Short dramatic entertainment performed by masked actors. It originated in the folk ceremony known as mummery (&see; mumming play) and evolved into elaborate court spectacles in the 16th–17th centuries.
A masque presented an allegorical theme using speeches, dances, and songs, in a performance often embellished with rich costumes and spectacular scenery. The genre reached its height in 17th-century England when the court poet, Ben Jonson, collaborating with Inigo Jones on many notable masques (1605–34), gave it literary force. The masque later developed into opera.
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