The comedy and tragedy masks are a pair of masks, one crying and one laughing, that have widely come to represent the performing arts . Originating in the theatre of ancient Greece , the masks were said to help audience members far from the stage to understand what emotions the characters were feeling. ^[1]

The crying mask is often ascribed the name Melpomene , after the Muse of tragedy, sometimes abbreviated as Melpo , while the laughing mask is named for Thalia , the Muse of comedy, with the Muses often depicted holding their respective masks. ^{[1] [2]} Melpomene and Thalia were daughters of Zeus . Melpomene means a celebration of dance and song, while Thalia comes from the Greek thallein meaning to flourish or be verdant. ^[1] They are often depicted wearing the sock and buskin , which have also come to represent comedy and tragedy, and the masks are thus sometimes referred to as Sock and Buskin . ^{[3] [ better source needed ]}

The masks have also sometimes been associated with the Greek gods Dionysus (the god of wine, for the exaggerated emotions wine-drinking can bring on) and Janus (a god with two faces). ^[1]

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