Commedia Characters

Nearly all of the stock characters of Commedia Dell’Arte can be sorted into three major groups- The Lovers, The Vecchi and The Zanni.

1. The Lovers are pairs of young men and women who are trying get together.  You could describe this group of characters as the main structure of the plot in many Commedia Scenarios.  Some of the male lovers are Silvio, Orazio, Ottavio and Leandro.  Some of Commedia’s female loves are Isabella, Flamina and Silvia.  The lovers were the only Commedia character who didn’t wear masks.

2. The Vecchi, or Old Men, are the ones who, for reasons unknown find it their duty to keep the pairs of lover apart.  They want to destroy the plot of the scenarios.  An example of a Vecchi is Pantaloon.  Pantaloon is characterized by his selfish obsession with money.  Pantaloon comes from the town of Venice, as in Shakespeare’s play, “The Merchant of Venice”, which is based on pantaloons character.  Shakespeare was both familiar with and adored Commedia Dell’Arte.  T

3. The Zanni also known as the Servants, are responsible for distracting the Vecchi from their goal of destroying the plot.  There is also a character called Zanni who belongs to the same group.  The word Zany is derived from the comic practices of the Zanni.

• Arlecchino: (Harlequin): Venice, an acrobat and clown, he carried a baton which he used to bash other characters, leading to the modern term slapstick.  Arlecchino traditionally wore an outfit of patches and rags which evolved into the lozenge-shaped motley seen today.  His mask was black with a large red blemish on his forehead similar to a boilThe most popular of the zanni or comic servant character.  The primary aspect of Arlecchino was his physical agility.  While generally depicted as quite stupid and greedy (in a gastronomic sense) his acrobatics were what an audience expected to see.  The character would never simply perform an action when the addition of a cartwheel or backflip would spice up the movement.

• Brighella: (Figaro, Moliere’s Scapin), Bergamo, a money-grubbing villain, a partner of Arlecchino.  He is loosely categorized as one of the zanni or servant characters though he often was portrayed as a member of the middle class such as a tavern owner.  He is essentially Arlecchino’s smarter and much more vindictive older brother.  As is typical of those who have risen from poverty, he is often most cruel to those beneath him on the social ladder.  He is an inveterate schemer.  Frequently paired with other zanni as his assistants or employees, Brighella’s plans were frequently foiled by their own ineptitude

• Columbina: (Colombina, the Servant, Harlequine, Pierrette, Columbine), Venice, perky maidservant to Inamorata or one of the old men and lover or wife of Arlecchino, usually involved in intrigue. 

• Flamina: An Inamorato.

• Franceschina: An Inamorato..

• Gianduia: Turin, a well-mannered Piedmontese peasant. 

• Il Capitano: (the Captain), boastful he-man soldier, but a coward underneath.  It is the character of a veteran sailor who pretended to be strong.  Many people saw him as a hero because he had gained some success in a previous war.  He got the credit for what someone else did though, really he was a coward.  He could be an old retired captain, or even a character that Pantalone wants his daughter to marry, and can be one of the innamorati.  As a coward, when one of the characters would order him to do something, many times he would step down out of fear, but the other characters saw him as a brave character.  Often dressed in his military uniform

• Il Dottore: (the Doctor): Bologna, Pantalone’s friend, and a quack.  He is an elderly man who only knows nonsense.  He makes many cruel jokes about the opposite sex.

• Inamorata: (the Lover), the female lover, called variously Isabelle, Columbine, or Zerbinette, who wore no mask (see innamorati)  The innamorati typically wore no masks and were dressed in the latest fashions unless the scenarioforbade it.  They were often called upon to sing, play an instrument, or recite poetry with some skill.  Comic effect could be achieved by the action of zanni or careful composition of the piece to portray a comically bad performance.  There were limited women’s characters:  the female lover (the Inamorata), called variously Isabelle, Columbine, or Zerbinette; courtesans or bawds; servant-girls or a nurse.  The clothing was generally that of the period, with the Inamorata and the courtesans wearing the richest garments. Instead of a mask, women wore a little black velvet loup to protect their beauty. These loups were worn both in the theatre and on the street.

• Inamorato: (the Lover), the leading man, who wore no mask (see innamorati).  THE LOVER, at center, whether called Leandro, Flavio, Lelio, Ottavio, is always charming, dapper, and sometimes a bit ridiculous. His sole purpose in the script is to be in love. He must be young, good looking, courteous and gallant.  The lover wore no mask. His costume is always in the style of the period

• Isabella: An Inamorata.

• La Ruffiana: (old woman), usually a mother or gossipy townswoman who intrudes into the lives of the Lovers

• Leandro: An Inamorato.

• Pagliacio: (the Clown), a forerunner of today’s clowns

• Pantalone: (Pantaloon), Bologna, a rich and miserly merchant.  Pantalone’s lust for gold is only occasionally exceeded by his lust for young women that he cannot satisfy.  He traditionally wears a large codpiece to advertise his virility which everyone around him knows to be long gone.  He is often cast as the parent of one of the innamorata (see Innamorati) and has some busines or personal relationship with Dottore (see Il Dottore) or Capitano (see Il Capitano).  Pantalone’s plans to profit at the expense of his family and friends are guaranteed to be thwarted by his servant

• Pierrot: (or Pierino, Pedrolino), Vicenza, a dreamer, white mask.  Originally a servant, also played other roles such as a young lover, innkeeper, or others, and did not develop the fixity of characters that the other masks did.  His own mask was a white-powdered face.

• Pulcinella: Naples, A pot-bellied rascal, Puncinella would often feature in a performance concocting outrageous schemes, to satisfy his own ends.  Derived from more than one character in the Roman theatre, he is given a split personality which sometimes resulted in several Puncinellas being on stage at one time.  A quick-witted and self-sufficient character he could be sharp and devious, though always crude, vulgar and dishonest.  As time went by, his back became more and more hunched (to counter balance his enlarging belly) eventually leading to the form of the Punch puppet, familiar to people in Punch and Judy shows.  Typical costume was black trousers, large white shirt and conical hat.   He was the model for Punch in the English variation Punch and Judy.

• Silvio: An Inamorata.

• Scaramouche: (Scaramuccia), a roguish adventurer and swordsman who replaced Il Capitano in later troupes.

• Spinetta: Another name for Colombine.

• Zan Pedella: A Servant Character (zanni.)