Commedia Dell’Arte Characters
Character
Status/Role
Costume
Voice/Talk
Movement
Gesture
Obsession
Plot Function
Dottore
Upper
Doctor
-Long black coat
-Black shoes
-Skull cap
-Pillow for stomach
- Blathers on in Latin
- h as a lisp
- never stops talking
- believes he is an expert on
everything
- likes to use big words (often
made up ones)
- hands gesture with
every word
- drinking
- loves to eat
- makes crude sexual
jokes
- takes up space, talks a lot
- often has to be removed physically
Capitano
Upper
- make up a
long important
sounding name
- satirical of military
costume – huge
boots
- ruffled fancy hat
- military jacket
- wears a sword on
his belt
- brags about fierceness in
battle and prowess with
women but is actually scared
of them
- pretends to be courageous
but is actually a timid, coward
- Castilian accent and bass
voice
- when scared squats
down to make himself
as small as possible,
whimpers
- women, war
- desires attention
- Must fall at the end of every piece
- Events should unfold to show his
cowardice
Pantalone
Upper
Rich and
miserly
- tight red trousers
or stockings
- jacket, loose black
cloak with long
billowy sleeves
- red skullcap
- slippers
- money purse on
belt
- hands, feet and head
are expressive and
quick
- hands always moving
- lusts after women
- his money
-
- believes everything can be bought
- set up to fall or look like a fool
- gets taken advantage of
- ends up without his money
- his servants are usually the ones
that set him up (Brighella, Arlecchino
or Zanni)
Brighella
Servant
- cynical
- intelligent
and malicious
spirit
- boss of
Arlecchino and
Zanni
- often runs a
store
- white shirt, black
pants with a green
tassle handing from
the side
- white cap
- belt with purse and
a dagger
- stands with weight on back of
heels
- stomach slopped forward
- does not move in straight line,
meanders in figure eights using
tiny steps
- weight makes it difficult to move
quickly
- tries to be seen at all times
- feet and legs are far apart to
appear mighty and strong
- chest sticks out
- broad, puffed up shoulders
- walks in large strides
- lifts leg as far as possible then
places it down mere inches from
where he started
- back is straight
- prances with bounce in step
- showy, slow walks
- run prompted by loud, scary
things – drops everything, throws
head back, kicks his feet forwards,
howls, picks legs up high
- hunches over money purse to
protect it from thieves or
daughter
- shuffles, limited motion of legs
- knees are bent with pelvis open
spreading the legs
- can mimic walk of other
characters
- when he hears bad news, he falls
on his back and curls up like a
dying insect, cannot right himself
without help
- weight on bent leg
- other leg extended lightly
touching ground
- elbows up, hands spread out
- feet constantly moving (even
when standing still) – dances back
and forth
- back is curved at lumbar region
- head stays in place when walking
- legs come up to the side
- torso sways from side to side
- soft walk like tip toeing but with
legs spread
- witty, humourous and deceitful
- do anything for a quick buck
- volatile
- cunning liar
- Occasional angry rants when things
don’t go his way
- gives advice to the lovers
- good at pretending to be many
things eg: servant, magician, fortune
teller etc.
- never a victim
Commedia Dell’Arte Characters
Arlecchino
Servant
- Crafty
- tight with coloured
patches in
symmetrical or
random patterns
- black belt and
slapstick
- mask is like cat’s
face
- like a faucet – on and
flowing ceaselessly or off
- slow, mental processing
Zanni
Servant
Lowest
- Wears simple
clothing
- Is very poor
- often baggy white
outfit
- very long nose on
mask (the longer the
nose the more
stupide the
character)
- stupid
- belches, farts, snores when
sleeping
- ragged, patched
dress like female
Arlecchino
- bright colours
- apron
- no mask but heavy
makeup around
eyes
- latest fashion
- males as soldiers
- rich clothing
- no masks
- white face with red
lips
- sharp, gossipy
- frequent changes of pitch
Columbina
Lovers
High status
- lament about their situation
- speak pretentiously about
their love for one another
- in love with themselves
- always moving
- acrobatic
- knees bent, low center of gravity
- elbows bent, hands on belt
- great lumbar curve, chest
pushed out
- never walks in straight line – zig
zag
- ¾ beat
- body will follow movement of
mask
- quick, agile movement
- very exaggerated
- head sticks out separately from
body movement
- nose points to subject of interest
- low centre of gravity, lower back
arches, all weight on one bent leg
- other leg pointed out in front
- les are always changing back and
forth from bent to straight
- listens without moving head
- sleeps on one leg – crosses other
leg over knee – props head on
knees and makes lots of noise
when sleeping
- nose is center of actions
- fast and nimble
- moves like a Zanni but with little
flick of foot at the end
- Shifts balance from one foot to
the other
- flirtatious poses – chest out
- when he sees
something his mask
tracks it first
- stand firmly rooted
- light in torso and head
- whimpering fluffs of infatuation
– stance should show fragility
- take many breaths
- seem like bubbles
- wobble rather than walk, float
from side to side
- sneaky
- always hatching schemes
- schemes rarely work out
- worst messenger imaginable
- gets distracted
- action very urgent
- seems nervous
- has little control of
his body
- limbs become
“possessed” and start
acting up by
themselves
-
- food and sex
- most poor, stupid and hungry
servant
- never does a good job serving his
master
- often sleeps or sneaks off to eat
- daydreams a lot
- always hungry, sees possibility of
food everywhere
- very loyal, like a dog
- carries plot along and confuses it by
messing up
- attempts to do things always go
wrong
- carries a tambourine
or basket to ward off
Pantalone’s advances
- hands on hips or
holding apron
- significant gestures
- love
- flirtatious
- aids the lovers
- loves Arlecchino
- one hand holds prop
(eg letter,
handkerchief etc.)
- arms never in same
position
- often primping to
look their best
- contact is rarely
made so
courting/wooing is
ongoing exchange
- themselves
- love
- other lover
- need their problems or else
complications would not occur