The Neuroscience of the Tragic Mask

The Neuroscience of the Tragic Mask PETER MEINECK Manisleasthimself when hetalks inhisownperson. Givehima mask, andhewilltellyouthetruth. - OscarWilde, TheCritic as Artist TA he image ofthetragicmaskwithitsfixedexpression ,emptyeye sockets,monochromatic complexion, and exaggerateddownturned mouthsitsnextto its comic counterpart as theveryemblemof livetheatre, as theintertwinedmasksof "Comedy" and "Tragedy."However,inthe theatre worldmasksare one ofthemostmisunderstood aspectsofancientdrama ,and in therealmofclassicalstudies theimpactof themask on thetextand thepresentation of ancientplayshas beenvastlyunderestimated. Greektragedy, comedy, and satyr playswereall performed inmasks,and as faras we know neither theactorsnorthechoruseverperformedbarefaced .1 Howeverno actual theatremaskdating fromthefifth century bce- theperiodofAeschylus, Sophocles , Euripides,and much of Aristophanes - has survived, and thereis a dearthofevidence,bothliterary and material, forAthenianmasks fromthistime;and what littlewe do have is foundin nontheatrical artforms suchas vase paintingand sculpture, and a veryfewscantreferences to masks in texts of the period. Most modernpopular notions of Greek masks with theirstonyfaces,gaping eyes, "megaphone " mouths,and elongatedheaddressescome fromthe Hellenisticor Roman theatre, and are oftenseen on architecturalrepresentations of masks, sculpturalhome adornments ,or votive offerings ratherthan anythingthat was actuallywornon stage. Thispaper'sprimary purposeis to examinehow thetragic mask operatedin performance fromtheperspective of the ARION 19. 1SPRING/SUMMER 20II 114THEneuroscience of the tragic mask spectator, and its relationship to the surrounding environment .Only the available iconographicevidencefromthe fifth century has been applied to thisstudy,withthe proposal thatthePronomosvase of around400 bce (fig.5.1) providesour bestevidenceforcreatinga reconstruction of thefifth-century tragicmask.3 The methodology will be to take advantageof some of the new researchcomingfrom the fieldof neuroscience, in particular, studiesconcerning theoperationof neuronsin cognitivefunction and itsrelationship to imitation,empathy,spatial awareness, face recognition, and vision.Iffacialrecognition, reciprocaleye contact,and mentalconnectivity to themovements of othersare some ofthemostimportant ways in whichhumans communicate emotional states among themselves,then whathappenswhenthefaceis deniedbythemask,theeyes hidden, and movementchoreographedand heightened? Does the mask challengenormalhuman neuralresponses and producea higher cognitive experience, moredependent on comprehending movement and processing language,and did thefixedand unmoving surfaceofthemaskstimulate a profoundly personal,empathicvisualexperiencethatdeepened the emotionalresponseand accentuatedthe visceral experience ofwatchingthedrama?Ultimately I willbe proposing that the tragicmask mediated a bimodal ocular experiencethat oscillated between foveal (focused) and peripheral vision,and intheeyesofthespectators seemedto possesstheabilityto changeemotions,and thatthesequalitiesof themask were fundamental to theperformance of tragedy and thedevelopment ofnarrative drama. THE TRAGICMASK what type of mask did tragicactorswear in thefifth century ? This is a vitallyimportant question,as thefeatures of the mask were essentialto its successfulfunctionin performance as an effective communicator ofemotion.Our evidenceislimited torepresentations ofdramatic maskson vase PeterMeineck 115 paintings and relief sculpture, and herewe have to be careful .Some vase paintersand sculptorsclearlyindicatedthe presenceof a mask by delineating therendering of human skinfromtheimageofthemaskbymeansofa pronounced edgeseparating thetwo (fig4), whileotherschose to representa maskmerely bythedepiction ofa "severedhead" (fig. 3). Then occasionallywe see one performer holdinga mask whileanotheris alreadymasked,and thereis no attempt to signify thatthewornmask is anything otherthanthehead ofthecharacter theperformer is playing.Ifwe wereable to see onlythemaskedactoron thepelikefromCervetri bythe PhialePainter(fig.3), we mighthave deducedthatthiswas simplya depictionof a dancingwoman,and nota masked performer. Indeed,it has been frequently pointedout that vase paintings are notphotographs:theyare theirown distinctartistic medium,and thismustbe constantly bornein mindwhenconsidering thistypeofmaterial. Fig.1. Boywithmask.Attic red-figure fragment ofan oenochoe, 470-460bceAmerican School ofClassical Studies atAthens: Agora Excavations (P.11810). 116 THENEUROSCIENCE OFTHETRAGIC MASK Fig.2.Aulosplayer andchorus member holding a satyr mask. Redfigure chousoroenochoe fragment ca. 430 bce. American School ofClassical Studies atAthens: AgoraExcavations (P.32870). Fig.3. Chorusmember putting on bootwithmaskon floor and withchorusmember maskedas woman.Atticred-figure pelike from Cervetri bythePhialePainter, ca. 440-430bce. (Museum of FineArts, Boston Henry Lillie Pierce Fund, 98.883).Photograph© 2011Museum ofFineArts, Boston. PeterMeineck 117 Fig.4. Twomasked "maenads," anaulosplayer, anda seatedboy. Fragment of an Atticred-figured columnkraterfromOlbia, 430-420bce (Kiev, Museum oftheAcademy ofSciences). Fig.5.1.ThePronomos vase.Theatrical castdressed as satyrs, with actorsaroundan aulosplayer withDionysos and Ariadne. Attic red-figured volute krater bythePronomos Painter, 425-375 bce. Museo Archeologico Nazionale,Naples (NM 81673). Photo Credit: ArtResource, NY. 118 THENEUROSCIENCE OFTHETRAGIC MASK Fig.5.2. DetailofthePronomos vaseshowing theHerakles and Papposilenos performers, facesoftwochorus members, anda femalemask . Fig.5.3.Detailfrom thePronomos vase:MaskofFlerakles. PeterMeineck 119 Fig.5.4. Detailfrom thePronomos vase,showing theinside ofa satyr mask. Fig.5.5.Twodetails from thePronomos vase:theHerakles mask (left) andtheHerakles actor(right). Preeminent amongrepresentations ofthemaskinAttic vase painting isthePronomos vase,a red-figure volutekrater dated toaround400 bce,whichdepicts castmembers ofa satyr play and tragicactorsgatheredaround Dionysos. Our primary examplewillbe themaskheldbytheactoron theupperregis- 120 THENEUROSCIENCE OFTHETRAGIC MASK ter...