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Ancient Greek Theater Masks
Name of Culture: Athenian/Greek
Time Period: Greece between c. 600 and c. 200 BC
Geographic Location: Most predominantly Athens, Greece
Formal Qualities of Masks:
-Usually made of linen, wood, or leather.
-A marble or stone face was used as a mould for the mask.
-Human or animal hair was sometimes also used.
-The eyes were fully drawn but in the place of the pupil of the eye was a small hole so that the
actor could see.
-Use of many engraved lines to create movement through the hair and emotion on the face.
-Most masks had an exaggerated facial expression so that the audience could see it from great
distances.
-The color is minimal if any in order to keep the focus on the actor, not the mask.
Character and Function of the Masks:
Used in ancient Greek theater by the cast. The members of the chorus wore most of these masks.
They were usually similar to each other but completely different from the leading actors. The
similarity of the masks could give the character some sort of universality, creating an average
figure, so that the audience would judge him on his actions and not his appearance. Because the
number of actors varied from one to three, they had to put on different masks, in order to play
more roles. The actors were also all men, so the masks were necessary to allow them to portray a
woman.
Test Questions:
1.) True/False….Women wore Masks During ancient Greek theater performances.
2.) What colors were typically used in the ancient Greek theater masks?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Reds and Whites
Blues and grays
Greens and Whites
None of the above
3.) Short answer: Why were all of the masks used in ancient Greek theater so similar to one
another?
4.) What was used to make the mould for ancient Greek Masks?
a. Actor’s Face
b. No mould was used
c. Pre-made marble or stone face
5.) Short answer: Why did the ancient Greek theater masks have such exaggerated
expressions?