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How Did Thespis Use Masks In Ancient Greek Theatre

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Masks played a vital role in many aspects of Ancient Greek theatre. The use of masks in Greek antiquity originated not from the theatre, but from religious rituals honouring the god Dionysus. Masks also partly originated from Greek mythology. From the rituals and festivals came Thespis, who became the first known actor and playwright, as well as the first person to introduce masks to theatre. The masks were intricately designed and served many purposes within the theatre. Masks that are inspired by those used in Ancient Greek theatre are still used today in stage performances, and are widely regarded as one of the most iconic components of Ancient Greek theatre.
The use of masks found their origins from religious rituals in Athens honouring Dionysus, the God of wine, and fertility. The rituals were performed by the Ancient cult of Dionysus, which took over most of Ancient Greece after 6th …show more content…

There are virtually no reliable sources of Thespis’s work and life, as all of the sources are from after Thespis was supposedly alive. It is believed that he was originally a poet, who was acknowledged as creating a new style of performance, where a single actor would recite speeches in character and interact with the chorus. This style became known as ‘tragedy’ or ‘tragoidia’, meaning ‘goat-song’, which is referring to the goats sacrificed to Dionysus and the goat-skins the actors wore. Thespis is also credited with replacing the dithyrambic makeup early actors wore with linen masks to portray characters. Competitions were held in City Dionysia in Athens to find the best tragedy in 534BC. Thespis won the first known competition, and from here started capitalise on his success. He also invented theatrical touring, bringing his tragedy performances to many Greek cities. Thespis’s popularity in the Greek theatre meant that the masks that he introduced also became

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