Clown

High school (ages 12+)
Everyday Life

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/clown

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the major clown personas?Whiteface (elegant, precise), Auguste (bumbling, physical), and Character (specific role/persona)
2. What is the performance techniques?Employs exaggerated makeup, oversized costumes, physical comedy (slapstick), mime, and prop manipulation
3. Why do clowns wear big shoes and colorful costumes?The big shoes and bright clothes help the clown stand out and make their playful expressions easier to see.
4. How did clowns start in history?Clowns began as jesters and fools in ancient Greece and Rome, then became court jesters in the Middle Ages, and later evolved into the comic characters of Italian commedia dell'arte.

Commedia dell'arte: An early form of improvisational theatre originating in Italy, featuring stock characters and physical comedy.
Catharsis: The process of releasing strong or repressed emotions, often achieved through art or performance.