Commedia

• Satire - comedy that criticizes society 
• Commedia 
• Stock characters
• troops were democratic 
• women were on stage 
• Brief overview of Commedia Dell'arte
• began in Italy around 1545
• bigger the nose --> dumber the character
• instead of using scripts used scenarios 
• and improvised dialogue 
• 700 scenarios survive today
• setting is usually a street because they were usually performed outdoors 
• means "comedy of artists" 
• performed in markets and carnivals 
• Stock characters
• definition: a character who displays the same charcter traits in many different productions
• e.g. the brainy nerd, the peppy cheerleader, the "dumb blonde", the "jock" 
• Comic insults
• Physical stunts 
• Pantalone --> "Trousers" in Italian 
• upper class
• middle aged or elderly man
• sneer 
• Doottore
• upper class
• chubby cheeks
• mustache 
• big round nose
• costume - graduation hat, academic robe
• used academic jargon
• Capitano 
• working class
• boastful, cowardly, Spaniard who brags of battles never fought and romance never experienced
• cowardly guard 
• big, bold movements to appear important 
• Harlequin (Arlecchino) 
• either clever and wise-cracking clown, or a buffoon
• clever schemer and prankster 
• excellent at acrobatics - always moving
• usually servant of one of upper class characters
• Other Zanni
• Zanni are clown-acrobats
• Fontesca/Columbina 
• clever and high spirited
• flirtatious
• the made often to Inamorti 
• often corresponded with Arlecchino
• Ballet-like movement
• carried a basket and sometimes a tambourine 
• Young lovers: Innomorti 
• only ones who don't wear masks 
• upper class, speak refined, flowery language 
• Lazzi (o)
• physical humor 
• exaggeration
• Charlie Chaplin - the tramp 
• Modern Times
• Buster Keaton 
• Sherlock Junior 
• National Theater 
• Characters:
• Dangerous lovers = act in Shakespearean way