n.
Short dramatic entertainment performed by masked actors.
It originated in the folk ceremony known as mummery (see mumming play ) and evolved into elaborate court spectacles in the 16th17th centuries. A masque presented an allegorical theme using speeches, dances, and songs, in a performance often embellished with rich costumes and spectacular scenery. The genre reached its height in 17th-century England when the court poet, Ben Jonson , collaborating with Inigo Jones on many notable masques (160534), gave it literary force. The masque later developed into opera .