Dhow Is Idot Characyer Simialr to Commedia Dell Arte

Columbina, possibly the sanest graphic symbol in the play, considers.

A form of theater adult in late-Renaissance Italy, Commedia dell'Arte ("artists' one-act") relied on a Universal-Adaptor Bandage of stock characters, whose roles, characteristics, and costumes were well-defined and widely known. The troupe would take a scenario, which would outline the plot, and create their ain dialogue and deportment to tell the story. Reverse to popular belief, Commedia actors did not improvise their dialogue on the spot. Rather, they created the dialogue before performing the scenario.

The Commedia dell'Arte is an ancestor of the British tradition of Pantomime, which besides relies on stock characters and audience interaction. Information technology also gear up the phase (no pun intended) for the Romantic One-act genre, and has been emulated past the likes of Gilbert and Sullivan, William Shakespeare (The Taming of the Shrew is a specially good example), Molière, P. Thou. Wodehouse, Bertolt Brecht (expertly retooled the stock characters in Mr Puntila and His Homo Matti), A. A. Milne (admitting without the romance) and the writers of Black Adder and Fawlty Towers. It is entirely possible for a modern-day piece of work to channel these archetypes unintentionally; they're just that ingrained into culture, and they work.

Come across Villainous Harlequin for a more gimmicky depiction of this genre's most famous character.

Commedia dell'Arte stock characters usually included:

• The Lovers (innamorati) Their romance tends to drive the plot whether or non they're the master characters. Oftentimes rather airheaded and reliant on their much smarter servants.
  • The Guy (innamorato): Never masked; not especially well-adult as a grapheme, since his only function is to be in beloved. His proper name is normally Lelio, Leandro, or Claudio. Generally in love with himself, and with the idea of being in honey, and with the innamorata; if anyone gets whatsoever Character Development, it volition be him learning to opposite that order.
  • The Girl (innamorata): Never masked; not peculiarly well-adult equally a grapheme, since her merely office is to be in dearest. Volition accept a Pimped-Out Dress. Has a good chance of beingness named Isabella. Generally in honey with herself, and with the thought of existence in beloved, and with the innamorato; if anyone gets any Character Development, it will exist her learning to contrary that club.
• The Old People (vecchi) make it the way of the lovers' happiness; often, two of them (ordinarily the Md and Pantalone) are the lovers' corresponding fathers. The innamorato'due south father may desire to marry the innamorata himself.
  • The Captain (il Capitano): Blowhard, thinks he's God'south souvenir to women, will turn out to have Feet of Clay. Ofttimes serves as the Romantic Fake Atomic number 82. If the innamorato's biggest rival for the innamorata's mitt isn't his own father, it's this guy. Typically a disliked foreigner, frequently from Espana (every bit Kingdom of spain, the superpower of the time, held political sway over Italy). Usually has an Overly Long Proper noun (very common in Castilian dignity). A variant is Scaramuccia.
  • The Md (il Dottore, Graziano): No, (probably) not that Doc. Oftentimes an Absent Professor type; often the father of one of the innamorati. If he'south the father of the innamorata, then he will rarely have much plot relevance, and will just sort of hang effectually and be funny. A parody of the Bolognese laureate intellectual (Bologna has 1 of the earth'south oldest universities). Mostly portrayed as a doctor in law, usually intersperses his lines with canis familiaris Latin and mangled renditions of commonplace Latin sayings for comical consequence. Sometimes a Know-Nothing Know-Information technology-All. May go off on long complimentary-associating tangents in an try to audio intellectual.
  • Pantalone: Often the father of the other innamorato/a. Rich and miserly. Keeps propositioning Colombina, the Dirty Erstwhile Human being. Is also a Bad Dominate to Arlechino. Sometimes an Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist. Based primarily on the stereotype of the rich Venetian merchant. Has a peculiar, shuffling walk, because he'southward always wearing Turkish sandals (Venice had a strong merchandise human relationship with the Ottoman Empire).
  • Tartaglia: Divers by his terrible stutter; is frequently blind as a bat too. Often a priest, whose main role is to conduct whatever marriages happen at the stop.
• The Servants/Commoners (zanni, from whom we get the word "zany") Frequently the ones to ensure the marriages, every bit you tin't count on the lovers being able to pull it off.
  • Arlecchino (Harlequin): Cheeky simply loyal servant to Pantalone or the Doctor; audience favorite; ordinarily drives the action. Can interact with the audience. Forms a Beta Couple with Colombina. Ofttimes a Big Eater or Lovable Coward, and tends to endure Amusing Injuries. Although can also appear as an intelligent and/or amoral trickster. May also be a Bumbling Sidekick. Wears bells on his hat, and an outfit covered in cherry and black diamonds, and carries the original slap-stick. Known for acrobatic movements on stage. Varients include: Trivelino/Trivelin, Truffa/Truffaldin/Truffaldino, Guazetto, Zaccagnino, and Bagatino.
  • Colombina (Pierrette): Distaff Counterpart of Arlecchino; retainer of the innamorata. Forms a Beta Couple with Arlecchino. Ofttimes the smartest/sanest person in the play. (What, you thought Women Are Wiser was a recent invention?) Unremarkably plays a musical instrument, sings, dances, or does all three. Wears lots of bright colours. Also tin can exist known as Arlecchina.
  • Pierrot (Pedrolino, Pedro): Loyal, hardworking, dependable servant; the story'southward Chew Toy. In beloved with someone, normally Colombina, who doesn't beloved him back. May be the Deplorable Clown. Usually dressed almost entirely in white, with a little flake of black. Variants include: Pedrolino, Burrattino, Bertoldo, Pagliaccio, Peppe Nappa, and Gian-Farina.
  • Brighella: Another greedy character, but much less rich than Pantalone. Sometimes a middle class shopkeeper or tavern owner instead of a servant. Has no problem lying through his teeth. Tends to exist a Manipulative Bastard and a Lovable Rogue, perhaps even a Magnificent Bastard. Dresses in white with a bit of green, and probably plays the lute. Typically has a small, pointy beard. Variants include: Fenocchio, Flautino, Sbrigani, Franca Trippa/Francatrippa/Francatrippe, Turlupin/Tirelupin, Sgnarelle, and Gandolin.
  • Pulcinella (Punch): A hunchback or otherwise disabled/disfigured grapheme, based on the stooping walk of Renaissance Italian coal carriers. Tin can be an idiot, can be a Genius Cripple. Very tearing, specially towards Arlecchino and Pierrot, and speaks in an unusually squeaky voice. His proper name ways "little chicken".
• Other characters
  • La Signora: Ofttimes the wife of Pantalone and/or the mistress of Pedrolino, she is tough, cute and calculating but egotistic. Sometimes a courtesan and often chosen Rosaura.
  • Beltrame: similar to Brighella, was either or both a shrewd villager and a blunderer who was always trying to announced of a higher rank than he really is.
  • Scapin/Scapino: similar to Brighella, and often seen every bit his brother or son, he was the more toned-downwardly version. He's usually more interested in charming a servant daughter or eating than carrying out Brighella'due south villainy.
  • Mezzetino: Often seen as the brother of Brighella, he is fond of the ladies fifty-fifty if they weren't fond of him. His graphic symbol has many variations: a loyal or scheming servant or a deceitful or cuckolded husband.
  • La Ruffiana: An "old windbag" type; like the rest of the old people, she's out to thwart the innamorati.
  • La Strega: The witch. A relatively new character, La Strega is either portrayed as an intelligent manipulator who enjoys watching the chaos she creates, or a raving mad woman who frightens the other characters. She often provides love potions and other diverse items to the other characters.
  • The Pavironica family unit:
    • Sandrone: a crude, clever, and cunning peasant.
    • Pulonia: the married woman of Sandrone.
    • Sgorghiguelo: the son of Sandrone.

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Examples and references in modern media:

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     Comic Books

• In i of the volumes of De Greatcoat et de Crocs, a grouping of protagonists who go captured, are forced to perform one of these for their captors.
• Harley Quinn's name in the Batman serial is a pun on Harlequin.
  • Ironically, her character is more of a composite character of both the Harlequin and the Pierrot character due to her abusive and onesided human relationship with the Joker.

     Fan Works

• In the Gunslinger Girl fanfic "Infidelity", Henrietta is taunted by a hallucination of a drunken homo wearing a Brighella carnival costume.

     Flick

• Le Capitaine Fracasse (1961) and Captain Fracassa'due south Journey (1990), both based off the 1863 novel by Théophile Gautier, tell the story of an early 17th century French impoverished nobleman, the Businesswoman de Sigognac, who joins a travelling Commedia dell'Arte theatre troupe and comes to replace the actor who played the Capitano later on his decease, nicknaming himself "Capitaine Fracasse". Sigognac usually falls in love with the immature actress playing The Ingenue, and goes through swashbuckler perils to save her from another nobleman who desires her for himself (though not quite the case in the 1990 film).
• The cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show fit this pretty well, for the most office:
  • Brad and Janet are the Lovers.
  • Eddie makes a passing Arlecchino.
  • Columbia, fittingly, is a Colombina.
  • Frank-Due north-Furter has elements of both The Captain (manifestly "not from effectually here," interested in Anything That Moves) and Pantalone (calumniating of Eddie, his Arlecchino, hints of a human relationship with Columbia.)
  • Riff Raff is a expressionless giveaway equally the Pulcinella, hunchback and all.
  • The Criminologist is perfect as the Doctor.
  • The others are a bit of a stretch - presumably Rocky as the Pierrot, Magenta as the Brighella, and Dr. Scott as the Tartaglia.
• The Marx Brothers fit the archetypes quite nicely.
  • Groucho: Arlecchino, though with aspects of Brighella, given his costant schemes.
  • Chico: Brighella
  • Harpo: Pierrot. A Night at the Opera even has a scene of him dressing up in the costume that he stole from a production of Pagliacci.
  • Zeppo: In early productions, the Innamorato. Subsequently, he becomes a more than toned-down Arlecchino for Groucho to boss around, earlier leaving the pictures birthday, in favour of...
  • Alan Jones: Innamorato all the time.
  • Margaret Dumont: Columbina, or a Gender Flip of Il Dottore.
• Andre Moreau of Scaramouche is a heroic fugitive who goes undercover in the commedia dell arte troupe his honey Lenore acts in, discovering an unexpected talent for slapstick.
• The cast of Dazzler and the Beast fits nicely:
  • Belle and the Animal: Innamorati (master romantic leads of the movie, although much more fleshed out than the usual innamorati)
  • Gaston: Il Capitano (vain, boasting antagonist who lusts for Belle)
  • Maurice: Il Dottore (Absent-minded Professor, begetter of the innamorata)
  • LeFou: Pulcinella (ugly and stupid servant of the main adversary)
  • Lumiere: Arlecchino (smart, confident and flirty leader of the Animate being'southward servants)
  • Cogsworth: Pierrot (Butt-Monkey, although lacks the "hopeless lover" trait of the usual Pierrot)
  • Mrs. Potts and Fifi the Feather Squeegee have the traits of Colombina divided betwixt them: Mrs. Potts embodies Women Are Wiser, while Fifi is Lumiere's dearest interest
  • Monsieur D'Arque: Brighella (cunning and greedy minor villain)
• Jean Renoir's The Gilt Autobus is a 1952 motion-picture show Homage to Commedia'dell Arte, bringing the way to cinema with legendary actress Anna Magnani playing Colombina
• Charlie Chaplin's Limelight features a ballet - "Harlequinade" with the Commedia dell'Arte characters.
• Moulin Rouge! is an example with Christian and Satine as the innamorati, The Duke and, to a lesser extent, Zidler, every bit the Sometime People trying to keep them autonomously, and Toulouse and the Bohemians as the Servants trying to go along them together. The difference is that The Lovers are the ones clearly driving the plot while the Servants are more sidelined. It also does not have a happy ending.

     Literature

• Information technology is less evident from the book's final edition, but in The Chief and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov ii of the devil'southward servants comport some resemblance to the most pop zanni characters. Koroviev, the talkative trickster dressed in checked clothes brings to mind Arlecchino, and in sure early version of the novel in that location's a character called "Fiello", a hunchbacked brute with oral fissure full of fangs, dressed in white, grotesque clothes with bells fastened, who seems to have some of Pulcinella's characteristics. The latter was later modified by the writer to become Azazello, another servant of the devil. Azazello lacks any meaning resemblance to Commedia dell'Arte characters.
• The Ciaphas Cain series mentions liturgical plays almost the Emperor of Mankind done in this style. The just reason they aren't condemned as irreverence and heresy by the Ecclesiarchy is because it actually has their believers pay attention.
• Commedia dell'Arte motifs effigy in the afterwards Jerry Cornelius stories by Michael Moorcock, particularly The Condition of Muzak and The Entropy Tango.
• The characters do not fit the archetypes, but in The Vampire Lestat, the title character joins a Commedia dell'Arte troupe in his pre-vampire days. He plays Lelio, and counts his fourth dimension every bit an actor amongst the all-time experiences in his human life.
• In John C. Wright'south The Gold Age, Phaethon donns a Harlequin outfit for the Masquerade. The Earthmind salutes his fidelity when he greets her. Perhaps inspired by this, his foes don the forms of Scaramouche and Columbine to pursue him.
• Agatha Christie wrote a serial of stories featuring a Mr. Harley Quin, who had a knack for turning up where in that location were two lovers in trouble and, seemingly by chance, saying or doing just the correct thing to influence events in their favour. (Beingness Agatha Christie stories, this often involved inspiring a "Eureka!" Moment in somebody trying to solve a murder, merely information technology didn't always — and there's at least one Harley Quin story in which nobody dies at all.)
• The story "Puss-in-Boots" in Angela Carter'southward The Encarmine Chamber is essentially a commedia dell'arte play in prose form, with the titular true cat helping his owner go in bed with Pantalone'south young cute wife. Several stock characters of the genre are referred to past name.
• Winnie-the-Pooh, albeit without the romance or the social class:
  • Pooh himself, with his clumsy nature, very little brain, and neat appetite, is Arlecchino, of form.
  • The self-important Rabbit has aspects of both Pantalone and Brighella.
  • Owl, a rambling fool who thinks himself a wise and learned young man, is pure Il Dottore.
  • The rambunctious, unintentionally-vehement Tigger is primarily a Pulcinella figure.
  • Both Eeyore and Piglet have aspects of Pierrot - Eeyore the perpetual gloominess, and Piglet the defeatist, timid attitude.
  • Kanga is a sort of a Columbina figure, albeit a fairly banal one, while her son Roo is a Pulcinella-in-training, just with some of the broad-eyed innocence of the innamoratti.
• Partly-inverted in the Jeeves and Wooster series of P. G. Wodehouse. On the one hand, the manservant Jeeves is always ready with a Zany Scheme to help his social betters work their mode around a Parental Marriage Veto or some other such problem. But on the other hand, he - and most other servants - are portrayed as highly dignified characters, with all of the existent clowning done by the upper classes, with his main, Bertie Wooster, as a rare aristocratic Arlecchino. That said, many of the upper form characters fit these archetypes pretty well, despite not being servants, with Bertie'southward aunts Dahlia and Agatha representing different takes on the Signora (as Bertie puts information technology in a moment of hyperbole, Agatha eats cleaved bottles and turns into a werewolf by the full moon, while Dahlia is the sort of werewolf whom it is a pleasure to know), the constantly-infatuated Bingo Little is an innamorato (with the tendency to fall in love with barmaids; rather appropriate, given the class inversion at play hither), the drippy newt-enthusiast Gussy Fink-Nottle is a Pierrot, Madeleine Basset (who believes every fourth dimension a fairy blows its nose, a infant is born) is a comedic take on the innamorata, the unscrupulous bookmaker Rupert Steggles is Brighella, and the paranoiac nerve-specialist Sir Roderick Glossop is Il Dottore. Besides, there'southward always a violent Pulcinella figure on hand to threaten Bertie with actual harm, virtually notably the hot-tempered Tuppy Glossop and the would-be fascist dictator Roderick Spode.
  • Wodehouse'southward other most notably series, the Blandings Castle stories, also apply zanni tropes to the aristocracy, with the doddering Clarence Threepwood, Earl of Emsworth, as a kindly Dottore figure, his domineering sister Lady Constance Keeble as a Signora, their disreputable blood brother Galahad as an elderly Arlecchino, and Clarence's nemesis and neighbour Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe as a sort of Brighella figure, and there are e'er a pair of innamorati on hand, i of whom will more often than not be a grandchild or afar in-police of Clarence. This time, all the same, the servants are a bit more than in on the act, with the eternally put-upon butler Beach as a toned-downwardly, not-romantic Pierrot, and the truculent gardener Angus MacAllister as Pulcinella (without the violence or threats thereof), and the opportunistic hog-keeper George Cyril Wellbeloved as a more conventional Brighella.
• The theatre troupe in Players of Gor is this with the series numbers very half-heartedly filed off — with justification, since all human being Gorean cultures originated on Earth and take adjusted to the local customs as necessary. Characters include Bina (a truncation of "Columbina", but as well previously established as Gorean for "Slave Beads" and a mutual slave name) Brigella (note spelling) who is a female character, Chino and Lecchio who are an Arlecchino double-act, and Petrucchio who is often a Miles Gloriosus. As this is low fine art, female players are ever slaves and take an alternative means of earning coins if the plays are doing poorly. (On the other hand, men do the heavy lifting and are more probable to be apartment-out killed if they fall into bandit easily.)
• The villain in Medusa'due south Web has a secret cache of papers relating to a serial of events in 1920s Hollywood, in which the key players are referred to by names from the commedia dell'arte. For instance, "Scaramuccia" is the villain'south female parent'south first husband, and the Innamorato is Rudolph Valentino.
• In Scaramouche, the protagonist Andre-Louis Moreau spends several chapters hiding out in a traveling commedia dell'arte troupe, commencement equally a roadie and afterward taking the office of Scaramouche on phase later the troupe's original Scaramouche absconds with the box-office takings. Several times later in the novel, he remarks that he seems to be playing the role in his real life as well.
• Harlequin Valentine, by Neil Gaiman, is explicitly based on commedia dell'arte tropes, with Harlequin as a trickster spirit romancing a mortal adult female (who is, in the Columbine spirit, the sanest and most sensible character, and things don't become quite equally expected). Along the way, Harlequin nominates the other characters as filling various stock roles, although it'southward ambiguous whether this is genuine insight or just a case of labelling people according to his preconceptions.

     Live Action TV

• The characters of Arrested Development tin do this frequently, although the main character, Michael Bluth, can shift between an Innamarata and a Pantalone multiple times in whatsoever given episode, most of the time, still, he is Pierrot.
  • The Lovers: George Michael and Maebe, although Maebe tends to also oftentimes exist the rare female person version of Arlecchino.
  • Il Dottore: Dr. Tobias Funke, of course.
  • Pulcinella: Buster Bluth.
  • Il Capitano: GOB and his illegitimate son, Steve Holt.
  • Brighella: George Sr.
  • Pantalone: Lucille usually plays this office, because her greed and mostly bitter nature.
  • Pierrot: Poor, poor Michael Bluth.
• Rarely really seen, but apparently a regular sketch on Show Within the Show of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Nobody gets the joke, of grade.
• Blackadder is basically an extended series of mutations of this central trope, particularly emphasizing the social classes and ability dynamics of the stock characters.
  • Edmund Blackadder himself is always some variant on the Brighella figure, defined by his greed, cowardice (peculiarly in the offset series), and the fact that he is never the highest-status person around - even when he's the son of the king, he's merely the second son, and as the serial progresses, his rank in the globe gradually drops.
  • Baldrick, whether the Hypercompetent Sidekick of the first series or the cheerful dimwit he is the rest of the fourth dimension, is always some kind of Arlecchino, consistently the lowest-condition character present, and always with some kind of 'cunning plan' on paw.
  • The gloomy, supercilious Percy is pure Pierrot, peculiarly in the second series, where he's constantly hopelessly in dear with some offscreen woman.
    • His fourth-series incarnation, Captain Darling, is more than of a particularly British take on Il Capitano, yet - Edmund'south rival and nemesis, but more than out of priggish professionalism than hammy blowing. He too occasionally borders on the Pierrot, devotedly following Full general Melchett'south orders, frequently the butt of Blackadder's jokes and pending in vain to marry Doris...
    • The kickoff series' Prince Harry is an Il Capitano, though an oddly benign and well-meaning 1.
    • Whenever Flashheart shows upwardly, he'south a more straightforward Capitano, with all the bravado that implies. Unlike virtually versions of Il Capitano though, he'southward The Ace, especially in the 2nd series.
  • Either incarnation of Melchett - and, indeed, whatever grapheme played past Stephen Fry, such every bit the third series' Duke of Wellington - is generally a Dottore figure.
  • George is an odd case. Actualization in series three every bit a kind of dimwitted Innamorato figure (with aspects of Pantalone, given his lechery and loftier-ranking position equally Prince Regent), but when he returns in Blackadder Goes Forth as Lt. George - this time, subservient to Cpt. Blackadder - he's more of an assistant Arlecchino to Pvt. Baldrick.
  • King Richard Four of the first series is a cross betwixt Il Capitano, given his military machine background and hearty, exuberant manner, and Pantalone, given his position of power, unrestrained greed, and often-unreasonable nature. The second series replaces him with a much more straightforward Signora in Queen Elizabeth I.
  • The third series' Mrs. Miggins is a pretty straightforward Columbina, given her quasi-romantic relationship to Blackadder, heart-class social status (she owns and operates an inn/pie store), and her collaborative role in many of Blackadder'due south plots. This also applies to Kate/Bob of the second and quaternary serial.
• On The Amazing Race, a Fast-Forrad chore involved a routine with such a troupe. The green pass would announced during the performance, upon which it could be claimed.
• Fawlty Towers is a stripped-downward version of this - notably, without any innamorati.
  • Greedy, bad-tempered, course-conscious managing director Basil Fawlty is a rare protagonist version of Pantalone (albeit an unsympathetic one) with elements of Brighella that come out around high-status guests.
  • Sybil Fawlty blends the traits of Signora and Ruffiana: she is vain, gossipy, and at time very cruel, merely not stupid, and far better than her married man at handling guests.
  • Underpaid, out-of-his-depth Manuel is clearly a nonromantic version of Pierrot, right down to the black-and-white waiter's compatible he typically wears, though his cheerful attitude gives him elements of Harlequin every bit well.
  • Polly, the nearly reasonable staff member, is a classic Colombina.
  • Terry, the resourceful, level-headed, but self-interested cook, is a modest Brighella.
  • The Major, a long-term guest at the hotel, is a Dottore figure: a somewhat-senile, rather racist quondam man with a pompous mental attitude and an inflated view of himself.
  • One-off hotel guest characters oftentimes fit these archetypes, too. The domineering and unreasonable Mrs. Richards is a Strega figure (with elements of Ruffiana), for example, while the pompous, annoying American invitee Mr. Hamilton was a Capitano - though a rather blameless i, since everything that went wrong in his episode was Basil's own fault. Lord Melbury was a Brighella, since he was actually a con homo trying to steal Basil's antique coin drove and not actually Lord Melbury at all.
  • 1 episode, before Terry was introduced, has the role of cook filled by Kurt, a more than classic Pierrot, given his unrequited crush on Manuel.
• "Wuthering Heist" episode of Inside No. 9 places many of the classic Commedia dell'Arte characters in a Reservoir Dogs-fashion heist story. Pantalone is a gangster organising a diamond heist, with other characters equally his henchmen. The "Columbina" who is an undercover cop explains various tropes to the audience as they're happening. In the tradition of both Tarantino and Inside No. 9, most of the characters get killed off at the finish.
  • Inside No.9 writers Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (who played The Doctor and The Capitano characters respectively) discussed the Commedia dell'Arte genre in more than particular in their podcast "Inside Inside No.9", explaining how it inspired comedies such as Fawlty Towers.

     Music

• "The Carnival Is Over" by Tom Springfield, a signature song of The Seekers:

  Similar a drum my center was chirapsia
  And your kiss was sugariness as wine
  But the joys of honey are fleeting
  For Pierrot and Columbine.

• "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen:

  I see a fiddling silhouette of a human
  Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will yous do the fandango? ^note Scaramuccia's anglicized name; the fandango is a Spanish dance

     Theatre

• Characters from Molière'south plays tend to fit in those roles.
• Carlo Goldoni's early on plays are classic Commedia dell'Arte. From Momolo Cortesan onwards, though, his works take a completely new style, frequently violently clashing with the classic Commedia dell'Arte popular in Italy and France at the time.
• In the plays of William Shakespeare:
  • Playfully mocked in Much Ado Near Nothing. The aptly-named Hero and Claudio are the innamorati, Antonio is the tartaglia, Margaret is the colombina, etc. Information technology'due south mockery because Beatrice and Benedick are the existent principal characters, and they are probably the only ones who don't fit any stock models. Also, the Zany Scheme is cooked upward by Don Pedro, probably the highest-ranking person in the play, and his chief compatriot, Hero'due south male parent Leonato, really should be a Pantalone figure.
  • Romeo and Juliet is a Genre Deconstruction. Many of the stock characters are clearly there. Nonetheless, the play is a tragedy rather than a comedy. So the Zany Scheme doesn't work out, and several of the characters end up dying.
    • Romeo and Juliet themselves are the Innamorati, who autumn in love with each other at first sight.
    • Friar Lawrence is the Tartaglia, who performs a underground nuptials for Romeo and Juliet.
    • Lord Capulet is the Pantalone, who wants Juliet to ally Paris to farther his ain ambitions.
    • Lady Capulet is the Signora, who wants her daughter to be a proper upper course woman just like her.
    • Tybalt is the Capitano, who seems to e'er want to beginning a fight.
    • The Nurse is the Columbina, who does her best to help Juliet.
    • Mercutio is the wise-cracking Arlecchino (only he's a cousin of the local prince, then dissimilar nearly other classical Arlecchinos, he's non a servant, merely a beau aristocrat and a friend of Romeo's).
    • Benvolio is the more sombre Pedrolino (but he's a cousin of Romeo's, so dissimilar most of the other classical Pedrolinos, he's a not a servant, but a fellow blueblood and a friend of Romeo'south).
  • The Merchant of Venice has Poria and Bassanio the innamorati, likewise as Shylock as the Pantalone (although Pantalone is typically a merchant of Venice, this play's title graphic symbol, Antonio, does not actually qualify every bit a Pantalone). And of course, Touchstone, Bottom, Gratiano, and many others are perfect arlecchini.
  • The Merry Wives of Windsor has Fenton and Anne as the innamorati, the foolish md Caius, Evans every bit the priest with a "spoken communication impediment" (actually an outrageous Welsh emphasis), and Falstaff of all people as a sleazy Pantalone-type.
  • 12th Night has Andrew Aguecheek equally a Miles Gloriosus Scaramouche, Malvolio the Pierrot, Feste the Arlecchino, Maria is the Colombina to Sir Toby Discharge's Capitano, with Duke Orsino as the hopeful Innamorato to Olivia, ending up with Viola after she reveals her disguise as Cesario, and Olivia falls for Sebastian, mistaking him for Cesario, who is really Viola, his fraternal twin sister.
  • At least i version of The Taming of the Shrew, produced for television in the '70s by WNET New York, is explicitly Commedia, down to the costumes and presentation way.
• Pagliacci is a classic opera, by Ruggero Leoncavello, about a Commedia troupe. The title literally means 'clowns'. The Testify Within a Show is that Colombina is cheating on Pierrot with Il Capitano, and information technology'south played for laughs, merely backstage, Canio (the actor playing Pierrot) finds out that his wife (Colombina) is actually cheating on him with a young man from the hamlet where they are performing. He sings the archetype aria Vestia la giubba ('put on the costume') so goes mad with grief.
• The Pantomime Theatre in the Copenhagen entertainment park Tivoli frequently features new and old plays with this. Hither the loving couple however usually is the trickster Harlequin and the cute Colombina. The latter is the daughter of the quondam rich human being Kassander, who won't accept their love, only of course they always get each other in the cease. The favourite of the audience is nonetheless Kassander's always unlucky and not besides bright servant Pierrot. In fact Pierrot has become quite a symbol in Tivoli - and in three other Danish entertainment parks which also take a Pierrot each entertaining the children.
• Servant of Ii Masters:
  • Pantalone
  • The Lovers: Silvio and Clarice.
  • The Medico: Lombardi, Silvio's father.
  • The Captain: Florindo. Beatrice is his love interest and has some helm-like qualities when posing every bit Federigo.
  • Arlecchino: Truffaldino.
  • Colombina: Smeraldina.
  • Brighella
• Based direct on Servant of Ii Masters, Richard Bean's Ane Man, Ii Guvnors updates the plot to 1963 Brighton:
  • Pantalone: Charlie Clamp.
  • The Lovers: Alan Dangle and Pauline Clamp.
  • The Dr.: Harry Dangle, Alan'southward begetter.
  • The Captain: Stanley Stubbers. Rachel is his honey interest has some captain-like qualities when posing as Roscoe
  • Arlecchino: Francis Henshall.
  • Colombina: Dolly.
  • Brighella: Lloyd Boateng.
• Sweeney Todd might be seen as a very twisted version:
  • Anthony and Johanna, of class, are the innamorati.
  • Gauge Turpin is Pantalone, Pirelli is il Capitano. Depending on the portrayal, Beadle Bamford is either a particularly malicious Brighella, or an evil Dottore, with his dandy mannerisms and eloquent voice communication patterns. It also helps that the Beadle is unremarkably played by a heavyset histrion.
  • Todd himself and Mrs. Lovett are rather more than murderous incarnations of Arlecchino and Columbina, making Toby Pierrot.
  • The Beggar Woman is the simply character who doesn't neatly fit into a traditional mold. Yet, she does testify several qualities of the modern La Strega character, with her mad ramblings and repulsive advent.
• Aspects of this structure are nowadays in all of Gilbert and Sullivan's works, but The Yeomen of the Baby-sit is probably the nigh pronounced form it takes, albeit with a few unexpected twists.
  • Jack Point is introduced as an Arlecchino figure, just by the terminate, he's become a tragic Pierrot.
  • Wilfred Shadbolt is set upward every bit the Pierrot, given his unrequited dearest for Phoebe, but in the end, he wins her hand (though non her love) and becomes more than of an Arlecchino.
  • Col. Fairfax is set upwardly as Innamorato to Phoebe's Innamorata, merely we gradually larn Fairfax to be more of a Capitano.
  • Elsie Maynard is pure Colombina.
  • Lieutenant Sir Richard Cholmondeleigh probably should be Il Capitano, but he and Sgt. Meryll are both more than Dottore figures in their ineffectualness and lack of insight.
  • Dame Carruthers is a Signora effigy.
• In the Giacomo Puccini opera Gianni Schicchi, much of the label is in the commedia dell'arte tradition. Rinucchio and Lauretta are obviously the innamorati, with nix much to do while most of the vecchi are trying to keep them apart. Maestro Spinelloccio is il Dottore, complete with Bolognese accent. The title character combines the mercuriality of Arlecchino with the greed and magnificent duplicity of Brighella, and is the male parent of the innamorata.
• In A Funny Matter Happened on the Fashion to the Forum, many of the characters from the Plautus play "Pseudolus" upon which this is based are probably the Ur-examples of several Commedia dell' Arte types, so it'southward non surprising that they evidence upwards here in spades:
  • Pseudolus is the arlecchino
  • Gymnasia (despite beingness The Speechless) is the colombina
    • (Speechless in the movie. Has one line in the play.)
  • Hysterium is the pedro
  • Hero is the innamorato
  • Philia is the innamorata
  • Senex is the pantalone
  • Lycus is the brighella
  • Miles Gloriosus is the capitano
• Zemsta has:
  • Wacław - inamorato
  • Klara - inamorata/colombina
  • Papkin - il capitano
  • Rejent - il dottore/pantalone (more of il dottore)
  • Cześnik - il dottore/pantalone
  • Podstolina - la segnora
• Many of the stock characters appear in the Swedish play Söderkåkar.
  • Johan (being a crude but witty and adept-hearted bricklayer) is a adept instance of a Sandrone.
  • Hanna (Johan's wife) is likewise a good example of a Pulonia.
  • Albin (their son) is both an Innamorato (he'south in love with Majbritt, the Innamorata) and a Sgorghiguelo (he'south also the son of the Sandrone and the Pulonia).
  • Erik (Johan's brother) is a more than sympathetic version of the Pantalone. He used to be a rich business man, merely his money is at present mostly gone. And he's actually a kind-hearted man, just he's frequently pushed into bad situations by his haughty wife.
  • Aurore (Erik's wife) is a selfish and computing Signora.
  • Majbritt (their niece) is a sweet and innocent Innamorata (she's in love with Albin, the Innamorato).
  • Malin (their maid) is a spunky and vivacious Colombina.
  • Officeholder Karlsson (one of Malin's suitors) is a bumbling but likable Arlecchino.
  • Mailman Olsson (Karlsson'due south rival for Malin's angel) is a more sombre but dependable Pedrolino.
  • Josefsson (the rich man whom Aurore wants Majbritt to marry) is a complacent Capitano.

     Video Games

• In Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice, a crime ring uses characters from the Commedia dell'Arte as lawmaking names for the various members:
  • Il Capitano: Communications, Antonio Fango
  • Scaramuccia: Security Systems Expert, Gina
  • Brighella: Thief, Nico Petit
  • Il Dottore: Boss, Helena Berg
  • Arlecchino: Smuggler, Enrico Tazza
• In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Anju and Kafei's subplot fits this; they are the Innamorati, Mayor Dotour is il Dottore, and Link seems to be a male person version of Columbina. Amongst others, the Curiosity Shop owner is Brighella, and Tingle is a loose version of Pulcinella.
• In Genshin Impact, the most powerful members of the Fatui, known as the Fatui Harbingers, are named afterwards character archetypes from the Commedia dell'Arte. A few examples include La Signora, Scaramouche, and Tartaglia.

     Spider web Comics

     Western Animation

• The characters of Futurama are strikingly like Commedia characters:
  • Arlecchino: Fry
  • Colombina: Leela
  • Brighella: Bender
  • Pantalone: Professor Farnsworth
  • Il Dottore: Dr. Zoidberg
  • Il Capitano: Zap Branigan
  • Innamorati: Amy and Kif
• As can The Simpsons:
  • Arlecchino: Homer/Bart
  • Colombina: Marge/Lisa
  • Pantalone: Mr. Burns
  • Pierrot: Smithers
  • Brighella: Moe
• Classic Looney Tunes cartoon characters besides show their Commedia roots:
  • Bugs Bunny: Scapino
  • Daffy Duck: Arlecchino - due to his tendency to receive slapstick as frequently as he doles information technology out.
  • Porky Pig: Tartaglia
  • Yosemite Sam: Il Capitano
  • Wile E. Coyote: Il Dottore - his "education" brings out his foolishness.
• In a like manner to Winnie-the-Pooh, Ruby Gloom is like a Goth version of the commedia, minus the romance:
  • Ruby herself seems a benign Arlecchino, being the one administering conflict rather than beingness involved.
  • Iris is Columbina, in the difficult-working, go-getter, rational voice of reason sense, sort of combining traits with Pulchinella. Doom Kitty is a more traditional Columbina.
  • There are two Pierrots - Scaredy Bat with his defeatist, afraid of everything attitude, and Misery with her constant depression and well...misery.
  • Poe the Crow is both Pantalone in the sense of puffing himself upwardly and Il Dottore in the sense of his claimed profession and actual form amid the cast.
  • Skull Male child is both a more than benign Pantalone in the sense of his versatility and trying many jobs, and also a Scapino in his general attitude.
  • Frank and Len are both Pulchinella, being oafish and dimwitted, besides as frequently initiating slapstick.
• SpongeBob SquarePants:
  • Mr. Krabs is the cartoon embodiment of Pantalone (and the episode where he falls into a coma later his money-stuffed mattress is thrown out could be a realistic commedia dell'arte story plot).
  • Patrick is Brighella.
  • Squidward is Il Capitane.
  • Pearl would be Columbina.
  • Plankton would nigh likely be Beltrame.

     Other

• The Onion had a poll about who was the all-time Commedia dell'Arte character. The highest answer at one-hundred percent was "I don't know."

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Source: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CommediaDellArte

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