Definition of interlude

The word "interlude" originated during the medieval era in England. At that time, popular dramas called mysteries, morality plays, and entertainments often disrupted religious dramas or pageants performed during church festivities. These disturbances resulted in short, lighthearted plays known as interludes, which were inserted between the religious performances to divert the audience's attention. The word "interlude" is a combination of two Middle English words: "inter," meaning "between," and "lude," meaning "play" or "game." These plays often had comic or farcical themes and were typically performed by traveling tradesmen or craftsmen during festivals and fairs. They were a welcome change of pace from the serious religious plays and were popular with the general public. As theater and entertainment evolved over time, interludes gradually fell out of favor, and by the early 1600s, they had largely disappeared from the theatrical scene. However, the word "interlude" continued to be used to describe anything that occurs between two main events or actions, such as intermission in a performance or a pause in a conversation. Its origin as a play within another play, however, is still widely known and celebrated in literature and theatrical history.