CSB1

Identify some of the similarities and differences between masks in Indian genres of performance and those used in ancient Greece and Rome.

Masks have been used for centuries in Indian culture as a means of both retelling the stories of the gods as well as honoring them. In the tradition of Ramlila theatre, a 30 day festival occurs in which scenes from the Ramayana are performed (source: handout from Dr. Richmond 1/25/12). This event brings to mind the Festival Dionysus in ancient Greece. Both festivals are meant to honor the deity while celebrating as a community through theatre. Krishnattam honors the deity Krishna, so this theme of honor through masked performance can be seen throughout India.

The masks of Krishnattam hold other similarities to what we know of Greek masks. Some are worn as helmets, sitting atop the head and covering the entire face. These Indian masks are carved of wood and do not entirely expose the bottom of the face. Through ancient Greek carvings, we know that their masks were carved in a similar manner and while we cannot be sure of the material, scholars have suggested that wood is a possibility (Richmond PowerPoint).

Another parallel can be witnessed in the use of masks that represent stock characters, or characters familiar to the audience and easily recognizable. Though examples of Greek masks no longer exist, we understand that characters such as the Old Woman, Shaman, and the gods were typical to Greek drama and their characters would have been easily recognized by the audience. These masks can be seen in many forms of Indian theatre – Ramlila, Krishnattam, and Purulia Chhau have many of these masks while Bhagavad Mela has only one.

In conclusion, similarities between Greek and Indian masked drama are many and cannot be denied.

Word Count: 273 sans citation.

THIS IS A GOOD START. YOU HAVE CAPTURED SOME OF THE MAIN POINTS THAT I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN. ONLY ONE THINGS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT. THE ROMANS. IF WE LOOK AT THE COMIC MASKS OF BOTH GREECE AND ROME THERE DO NOT SEEM TO BE ANY SIMILAR ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE INDIAN THEATRE IN THE MATERIAL I SHOWED IN CLASS. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THE INDIANS SEEM TO HAVE RELIED ON COMIC CHARACTERS WHO DID NOT WEAR MASKS AND WHO LOOKED MORE LIKE THE AUDIENCES THEY WERE PLAYING FOR. THIS ALLOWED THE PUBLIC TO RELATE TO THE ELEVATED EVENTS IN THE SHOW. ALSO YOU MIGHT HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE DEMON MASKS IN INDIA. THERE DON'T SEEM TO BE ANY SIMILAR KINDS OF MASKS IN EITHER GREECE OR ROME, DO THERE?