ABSTRACT
The morality drama might seem one of the most obvious places to look for masks in the theatre of late medieval and Tudor England. The characters and action of the moralities are allegorical; the plays consciously and insistently demonstrate moral ideas; and their theatrical techniques are freely and inventively non-realistic and non-representational.1 All this might suggest that masks - demonstratively unconcerned with naturalism - could form a natural part of the stage language of the moralities. The plays do, in fact, introduce masks relatively frequently and often in interesting and suggestive ways. But as far as evidence suggests, masking is probably not as widespread, not as ingrained in the plays’ methods as modern interests might lead us to expect. Moralities use masks freely to contribute particular moral and theatrical effects; but they do not appear to be plays in which allegorical characters are masked most or all of the time.
