What does antimask mean?
An antimask is a comic or deliberately grotesque dance interlude staged as part of the elaborate court masques fashionable in England during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. In works devised by figures such as Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones, the antimask preceded or punctuated the stately main masque, presenting witches, satyrs, clowns, and other disorderly figures whose antics threw the elegance of the noble dancers into sharper relief. The term survives today almost exclusively in theater history and literary criticism, where it describes this structural element of the Stuart court entertainment. A closely related spelling, "antimasque," is generally considered the standard form, while "antimask" remains a recognized variant. Despite its obscurity, the word captures a fascinating principle of stagecraft: that grandeur gains power when juxtaposed with deliberate chaos.
nounA comic, grotesque, or burlesque dance interlude performed before or between the sections of an elaborate courtly masque in 16th- and 17th-century England; by extension, any similar grotesque or comic entertainment contrasted with a grander performance.
- A comic or grotesque dance interlude performed as part of, or in contrast to, a courtly masque, especially in early 17th-century England.
- More broadly, any grotesque or burlesque entertainment set against a grander, more formal spectacle.
"Ben Jonson's masques opened with a riotous antimask of witches and clowns before the noble dancers appeared."
"The evening's festivities began with an antimask of prancing satyrs before the king's own dancers took the floor."
"Inigo Jones designed the scenery for both the antimask and the principal masque, giving each a deliberately contrasting style."
The plural refers to multiple such interludes, whether within a single masque or across different productions.
"The masque contained three successive antimasks, each wilder than the last."
Before English kings and queens enjoyed their lavish court masques, they were first entertained by dancing witches, satyrs, and fools — that chaotic warm-up act was called the antimask.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of antimask
The word derives from "mask," which entered English in the sixteenth century from French "masque," ultimately traceable through Italian "maschera" to medieval Latin "masca," meaning a witch or specter. The prefix "anti-" was added to denote the contrasting, often inverted character of the entertainment relative to the main masque. The form arose in early seventeenth-century England alongside the development of the court masque, and the closely related spelling "antimasque" became the more standard variant over time.
How antimask is actually used
The word belongs chiefly to theater history and literary criticism, appearing most often in discussions of Jacobean and Caroline court entertainments. It carries no everyday modern usage outside these scholarly contexts. The spelling "antimasque" is more standard than "antimask."
Easily confused with antimask
"Anti-mask" (with a hyphen) means opposed to wearing face coverings, whereas "antimask" names a comic dance interlude within a courtly masque.
"Antimasque" is the standard spelling of the same theatrical term; "antimask" is a less common variant.