In this dissertation I study the printed accounts of early seventeenth century court masques. Court masques were spectacular entertainments at the English court, designed and performed to celebrate the monarch, the court and royal occasions. They lasted for hours and were appreciated for their expensive costumes and scenery, wonderful stagecraft, and elegant dance and music.
Making use of book history, textual studies, adaptation theory and rhetoric, I argue that the printed text plays a considerable role in creating meaning when we read these accounts: printed texts shape, and mis-shape, our visualisation of performances. Thus, we must look at the texts and how they create meaning, not through them. The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses (1603), for instance, celebrated King James as a bringer of light, but visual patterns in the text invites an alternative reading that suggests a return to dark times unless the new court follows the writer’s advice. Another masque, The Memorable Masque (1613), makes use of the space of the page to put focus on the sponsors of the masque, rather than the monarch, by placing them on top of every page in the running titles.
The study concludes that paying attention to how printed texts influence our perceptions of what is real and true is crucial for readers of printed court masques, but it is equally important to all readers of texts in an age of fake news and alternative facts.
Christina Sandhaug successfully defended her thesis on 15 May 2026.
Trial lecture
Designated topic: What is a masque, as a form of drama, and how does it make meaning in performance and in print?
Evaluation committee
- Professor Martin Butler, University of Leeds (first opponent)
- Professor Barbara Ravelhofer, Durham University (second opponent)
- Professor Rasmus Vangshardt, University of Oslo (committee administrator)
Chair of the defence
Supervisors
- Professor Juan C. Pellicer, University of Oslo