Theatrical Masks

A mask is an article usually worn on the face, used to conceal, protect, perform, or amuse. Masks have been used since 7000 BCE, and have served many different types of people. As you can imagine, masks have been used in theatre.

Masks in theatre originated from Western Theatre, in Athens, Greece. Very well known masks are "The Janus Masks" or also known as the "Comedy Tragedy" masks. These masks were very common in the uprising of theatrical masks. All plays were either comedies, or tragedies, in honor of the god Dionysus.

These days, the detail and care of masks is much greater than it was so many years ago in Western theatre. While the Janus masks are composed of a frown and a smile, there is now a wide variety of masks used in theatre. To create these masks, latex, adhesives, creme, and much more are used to portray a character.

On that note, it is safe to say that masks are used in theatre for a common goal. This common goal consists of portraying a character, either in its emotions or unnatural physical appearance. Masks are used in situations when gestures and physical acting is just not enough.

Theatrical masks are used in The Lord of the Flies when the savages act out the killing of the pig.

Masks in Religion

Religious masks are primatively based on the land, or country of origin they come from. Religions change from country to country, along with what they use the masks for. Generally, religious masks are used to insure a good harvest or a safe hunt or to ward off evil. Over four thousand years ago the early Chinese made terrifying and ferocious clay masks with bristling fangs and gaping mouths which represented demons and monsters, creatures of the spirit world.

A Brief Summary of; Lord of the Flies

A Nobel Prize for Literature winner, this William Golding novel is a classic. An adventurous tale of a group of boys whos plane has crash landed on an unknown island. With no parents, or adults in authority, the boys must fend for themselves. They must overcome "the beast", the controversy of fire, and the fierce savages that most of the boys become. Fending for themselves leads to a bloody climax.

A General Outline

With this blog I hope to inform viewers of the history of masks, and the role of masks as a symbol, in the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I will explore in depth, where masks originated from, and what they were used for. I will research religious masks, theatrical masks, masks in music and festive masks. Lord of the Flies has inspired me to reasearch this mysterious art. What mask do you wear?