Difference Between Mime and Pantomime

Art, a diverse range of human activities in creating performing, visual and audio artifacts are used to express an author’s conceptual, imaginative or technical skills to be appreciated for the emotional and beauty power. Although it dates back to ancient times with the oldest forms of visual art being rock paintings, sculptures, cave paintings, mine, and pantomime. Due to their ability to portray emotion, experience and thought through the body and transcend cultural barriers, mime and pantomime have remained significant in the art sector. Although often sued synonymously, these two have differences. 

What is Mime?

Dating back to pre-ancient times, this is the art of acting silently through different kinds of theoretical movements. Although it mostly uses one artist, the use of imaginary objects and the artist’s body as an expression of an idea makes mine unique in its way. The influence of Modern Western mine which was strongly felt in ballet was developed into a silent art where expressions, movements and gestures were used to convey meanings. Some masters in the ancient tradition include Charlie Chaplin and Ben Turpin who were silent film mimes and television entertainers including Circus Clowns, Sid Caesar and Emmet Kelly. The practice was, however, perfected in France by Jean-Louis Barrault, Etienne Decroux and Marcel Marceau. 

What is Pantomine?

This is the art of using imaginary situations and objects to create the illusion of reality. These involve actions based on reality such as walking a dog. It focuses more on showing recognizable actions as opposed to showing a specific theme. Pantomine is diverse in that it can involve a small group of people, an entire assembly or even one person. The Roman pantomine had loftier themes and had the pantomimus wearing various masks which deprived him of facial expressions and speech. His art was hence based on gesture and posture whereby expressions using hand movements were important. 

Similarities between Mime and Pantomime

• In both, actors show emotion through body movements

Differences between Mime and Pantomime

Definition

Mine refers to the art of acting silently through different kinds of theoretical movements. On the other hand, pantomime refers to the art of using imaginary situations and objects to create the illusion of reality. 

Number of persons

While mine mostly uses one artist, pantomime can involve a small group of people, an entire assembly or even one person. 

Focus

Mine focuses on the use of imaginary objects and the artist’s body as an expression of an idea. On the other hand, pantomime focuses more on showing recognizable actions as opposed to showing a specific theme. 

Use of masks

While there is no use of masks in mine, pantomime involves the pantomimus wearing various masks which deprived him of facial expressions and speech. 

Mime vs. Pantomime: Comparison Table

Summary of Mime and Pantomime

Mine refers to the art of acting silently through different kinds of theoretical movements. It focuses on the use of imaginary objects and the artist’s body as an expression of an idea. On the other hand, pantomime refers to the art of using imaginary situations and objects to create the illusion of reality. It focuses more on showing recognizable actions as opposed to showing a specific theme. In both, however, actors show emotion through body movements. 

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