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Masks of Comedy and Tragedy Masks of Comedy and Tragedy
Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children

Masks of Comedy and Tragedy

Masks of Comedy and Tragedy
These two masks have come to symbolize the theater and its two major dramatic categories, comedy and tragedy. Masks have played an important part in the history of drama since the time of the ancient Greeks. They were originally used to allow the actors to clearly convey emotions such as anger, joy, or sorrow to the entire audience, and they made it easier for men to portray female characters.
Getty Images/Elizabeth Simpson / FPG International, LLC
Appears in these articles:
Mask; Drama and Dramatic Arts; Tragedy; Comedy; Theater; Acting
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