The Masque of Blackness was presented at the Court in Whitehall in 1605. On the Twelfth
night In front of king James and the courtiers. It may have been presented on the twelfth night
to signal a reversal of identity. For example in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (1601) Viola
dresses up as a man. In The Masque of Blackness the ladies reverse their skin color.
Indigo Jones designed the spectacular scenery and costume. The plot of the masque is very
simple: Oceanus and Niger have a conversation as this takes place 12 nymphs step out of the
ocean wearing black makeup and body paint . They are then magically transformed into
white women (Under the influence of the sun!) The effect of black women on the stage must
have been an overwhelming fascination for the audience, as many members of the court may
have never seen such a sight of otherness and exoticness.
Throughout this presentation I will address the following:
— Discuss Jonson’s use of flattery
— The sun king- Important to understand throughout this presentation
— Explain How the king appears to be criticized
— Argue that the king is flattered
‘It is worth remembering that James is praised in Jonson's masques for his virtue as well as
for his power and that to Jonson ,the context of a masque was moral as well as political’
(Strout: 1987:1) The previous quote would seem to be an accurate perception of the masques
flattery of the king. However it seems that with research and deep analysis one could come to
the conclusion that this quote is only a touch upon the surface of the flattery involved within
this masque. It is understandable why Strout would have taken this viewpoint, but other
critics believe the masque to be the complete opposite of flattery which is also understandable
due to the hyperbolic language and irony within the masque I am going to argue that the
masque does flatter King James but also point out how others may come to the conclusion
that the masque does not flatter King James.
Firstly David Lindley states that, ‘the masque was extremely expensive, up to £3,000 had
been spent upon it.’ (Lindley: 1995:215) This first of all establishes the relationship of
power and wealth at the court. It is interesting as the text suggests that money is a sign of
international power, it also presents England as the home of the sun king, which re in forces
King James’s wealth and authority. However the blackness can be seen to undermine the king
and signify a different type of power. The audiences power of interpretation and the element
of high expectations. It is important when discussing flattery to understand the nature of
Jonson’s and King James’s relationship. Jonson would have had an economically
dependent relationship with King James, as he was employed by royalty to write these
magnificent masques. So Jonson would need to have been sensitive to the Kings pride. This
masque is immensely ambivalent and flattery is an extremely complicated area throughout
this masque. Some may interpret the sun kings failure to turn the women white on stage a
reflection upon King James’s abilities in kingship. The first quote:
‘Britannia (whose new names make all tongues sing)
Might be a diamond worthy to enchase it,
Ruled by a sun, that to this height doth grace it.
Whose beems shine day and night, and are of force
To blanch an Ethiop and receive a corpse.’ (Blackness 137-141)
The above quote from the masque asserts that the sun king is a diamond who rules Britain
day and night who is full of power and is very much capable of turning the Ethiopian women
white. Jonson compares the King to the sun, which speaks volumes. The sun is omnipotent
and is the source of all life forms. Without the sun no living thing would survive. Obviously
this seems like immense flattery of the sun king (King James) However
the fact that this sun king is undermined at the end of the masque by failing to turn the
women white on the stage poses a huge question at the end of the masque. Is King James
really a fantastic monarch capable of these magnificent things? This too me needs more
peeling away and analysis. However If King James was to blanch an Ethiop he would receive
a corpse.
If the sun was to stop shinning its beems day and night then the skin of the Ethiopian
women would no longer be black, but doesn’t an Ethiop need the sun to be suited more to
their environment in Africa? So this line could suggest that if the sun King James was to
blanch an Ethiop he would receive a corpse in the sense that if the women turned white they
would die. This could allude to the point that the women are black in physical appearance as
this is more ideal for them in their environment. However the audience may interpret this
failure to turn the women white a flattery of King James as the Niger women need their
black skin to live in the exotic other place. David Linley speculates that, ‘to blanch
an Ethiop is a proverbial impossibility.’ (Lindley: 1995:217) This could then assert that the
women’s skin will stay black as only the sun can do this. Ben Jonson may not have believed
in divine right as the quote clearly states that the sun is all powerful and capable of cleansing
the women’s skin colour. The fact that the audience never saw the skin of the women turn
white does not necessarily point towards the king being in capable and his kingship criticized.
It could just signal Jonson’s feelings on divine right by portraying King James more earthly
and humane than the sun. The King is compared to a diamond, maybe suggesting that
he has more sides than the audience can see, maybe again asserting that King James is more
human and earthly than we think ,again this could be Jonson expressing his view on the
divine right.
It is interesting to analyse why Jonson chose to use the sun as a symbol of King James.
Firstly Garin states that,
‘planets and constellations were not only cosmic forces whose propitious or
inauspicious actions brought weakness or strength according to cycles of a path
fixed by eternity: They were divinities which could see and understand, which
brought gladness or grief, had a voice, had a sex...... It was believed that the sun
was in the middle of the galaxy.’(Eugenio Garin 1983: VII)
This is very interesting as the believed position of the sun, reflects the arrangement in the
court. King James was on a raised platform, in the centre of the court. Thus reflecting the
sun’s position, maybe asserting that King James was like the sun. The notions of lightness
and darkness throughout the mask also could be seen to personify the king to the sun. Much
like in The Little Black Boy ( 1789)by William Blake. White is good and pure, black is bad.
An example of this is when Aethiopia gives some advice to Niger regarding his daughters.
Invite them all boldly to the shore,
Their beauties shall be scorched no more;
This sun is temperate, and refines
All things on which his radiance shines’ (148-151)
The words radiance and shine are commonly associated with the sun, and the fact that Jonson
chose to use the word his could suggest that again James is being compared to the sun. This
may seem that the King is being flattered as he is capable of turning the women white ,
however the word ‘scorched’ suggests that the sun should leave the women the colour they
are because they are beautiful and if the sun was to change their colour they would have
their beauty scorched. To be scorched would suggest to be burned and even scar suggesting
ugliness. So the women’s skin should be left as it is, which is exactly what the King did. This
interpretation would suggest that the king was responsible for making the Niger women
the colour they were originally.
This appears to contradict King James’s idea of white supremacy and some may see this
as criticism as the king However Lesley mickel speculates that, ‘blackness similarly urges the
King maintain his statue of sol and to avoid Niger’s mistakes perhaps the greatest of which is
his obsession with the outer black appearance of his daughters rather than their inner
qualities.’ (Mickel: 1991:51) So maybe this failure to turn the women white was just a
theatrical device ,not a criticism of the king, in fact it could be an immense flattery of the
king. This is because it portrays King James as a deeper thinking intelligent King. He did not
turn the women’s skin white at the end of the masque because unlike Niger he saw past the
blackness and recognised their inner qualities.
The fact that the women on stage where painted black also suggests that their beauty
on the outside was false anyway. They are white in soul and the fact that the sun king
did not turn them white and cleanse them on stage could suggest that he is fantastic and deep
thinking and realised that they are white in soul and the blackness is simply there to serve
him better and help the women in their environment.
‘With all his beauticious race,
Who though but black in face,
Yet they are bright, And full of life and light,
to prove that beauty best, which is not the colour,
but the feature assures unto the creature.’ (1328 6-13)
This is suggesting that the daughters are beautiful because of certain physical attributes, in
spite of their blackness. Their skin tone cannot be seen as a positive aspect of beauty; instead,
their skin tone is the part of their physical features that should be overlooked ‘not the colour,
but the feature’ Beauty is not the colour also suggests that we should see past the blackness
it does not make them ugly. So again King James’s is seen to agree with this idea by not
turning the women white on stage.
‘Cause he shone, On their scorched cheeks with such intemperate fires,’ (Blackness: 74-
75) The above quote also asserts that the sun (King James) scorched their skin and thus has
made the Niger women the colour they are black . Some may interpret this as a criticism on
King James’s power and virtue as he turned them black in the first place which contradicts
his idea of white supremacy. However I would suggest that this flatters the king as it again
suggest that King James is able to turn the women’s soul white but leave their skin black as it
is more beneficial to them to be this colour. This idea also suggests that the beauty of the
women is in the inside and the only reason they are black is because the king appreciates their
colour as it serves him better, if he is like the sun! The word scorch again also asserts that
their beauty of black should not be scorched by the sun. They should not be turned white by
the King as again this serves him better. Another example of this is:
‘whose termination (of the greek)
sounds Tania; where bright sol, that heat
their bloods doth never rise or set,
but in his journey passeth by,
And leaves that climate of the sky
To comfort of a greater light’ (Blackness lines 89-95)
Bright sol that heats their blood could also re in force the idea that the sun is able to change
skin colour as it heats their blood. ‘His’ could also suggest that the king again is being
compared to the sun. The phrase ‘that heat their blood’ suggest a warm heart, full of life
energy and beauty, desire and passion. This could mean that their skin colour does
in fact make them beautiful and therefore does not need to be bleached. Alluding that the
transformation is not necessary as they are beautiful inside anyway, the sun has served
its purpose to these women by making the more suited to their environment. This flatters the
king because it portrays him as a king that is able to appreciate inner beauty and serve
the Niger women by shinning his beams day and night.
To recap, I have argued that the King has been compared to the sun, which some may think
is an indication that the King is being criticized but I have pointed this out and argued that
the King is in fact flattered. The failure to turn the women white on stage, I think is a form of
flattery of the King because the Niger women are more suited to this colour due to their
environment. This flatters him because it portrays him as the sun which makes all exoticness
suited to their environment, and serves others. I have also given examples of how this is
showed in the text. Thank you for listening and I hope you have enjoyed this presentation.
Any questions?
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