Masque Plays

Shakespeare incorporates the component of the masque play in Act 4 Scene 1. The reapers and the nymphs enter the stage and participate in a dance. The dance symbolizes the visual—rather than verbal—performance of the theater.

The masque play is a theatrical genre that involves elaborate dancing. It is also an ostentatious genre that involves artificial stagecraft. The masque involves two parts: anti-masque and masque. Playwright Ben Jonson (who published his plays in 1616) was most famous for this technique. In his “Masque of Blackness,” the Ethiopian women talk to the head of England and want to be white. They claim that the Italians, the Irish, and other countries lack the perfect whiteness that the English possess. Even the father encourages the Ethiopians to convert to white. This highlights racial conversion; however, only black women (not black men) can convert to white. The “Masque of Blackness” would last two hours, then the “Masque of Beauty” lasts another two hours. The white women in the court then come onstage and dance to show real beauty.

The masque plays use short, linguistic script and replace language with vision. Theater becomes a visual feast rather than attendees hearing the play. Thus, there’s a fear that the theater would become all masque-like. This poses the question: “What happens to Shakespeare without words?” Masque plays visually translate language.

Uyen Dinh
Dis. 1F (Aaron 5 - 5:50)