Why are masks used in 'Oedipus Rex'?

Answer 1

That one to three people always play all of the non-chorus roles and that the masks heighten the dramatic effect are the reasons why masks are used in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).

Specifically, the chorus tends to consist of twelve (12) members, all of whom wear identical masks since they are of like mind and opinion. The non-choral roles tend to be played by anywhere from one to three actors. The actors have different masks to differentiate between females and males and between roles, such as between messenger and royal. The use of masks therefore acts to advance the universality of the themes and the dramatic impact of the events and to keep the audience from being distracted by the actual, physical attributes of the individual actors.