Masques originate from a folk tradition where players would suddenly call on a nobleman. The players would wear masks and make the nobleman the focus of the act. The players would rouse great celebration with the nobleman and anyone else who was around. These types of masques would usually be in celebration of an important event, such as a wedding or birthday. In the end, the players would reveal themselves to the nobleman and spectators.

Masques were usually performed for the royal court and nobility, and were considered the highest art form until the Puritans closed English theatre in 1642. The masque’s association with upper classes was noted in the rich visual presentation of the art form, the instruments used, and the architecture of the stage, as well as the intellectual level needed to completely understand elements of classical literature and language involved. Courtiers were sometimes even silent participants in the masques that were performed for them. For example, Henry VIII and Charles I performed in the masques that were put on at their courts. The musical composers, singers, and musicians were hired as well as the professional players who performed. Below, a picture of what trained musicians practicing their music may have looked like.

"Musical Society" c.1635 Web Gallery of Art

During the English renaissance, masques almost always involved one main allegorical figure. The allegorical figure is the main player to address the crowd. He or she is surrounded by other players, who often represent characters from classical literature or mythology. In the end, the audience would be invited to participate by dancing in the masque with the players. Because masques were usually allegorical, they were sometimes used as mediums to share insight on the lives of commoners with the current king or queen, or upper classes. Pastoral settings, mythological fables, and classical references were coupled with ethical debate to make assertions about the lives of the lower class citizens. Contrastingly, while masques may have addressed the lives of the less educated classes, the moral and ethical debates that arose from masques were highly intellectual. This served to combine elements of two extremes of renaissance England&rsquo! ;s social classes, encouraging principled debate among all classes. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature sums it up this way, “the [masque] meant, broadly, the introduction into popular entertainment of a new intellectual element.” As an example, we will explore this description of a masque found in Thomas Deloney’s novel, Jack of Newbury (1597):

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"And as the King returned from this place with intent to take horse and depart, there met him a great many of children in garments of white silke, fringed with gold, their heads crowned with golden Bayes, and about their armes each one had a scarfe of gréen sarcenet fast tied, in their hands they bore siluer bowes, and vnder their girdles golden arrowes.

The foremost of them represented Diana, Goddesse of Chastity, who was attended on by a traine of beautifull Nymphes, and they presented to the King foure prisoners: The first was a sterne and grisly woman, carrying a frowning countenance, and her forehead full of wrinkles, her hayre as blacke as pitch, and her garments all bloudy, a great sword shee had in her hand all stained with purple gore: they called her name Bellona, Goddesse of warres, who had thrée daughters: the first of them was a tall woman, to leane and il fauoured, that her théeke bones were ready to start out of the shinne, of a pale and deadly colour: her eyes sunke into her head: her legges so féeble, that they could scantly carry the body; all along her armes & hands through the skinne you might tell the sinewes, ioints and bones: her téeth were very strong and sharpe withall: she was so gréedy, that shée was ready with her téeth to teare the skinne from her owne armes: her attyre was blacke, and all torne and ragged, she went barefooted and her name was Famine. The second was a strong and lusty woman, with a looke pittilesse, and vnmercifull countenance: her garments were all made of Iron and Stéele, and she carried in her hand a naked weapon, and she was called the Sword. The third was also a cruell creature, her eyes did sparkle like burning coales: her hayre was like a flame, and her garments like burning brasse: she was so hate, that none could stand neere her, and they called her name Fire.

After this they retyred againe, and brought vnto his Highnesse two other Personages, their countenance was Princely and amiable, their attyre most rich and sumptuous: the one carried in his hand a golden Trumpet, and the other a Palme trée: and these were called Fame & Victorie, whom the Goddesse of Chastity charged to waite vpon this famous Prince for euer. This done, each childe after other with due reuerence, gaue vnto his Maiesty a swéete smelling Gilliflower, after the manner of the Persians, offering something in token of loyalty and obedience. The King and Quéene beholding the swéete fauour and countenance of these children, demanded of Iacke of Newberie whose children they were? Who answered: It shall please your Highnesse to vnderstand, that these are the children of poore people, that doe get their liuing by picking of wooll, hauing scant a good meal! e once in a wéeke. With that the King began to tell his Gilliflowers, whereby hee found that there was 96 children. Certainely, said the Quéene, I perceiue God giues as faire children to the poore as to the rich, and fairer many times: and though their dyet and kéeping bée but simple, the blessing of God doth cherish them. Therefore said the Quéene, I will request to haue two of them to waite in my Chamber. Faire Katharine, said the King, thou and I haue tumpt in one opinion, in thinking these children utter for the Court than the Countrey: whereupon hée made choise of a dozen more, foure he ordained to be Pages to his royall Person, and the rest he sent to the Uniuersities, allotting to euery one a Gentlemans liuing. Diuers of the Noble-men did in like sort entertaine some of those children into their seruices, so that (in the end) not one was left to picke wooll, but were all so prouided for, that their Parents neuer n&e! acute;eded to care for them: and God so blessed them, that each of the m came to bée men of great account and authority in the Land, whose posterities remaine to this day worshipfull and famous. "

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At the end of the masque, the king and queen are left to with the ethical and moral question of what to do with the poor, working children that have acted in this masque. Morally, Queen Katherine decides that these children deserve nothing less than what other children have. She says, “I perceive God gives as fair children to the poor as to the rich, and fairer many times, and though their diet and keeping be simple, the blessing of God doth cherish them.” Ethically, it is decided by both the king and queen that education is the answer to the children’s wasting away at working. Some of the children begin working for the nobility, while others go to universities. The ending of this masque leaves the reader (or observer) with the idea that education is what separates the working poor from those who become great in life. Below, an example of what the children in the masque described above may have looked like.

"A Lady in Masque Costume" c.1610 Web Gallery of Art

The musical compositions for masques were grand and showy. Keeping with the allegorical theme of masques, music in masques were not just for entertainment, but to help make a statement to the viewers. The music served the function of getting and keeping the viewers attention, as well as for letting the viewers know what emotions were to be felt concerning the issues addressed in the masque. For example, the opening scene of the masque above might include trumpets blaring, and a great announcement of the procession and fanfare that was to come, as the children dressed in white silk began to process out onto the stage. However, when Famine, Sword, and Fire are introduced to the King and Queen, one might imagine a deep, foreboding sound from the instruments, a forewarning of what is to come of the working poor children. Grand, rich sounds might be made with the trumpets, accompanied by the lute and virginal as Fame and Victory made their! appearance later in the masque. The music played on the ethical issues raised by the allegory, setting the mood at different moments during the masque, and helping to form the ethical debate, as well as shaping the viewers opinions about the outcomes of the debates.