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The masks you have seen from Bali fall into two categories, those that are employed for the Topeng and those used for ritual and religious performances in which a Rangda and a Barong Ket mask are used. Besides having an entertainment value for those who watch the characters they depict in action, they also serve a practical purpose to the Balinese. Discuss some of the masks and the characters they depict and the way they are employed to serve ritual and religious purposes in Balinese society.

The goal of many Balinese performances to achieve a harmony between good and evil by performance end. The importance of religious and secular may shift throughout a performance. That being said every element of a Balinese play has some sort of purpose, weather religious, mythological or historical. (Performances in Bali, Rubin and Sedana)

The Topeng performances in Boli begin with dance performances done by one person playing various roles. The full masks are used for characters that do not speak. These characters perform a very ritualistic dance that helps set up the story and connect to the audience. There are also two storytellers that actually do speak and engage directly with the audience. They discuss the struggles of events in life and the conflict between good and evil.(Performances in Bali, Rubin and Sedana) After the main narrative is told to the audience comic figures called Bondres appear and comment on what they have heard. There are a variety of characters that appear throughout the play and some may have slightly different roles depending on the story being told. There are both male and female characters depicted and all are performed by the same man. Finally the character of Sidhakarya appears to close the performance and restore the balance between good and evil. He has the face of a dead man who is still smiling and is known as the most sacred of all the masks in the performance. (Performances in Bali, Rubin and Sedana).

During the performance the actor is represented as the center of the Universe and as each character appears and disappears they are looking for harmony and balance between right and wrong.(Performances in Bali, Rubin and Sedana). The story as a whole is suppose to help understand the meaning of life. Sources: Performances in Bali and My Class Notes WC 276