The Court Masque as a symbol of the king’s power Charles I Stewart

The purpose of the study is to analyze the genre and functional features of the Court Masque, its status, as well as the degree of influence of French culture on the Masque from the time of the era of the English King Charles I Stuart. The methodology assumes the unity of methodological approaches as a cultural historical and comparative method of analysis. The system historical method allows us to trace the evolution of the court genre of Masques of the era of King Charles I. The comparative method used to identify the characteristic specifics of the genre of Masques of the reign of Charles I. The scientific novelty lies in an attempt to comprehend and justify the reasons for the transformation of the genre of Masque in the era of the reign of King Charles I Stuart. Conclusions. It is revealed that the Masque genre of the era of King Charles 1 was built into the absolutist-hierarchical system of England. The functions of the court Masque are designated: assert the authority and concentration of power in the hands of the monarch, political and reconciliation function inside the country. It is determined that the Masque of the reign of King Charles I was influenced by French court ballet and instrumental music. It is indicated that the Court Masques had lost their international status.