The mask was an organic element in this new form called theatre because the mask is the medium per excellence for the embodiment of the Other and participates in the creation of the stage as a site of the dialogue between the Self and the Other.
Dionysus wore a mask and was personified by means of it. His effigy was a mask nailed to a wooden pole.
A mask was at the centre or heart of imitation, the very core of Ancient Greek theatre.
Andrew Stott (2014). Comedy. Aristotle's Definition of Comedy: Routledge. pp. 19–. ISBN 978-1-134-45397-9.A comic mask is ugly, but does not indicate pain.
[Ugliness, in the Greek mind, was equivalent to badness.]
Some have argued that the shape of the mask amplified the actor's voice, like a megaphone, making it easier for the audience to hear the words and lines he was speaking.. Others, after testing this theory, have argued that this did not hold up but rather that it was the tone of the voice of the actor which the mask changed rather than its loudness. A mask forced the actor to become clearer in his diction.
In ancient Greek theatre, the masks worn by actors were not strictly about signalling a "goodie" or a "baddie" in the simplistic sense of modern hero-villain dynamics. Instead, the masks conveyed key aspects of the character's identity, emotional state, and role in the story. Here's how they functioned:
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Character Identity: Masks helped the audience identify the character’s age, gender, social status, and role in the narrative. Since all actors were male, masks enabled them to portray female characters or distinguish between gods, heroes, and mortals.
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Emotional Expression: Masks were designed to amplify expressions and emotions, making them visible to the large audience even in the back rows. For example, exaggerated features like a frown or smile could instantly convey whether the character was joyful, sorrowful, angry, or mischievous.
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Moral Alignment or Archetypes: While some masks could imply certain traits that might align with "good" or "bad" qualities (e.g., a mask with sharp, cruel features might suggest a villain or antagonist, while a noble, serene mask might suggest a virtuous hero), this wasn't a rigid rule. Ancient Greek drama often explored moral ambiguity and the complexity of human nature, especially in tragedies.
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Recognizable Stock Characters: In comedies, masks often represented stock characters with exaggerated features for humorous effect, such as the foolish old man or the boastful soldier, which could imply their moral or behavioral traits.
While masks could suggest a character’s nature or role in the story, the moral dynamics in Greek plays were usually more nuanced and were revealed through dialogue, actions, and the unfolding narrative, rather than being purely signaled by the masks.
Extract from
Arthur Elam Haigh; Sir Arthur Wallace Pickard-Cambridge (1968). The Attic Theatre: A Description of the Stage and Theatre of the Athenians, and of the Dramatic Performances at Athens. Ardent Media. pp. 244–.
Archive.Org (1907): The Attic theatre a description of the stage and theatre of the Athenians.
...
Masks were generally made of linen. Cork and wood were occasionally used. The mask covered the whole of the head, both in front and behind. The white of the eye was painted on the mask, but the place for the pupil was left hollow, to enable the actor to see. The expression of the tragic mask was gloomy and often fierce; the mouth was opened wide, to give a clear outlet to the actor's voice. One of the most characteristic features of the tragic mask was the onkos. This was a coneshaped prolongation of the upper part of the mask above the forehead, intended to give size and impressiveness to the face. The onkos was not used in every case, but only where dignity was to be imparted. It varied in size according to the character of the personage. The onkos of the tyrant was especially large; that of women was less than that of men. A character was not necessarily represented by the same mask throughout the piece. The effects of misfortune or of accident had often to be depicted by a fresh mask. For instance, in the Helen of Euripides Helen returns upon the stage with her hair shorn off, and her cheeks pale with weeping, Oedipus, at the end of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles, is seen with blinded eyes and a bloodstained face. In such cases a change of mask must have been necessary.
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Colour
The statues in an Ancient Greek Temple or Shrine, or on the Friezes were all part of the theatricals and rituals that took place in those temples and shrines. Those statues were not bare white marble but were highly coloured. It is my supposition that the costumes and masks of Ancient Greek Theatre were polychrome and highly coloured just like the statues in the temples and shrines were, and were probably coloured using similar colours to the temples and their statues.
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