Stock characters of Commedia dell'Arte

Stock Characters in Commedia dell'arte are not very well known. Three of them are quite well known to people involved with drama and theater though. They are, Arlechinno, Capitano and Pantalone. 

Arlechinno
Many believe that his name literally means 'little devil' because of Commedia dell'Arte's Italian origin. He is played as a servant which is mostly to Pantalone. His costume is a tight fitting jacket that reaches his waist and long, tight pants. The pattern on his clothes are random shapes of the colours green,yellow,red and brown. His shoes are small, flat and black. He also wears a thin black belt. Arlechinno is clumsy but graceful at the same time. His voice is gruff and hoarse from selling on the streets. His mask is almost like a carnival mask. It has quite a low forehead and small roundish eyes. Most people would say that his animal is either a cat or a monkey.


Capitano
Though his name sounds like 'captain', Capitano is a bit of a loner. Wherever the story is set, he is not from there. Because of this, he often pretends that he is more important than he really is to people of higher status. So because they locals do not know him, it is easy to convince them he is something he is not. His costume usually has a military look to it. He has a feathered hat and often, large boots. Whilst on stage, he has a large presence and is made to get attention from the ladies and therefore be intimidating to men! His mask has a long nose, like a crocodile, and also a bristly moustache. His animal is mainly known as a cross between two aggressive dogs: hunting dog and a mastiff. His voice has a very deep base to it. His feet are always plated on the ground in a way to occupy as much space as possible. His chest is pushed forward and his back is straight which gives him a formal look.

Pantalone

Now he, is most defiantly at the top of the Commedia dell'Arte food chain. Pantalone has money. He is always obeyed since he controls the finance. His costume includes a tight jacket with tight, long, red pants. He also wears a loose black cloak and yellow slippers. His hat is a red woolen skill cap. Pantalone is tall, yet scrawny. His mask has a long and hooked nose. It also includes bushy eyebrows and a moustache. His beard is very pointed that stuck out in front of his face. He back is bent over from old age. His feet are close together while his toes are strangely spread out. He cannot walk very fast due to his stance. His voice is very high pitched. His animal is most likely to be a chicken or a turkey.



If you would like to know more, you can visit my source for many of my Commedia dell'Arte posts: http://shane-arts.com/commedia-stock-characters.htm

xxxx