The Masque of Blackness Literary Elements

Masque

English

The Atlantic Ocean at an unspecified and indeterminable time

The action of the play follows the dialogue between Niger, Oceanus, and Aethiopia as they discuss the problem of Niger's daughters and how to rectify it.

Majestical, patriotic, pandering

There is no real antagonist in this masque; it simply follows the endeavor of Niger to find a way to wash his daughters' blackness away since they believe it is making them ugly. The other speaking characters help him in this quest.

Niger, the god of the Niger River, is attempting to locate a mysterious land ending in "-tania" that will allow his daughters to regain their beauty by washing out their pale skin and making it white. So far, his attempts have been unsuccessful, so he is visiting his father, Oceanus, for advice.

After Aethiopia, the moon goddess, appears and points Niger and his daughters in the right direction, all the characters on stage engage in happy dancing and singing festivities, rejoicing in the greatness of Britain and the hope it affords to them.

Niger's description of his daughters' woes foreshadows Aethiopia's appearance and her presentation of the solution to these woes: Britain.

When asked about his motivation for seeking this land, Niger replies, "To do a kind, and careful father's part, / In satisfying every pensive heart / Of these my daughters, my most loved birth." Here, Niger uses understatement to focus on his duty as a father rather than his daughters' despair.

The play alludes to the Greek myths of Hercules, who undertook twelve Olympian tasks in penance for his misdeeds. It also refers to Phaeton, another ancient Greek mythological figure who is blamed for foolishness and pride. Finally, the play alludes frequently to the "sun king" of England, James I, who happened to be in the audience at the time.

Important imagery in the play includes seascapes, lightness, darkness, and the superiority of Britain.

Niger's daughters are beautiful, but in order to be perceived as beautiful by the world, they must become white, thus erasing a beautiful aspect of themselves.

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Oceanus and Niger are epitomes of personification: they are bodies of water who have literally been turned into fictional people who can speak, think, and interact.

At the beginning of the play, Jonson includes extensive directions concerning the setting of the stage, which have been meticulously constructed by the famed architect Inigo Jones for the occasion. There are also directions in different spots of the script instructing various characters to perform various actions, such as dancing, singing, entering, and exiting.