An event containing the magic of kinship, drama, and romance acts as a lure to all humanity. Such an event emerged through the 1500s and extended into the Elizabethan era. Known today as the masquerade ball, the event involved a dance and celebration by a collection of varying characters dressed in intricate costumes and masks that usually lasted through the night. The first ever masquerade ball was held by King Charles the IV of France, to celebrate the marriage of one of his ladies in waiting. Masquerade balls then proceeded to grow in popularity and spread to other countries. Throughout the 1500s, masquerade balls acted as popular social events due to their cause of communal interaction, entertainment, and romantic situations.
To begin, Masquerade balls became popular due to the communal merriment they became associated with. Although the first masquerade balls were intended as private and prestigious events, masked balls morphed into public occasions anyone could take part in. During a masked ball, the masks and intricate costumes aroused a sense of equality, …show more content…
The first ever masked ball was known as the Bal des Sauvagesi, or the “Ball of Wild Men”. In said ball, participants would dress in wild looking costumes made of flax and other grass materials and dance madly about. This ball later became known as the Bal des Ardents, or the “Burning Men’s ball”, as the result of an incident in which a torch proceeded to catch several of the dancing men’s costumes on fire. This, and the concept of going about trying to obtain a conjecture regarding who was who provided quite a bit of entertainment to the guests. In the course of the masquerade balls, members of the company would go about attempting to uncover the identities of those around him or her. Thus, the pleasure and enjoyment gained from the masked balls also accounted for their popularity and