commedia dell’arte
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Commedia dell’Arte. Stock Characters from the 16 th Century. Pantalone. very rich, but mean and stingy. has a young wife or an adventurous, rebellious daughter. many plots revolve around his unwillingness to share his money and women with others. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
STOCK CHARACTERS FROM THE 16 T H CENTURY
Commedia dell’Arte
Pantalone
very rich, but mean and stingy.has a young wife or an adventurous,
rebellious daughter.many plots revolve around his unwillingness
to share his money and women with others.he always carries a money bag which dangles
between his legs.Pantalone moves slowly and tends to hunch
forward, his back bent with age.often falls on his back and cannot get up!
Pantalone’s Appearance
he wears red, black and grey.sometimes uses a cane.
Il Capitano
his name is Italian for “the captain”.he is a soldier who brags loudly of his brave
deeds, but is actually very cowardly. moves with a great “swagger”, trying to
impress women and intimidate other men.marches with chest out when feeling brave,
but runs like a little girl when frightened.carries a long sword, which he always
manages not to use. many plots show him to be a coward.
Il Capitano’s Appearance
wears a uniform of some sort, often with yellow trim to show his cowardice.
often has a moustache under his very long nose.
Il Dottore
his name is Italian for “the doctor”.although he is supposed to be very wise and
well-educated, he does not actually know how to cure any of his patients, often making them sicker instead.
he has a large belly, and walks with tiny steps.
carries a white handkerchief.like Pantalone, he is very old; they are often
friends or rivals or both.
Il Dottore’s Appearance
wears black.has bushy eyebrows, and red cheeks from
drinking too much alcohol.
Arlecchino
you might recognize him as the “Harlequin”.he is a servant, usually to Pantalone, who
treats him very badly – often beating him with his own stick.
moves in a loose and floppy manner, but is quite bent from carrying heavy things for his master, or out of fear of being beaten.
carries a stick or a bat, often used against him.
he is mischievous, but slow-thinking. Much humour comes from his dim-wittedness.
Arlecchino’s Appearance
dresses in vibrant colours, his signature diamond pattern originally came from his patched clothes.
his mask is deep tan or red, suggesting someone who works a lot out of doors.
Pedrolino
he is a young servant, or – occasionally – the younger son of a family.
he is similar to the French clown “Pierrot”.walks quickly, looking at the ground; is often
surprised by what he has walked in to.tends to fidget and to create humour by
imitating other, more powerful characters.very floppy and child-like in his mannerisms.
Pedrolino’s Appearance
wears all-white clothes that are too big for him.
instead of a mask, sometimes wears white face paint.
Isabella
young daughter of Pantalone, usually involved in some kind of love triangle.
her father wants her to marry one of his old, wealthy friends; she wants to marry someone young and attractive.
along with her young lover, she is one of the “inamorata” (someone who is loved).
Isabella is clever and flirtatious.she moves gracefully.
Isabella’s Appearance
always beautifully and fashionably dressed.no mask, but wears heavy make-up.
Columbina
she is a servant.as a lady’s maid to Isabella, she has a higher
status than many of the other servants.the wife of Arlecchino; even though she
scolds him, she loves him and is generally happy and playful.
she moves quickly and nimbly.she is a cheerful and efficient servant.Columbina oftens helps the lovers to
outsmart those who would keep them apart.
Columbina’s Appearance
her costume often matches the colours and patterns of Arlecchino, her husband.
wears an apron and either no mask, or a mask that covers only her eyes.