention were not sufficient to suppress working memory activity during performance of a novel motor task.

text: Fatiguing verbal working memory to reduce explicit hypothesis testing during skill acquisition: A new implicit motor learning paradigm? How we learn novel motor skills is crucial for motor performance. Motor skills learned through implicit processes have been shown to have higher neural efficiency, lower likelihood of interference from conscious control during motor output, and more stable performance under pressure, stress, fatigue and multitasking situations (Maxwell, Masters & Eves, 2000; Steenbergen, Van Der Kamp, Verneau, Jongbloed-Pereboom & Masters, 2010; Zhu, Yeung, Poolton, Lee, Leung & Masters, 2015). These performance benefits are sought after in both clinical and sporting domains, and make implicit motor learning a viable alternative to explicit forms of learning. However, current implicit motor learning paradigms have encountered limitations that hinder their practical application (Lam, Maxwell & Masters, 2009; Zhu et al., 2015); therefore, new implicit motor learning paradigms need to be created. This thesis investigated whether cognitive fatigue can be used to encourage novices to perform a novel motor task in an implicit manner. We hypothesized that inducing cognitive fatigue in people would suppress verbal working memory activity, thereby minimising hypothesis testing about the task to be performed and causing implicit motor learning. The research was conducted on thirty-three healthy adults (women=19, men=14; mean age= 23.3±5.5) who reported limited golf experience. All participants were randomly allocated to one of two treatment conditions: control (non-fatigued) or experimental (fatigued). We analysed the differences in verbal working memory performance, motor skill performance and hypothesis testing measures between the two groups. Our results showed that participants in the experimental condition reported a significant increase in subjective feelings of fatigue following the intervention; however, this was not reflected by a decrease in working memory activity. The results also illustrated no significant differences in motor performance or hypothesis testing between the two groups. Overall, the cognitive fatigue task was shown to successfully alter self-reported levels of fatigue (VAS-f), although we speculate that the fatigue levels produced by the intervention were not sufficient to suppress working memory activity during performance of a novel motor task.

year: 2018

title: Portfolio of Compositions: Systematic composition of cross-genre hybrid music

authors: Mayall, Jeremy Mark

subjects: cross-genre hybrid music

abstract: The research focus of this PhD thesis is the development of a new technique for composing original musical compositions in which elements from different musical genres are hybridised. The innovative aspect of achieving balanced hybridity is the development of a systematic approach to selecting and synthesising or hybridising key musical elements across a range of different genres. The major component of this submission is a portfolio of nine original works with attached CD/DVD recordings. 

1. Tracking Forward for viola, backing track and video 
2. The Long White Cloud for chamber band and electronics 
3. ‘Colorless green ideas sleep furiously’ for orchestra 
4. Push for Miles for electric bass and backing track 
5. Norse Suite for viola and cello 
6. The Foggy Field a studio construction 
7. Into the Nocturnal Sunshine for flute, viola, cello, drums and electronics 
8. One Night, New Breath for taonga puoro, viola, drums and electronics 
9. Sketches of an Intergalactic Earworm for piano trio and boombox

The accompanying documentation clarifies, and contextualises the creation and presentation of these works; and illuminates the aesthetic underpinnings and compositional techniques developed and utilised as a part of this hybrid-genre compositional approach. The structure of the supporting exegesis is in two parts: the methodology of practice-based research, and reflective investigation. Part One (Chapters 1 and 2) is an introductory overview; an observation of the existing literature and related work, relevant creative practice in the composer’s previous work; and the compositional methodology – including an explanation of the genre matrix. Part Two (Chapters 3 to 12) analyses the use of genre, the balance of hybridity, and relevant compositional techniques utilised in the development of each individual piece.

text: Portfolio of Compositions: Systematic composition of cross-genre hybrid music The research focus of this PhD thesis is the development of a new technique for composing original musical compositions in which elements from different musical genres are hybridised. The innovative aspect of achieving balanced hybridity is the development of a systematic approach to selecting and synthesising or hybridising key musical elements across a range of different genres. The major component of this submission is a portfolio of nine original works with attached CD/DVD recordings. 

1. Tracking Forward for viola, backing track and video 
2. The Long White Cloud for chamber band and electronics 
3. ‘Colorless green ideas sleep furiously’ for orchestra 
4. Push for Miles for electric bass and backing track 
5. Norse Suite for viola and cello 
6. The Foggy Field a studio construction 
7. Into the Nocturnal Sunshine for flute, viola, cello, drums and electronics 
8. One Night, New Breath for taonga puoro, viola, drums and electronics 
9. Sketches of an Intergalactic Earworm for piano trio and boombox

The accompanying documentation clarifies, and contextualises the creation and presentation of these works; and illuminates the aesthetic underpinnings and compositional techniques developed and utilised as a part of this hybrid-genre compositional approach. The structure of the supporting exegesis is in two parts: the methodology of practice-based research, and reflective investigation. Part One (Chapters 1 and 2) is an introductory overview; an observation of the existing literature and related work, relevant creative practice in the composer’s previous work; and the compositional methodology – including an explanation of the genre matrix. Part Two (Chapters 3 to 12) analyses the use of genre, the balance of hybridity, and relevant compositional techniques utilised in the development of each individual piece.

year: 2015