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1[[quoteright:273:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Columbina.JPG]]
2[[caption-width-right:273:Columbina, [[OnlySaneWoman possibly the sanest character in the play]], considers.]]
3
4A form of theatre developed in late-[[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance Renaissance]] UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}, '''Commedia dell'Arte''' ("artists' comedy") relied on a UniversalAdaptorCast of [[StockCharacter 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 own dialogue and actions to tell the story. Contrary to popular belief, Commedia actors did not improvise their dialogue on the spot. Rather, they created the dialogue before performing the scenario.
5
6The Commedia dell'Arte is an ancestor of the British tradition of {{Pantomime}}, which also relies on stock characters and audience interaction. It also set the stage (no pun intended) for the RomanticComedy genre, and has been emulated by the likes of Creator/GilbertAndSullivan, Creator/WilliamShakespeare (''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'' is a particularly good example), Creator/{{Moliere}}, Creator/PGWodehouse, Creator/BertoltBrecht (expertly retooled the stock characters in ''Theatre/MrPuntilaAndHisManMatti''), Creator/AAMilne (albeit without the romance) and the writers of ''Series/BlackAdder'' and ''Series/FawltyTowers''. It is entirely possible for a modern-day work to channel these archetypes unintentionally; they're just that ingrained into culture, and they ''work''.
7
8See VillainousHarlequin for a more contemporary depiction of this genre's most famous character.
9
10[[folder:Commedia dell'Arte stock characters usually included:]]
11* '''[[OfficialCouple The Lovers]]''' (''innamorati'') Their romance tends to drive the plot whether or not they're the main characters. Frequently [[UpperClassTwit rather airheaded]] and reliant on their [[HypercompetentSidekick much smarter servants]]. Neither ''innamorati'' is masked; nor are they especially well-developed as characters, since [[SatelliteLoveInterest their only functions are to be in love]].
12** '''The Guy''' (''innamorato''): His name is usually Lelio, Leandro, or Claudio. Generally in love with himself, and [[InLoveWithLove with the idea of being in love]], and with the ''innamorata''; if anyone gets any CharacterDevelopment, it will be him learning to reverse that order.
13** '''The Girl''' (''innamorata''): Will have a PimpedOutDress, and has a good chance of being named Isabella. Generally in love with herself, and [[InLoveWithLove with the idea of being in love]], and with the ''innamorato''; if anyone gets any CharacterDevelopment, it will be her learning to reverse that order.
14* '''[[AdultsAreUseless The Old People]]''' (''vecchi'') [[ParentalMarriageVeto get in the way of the lovers' happiness]]; often, two of them (usually the Doctor and Pantalone) are the lovers' respective fathers. The ''innamorato'''s father may want to marry the ''innamorata'' himself.
15** '''[[MilesGloriosus The Captain]]''' (''il Capitano''): Blowhard, [[CasanovaWannabe thinks he's God's gift to women]], will turn out to have FeetOfClay. Often serves as the RomanticFalseLead. If the ''innamorato''[='=]s biggest rival for the ''innamorata''[='=]s hand isn't his own father, it's this guy. Typically a disliked foreigner, often from UsefulNotes/{{Spain}} (as Spain, the superpower of the time, held political sway over Italy). Usually has an OverlyLongName (very common in Spanish nobility). A variant is Scaramuccia.
16** '''The Doctor''' (''il Dottore'', ''Graziano''): No, ([[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy probably]]) not [[Series/DoctorWho that Doctor.]] Often an AbsentMindedProfessor type; often the father of one of the ''innamorati''. If he's the father of the ''innamorata'', then he will rarely have much plot relevance, and will just sort of hang around and be funny. A parody of the Bolognese laureate intellectual (Bologna has one of the world's oldest universities). Mostly portrayed as a doctor in law, usually intersperses his lines with [[CanisLatinicus dog Latin]] and mangled renditions of commonplace Latin sayings for comical effect. Sometimes a KnowNothingKnowItAll. May go off on long free-associating tangents [[MeaninglessMeaningfulWords in an attempt to sound intellectual]].
17** '''Pantalone''': Often the father of the other ''innamorato/a''. [[TheScrooge Rich and miserly.]] Keeps propositioning Colombina, the DirtyOldMan. Is also a BadBoss to Arlecchino. Sometimes an UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist. Based primarily on the stereotype of the rich Venetian merchant. Has a peculiar, shuffling walk, because he's always wearing Turkish sandals (Venice had a strong trade relationship with the Ottoman Empire). Note that unfortunately, this one is often an antisemitic caricture in old works both because of the AllJewsAreCheapskates stereotype and because Venice was known for having a large Jewish population (see Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice).
18** '''Tartaglia''': Defined by his [[PorkyPigPronunciation terrible stutter]]; is often [[BlindWithoutEm blind as a bat]] as well. Often a priest, whose main role is to conduct whatever marriages happen at the end.
19* '''The Servants/Commoners''' (''zanni'', from whom we get the word "[[ZanyScheme zany]]") [[HypercompetentSidekick Frequently the ones to ensure the marriages, as you can't count on the lovers being able to pull it off]], and sometimes ''such'' a SpotlightStealingSquad that some versions, most notably the British "Harlequinade" that laid the foundations for {{pantomime}}, just [[CompositeCharacter plug Arlecchino and Colombina into the Innamorati's roles]] (which is admittedly not much of a stretch given Pantalone had the hots for Colombina even in the original commedia plays).
20** '''Arlecchino''' (''Harlequin''): Cheeky but loyal servant to Pantalone or the Doctor; audience favorite; usually drives the action. Can [[NoFourthWall interact with the audience.]] Forms a BetaCouple with Colombina. Often a BigEater or LovableCoward, and tends to suffer AmusingInjuries. Although can also appear as an intelligent and/or amoral trickster. May also be a BumblingSidekick. Wears bells on his hat, and an outfit covered in red and black diamonds, and carries the original [[SlapStick slap-stick]]. Known for acrobatic movements on stage. Varients include: Trivelino/Trivelin, Truffa/Truffaldin/Truffaldino, Guazetto, Zaccagnino, and Bagatino.
21** '''Colombina''' (''Colombine'', ''Columbine'', ''Pierrette''): DistaffCounterpart of Arlecchino; servant of the ''innamorata''. Forms a BetaCouple with Arlecchino. [[OnlySaneEmployee Often the smartest/sanest person in the play.]] (What, [[OlderThanTheyThink you thought]] WomenAreWiser [[OlderThanTheyThink was a]] ''[[OlderThanTheyThink recent]]'' [[OlderThanTheyThink invention]]?) Usually plays a musical instrument, sings, dances, or does all three. Wears lots of bright colours. Also can be known as Arlecchina.
22** '''Pierrot''' (''Pedrolino'', ''Pedro''): Loyal, hardworking, dependable servant; the story's ChewToy. In love with someone, usually Colombina, who doesn't love him back. May be the SadClown. Usually dressed almost entirely in white, with a little bit of black. Variants include: Pedrolino, Burrattino, Bertoldo, [[Theatre/{{Pagliacci}} Pagliaccio]], Peppe Nappa, and Gian-Farina.
23** '''Brighella''': Another [[{{Greed}} greedy]] character, but much less rich than Pantalone. Sometimes a middle class [[CMOTDibbler shopkeeper]] or tavern owner instead of a servant. [[ConsummateLiar Has no problem lying through his teeth.]] Tends to be a ManipulativeBastard and a LovableRogue, perhaps even a MagnificentBastard. 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.
24** '''Pulcinella''' (''Polichinelo'', ''Polichinelle'', ''[[Theatre/PunchAndJudy Punch]]''): A hunchback or otherwise disabled/disfigured character, based on the stooping walk of Renaissance Italian coal carriers. Can be an idiot, can be a GeniusCripple. Very violent, especially towards Arlecchino and Pierrot, and speaks in an unusually squeaky voice. His name means "little chicken". The character is culturally attached to the city of [[UsefulNotes/TheBraveRegionsOfItalia Naples]], where he originated and became a stock character in {{puppet|Shows}}ry.
25* '''Other characters'''
26** '''La Signora''': Often the wife of Pantalone and/or the mistress of Pedrolino, she is tough, beautiful and calculating but narcissistic. Sometimes a courtesan and often called Rosaura.
27** '''Beltrame''': similar to Brighella, was either or both a shrewd villager and a blunderer who was always trying to appear of a higher rank than he really is.
28** '''Scapin/Scapino''': similar to Brighella, and often seen as his brother or son, he was the more toned-down version. He's usually more interested in charming a servant girl or eating than carrying out Brighella's villainy.
29** '''Mezzetino''': Often seen as the brother of Brighella, he is fond of the ladies even if they weren't fond of him. His character has many variations: a loyal or scheming servant or a deceitful or cuckolded husband.
30** '''La Ruffiana''': An "old windbag" type; like the rest of the old people, she's out to thwart the innamorati.
31** '''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 various items to the other characters.
32** '''The Pavironica family''':
33*** '''Sandrone''': a crude, clever, and cunning peasant.
34*** '''Pulonia''': the wife of Sandrone.
35*** '''Sgorghiguelo''': the son of Sandrone.
36[[/folder]]
37----
38!!Examples and references in modern media:
39
40[[foldercontrol]]
41
42[[folder:Comic Books]]
43* In one of the volumes of ''ComicBook/DeCapeEtDeCrocs'', a group of protagonists who get captured, are forced to perform one of these for their captors.
44* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': The name of Harley Quinn is a pun on Harlequin. Ironically, her character is more of a CompositeCharacter of both the Harlequin and the Pierrot character due to her abusive and onesided relationship with the Joker.
45[[/folder]]
46
47[[folder:Fan Works]]
48* In the ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'' fanfic "Infidelity", Henrietta is taunted by a hallucination of a drunken man wearing a Brighella carnival costume.
49[[/folder]]
50
51[[folder:Film]]
52* ''Film/LeCapitaineFracasse'' (1961) and ''Film/CaptainFracassasJourney'' (1990), both based off the 1863 novel by Creator/TheophileGautier, tell the story of an early 17th century French [[ImpoverishedPatrician impoverished nobleman]], the Baron de Sigognac, who joins a travelling Commedia dell'Arte' theatre troupe and comes to replace the actor who played the Capitano after his death, nicknaming himself "Capitaine Fracasse". Sigognac usually falls in love with the young actress playing TheIngenue, 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).
53* In ''Film/OnGuard'', after escaping the killers of the Duke of Nevers with the Duke's baby daughter Aurore, Lagardère meets a traveling Italian Commedia dell'Arte troupe, and he and Aurore (as she grows up) hide among the troupe for sixteen years, even becoming stage actors themselves. This an AdaptationDeviation from the original novel, ''Literature/LeBossu'', where Lagardère and Aurore hide in Spain instead, and it was likely inspired by ''Le Capitain Fracasse'', its adaptations mentioned above and a general trend of historical film coproductions between France and Italy in TheNineties.
54* The cast of ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'' fit this pretty well, for the most part:
55** Brad and Janet are the Lovers.
56** Eddie makes a passing Arlecchino.
57** Columbia, fittingly, is a Colombina.
58** Frank-N-Furter has elements of both The Captain (obviously "not from around here," ReallyGetsAround) and Pantalone (abusive of Eddie, his Arlecchino, hints of a relationship with Columbia.)
59** Riff Raff is a dead giveaway as the Pulcinella, hunchback and all.
60** The Criminologist is perfect as the Doctor.
61** The others are a bit of a stretch - presumably Rocky as the Pierrot, Magenta as the Brighella, and Dr. Scott as the Tartaglia.
62* The Creator/MarxBrothers fit the archetypes quite nicely.
63** Groucho: Arlecchino, though with aspects of Brighella, given his costant schemes.
64** Chico: Brighella
65** Harpo: Pierrot. ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera'' even has a scene of him dressing up in the costume that he stole from a production of ''Pagliacci''.
66** Zeppo: In early productions, the Innamorato. Later on, he becomes a more toned-down Arlecchino for Groucho to boss around, before leaving the pictures altogether, in favour of...
67** Alan Jones: Innamorato all the time.
68** Margaret Dumont: Columbina, or a GenderFlip of Il Dottore.
69* Andre Moreau of ''Film/{{Scaramouche|1952}}'' is a heroic fugitive who goes undercover in the ''commedia dell arte'' troupe his [[SlapSlapKiss beloved Lenore]] acts in, discovering an unexpected talent for slapstick.
70* The cast of ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' fits nicely:
71** Belle and the Beast: Innamorati (main romantic leads of the movie, although much more fleshed out than the usual innamorati)
72** Gaston: Il Capitano (vain, boasting antagonist who lusts for Belle)
73** Maurice: Il Dottore (AbsentMindedProfessor, father of the innamorata)
74** [=LeFou=]: Pulcinella (ugly and stupid servant of the main antagonist)
75** Lumiere: Arlecchino (smart, confident and flirty leader of the Beast's servants)
76** Cogsworth: Pierrot (ButtMonkey, although lacks the "hopeless lover" trait of the usual Pierrot)
77** Mrs. Potts and Fifi the Feather Duster have the traits of Colombina divided between them: Mrs. Potts embodies WomenAreWiser, while Fifi is Lumiere's love interest
78** Monsieur D'Arque: Brighella (cunning and greedy minor villain)
79* Creator/JeanRenoir's ''Film/TheGoldenCoach'' is a 1952 film {{Homage}} to Commedia dell'Arte, bringing the style to cinema with legendary actress Anna Magnani playing Colombina.
80* Creator/CharlieChaplin's ''Film/{{Limelight}}'' features a ballet - "Harlequinade" with the Commedia dell'Arte characters.
81* ''Film/MoulinRouge'' is an example with Christian and Satine as the innamorati, The Duke and, to a lesser extent, Zidler, as the Old People trying to keep them apart, and Toulouse and the Bohemians as the Servants trying to keep them together. The difference is that The Lovers are the ones clearly driving the plot while the Servants are more sidelined. [[spoiler: It also does not have a happy ending.]]
82* ''Film/TheComedyOfTerrors'', not dissimilar to the ''Series/FawltyTowers'' example below, is a version without the innamorati (or perhaps with them becoming CompositeCharacter versions with the servants--the only romance in the film is between two lower-to-middle-class characters).
83** Waldo Trumbull, the scheming and greedy undertaker, is an UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Brighella, though with elements of Pantalone in his mistreatment of Gillie and tendency to get DistractedByTheSexy.
84** Gillie, his long-suffering mistreated employee and general ButtMonkey, is for most of the film a pretty clear Pierrot with a typically gloomy attitude. He is in love with his employer's wife Amaryllis, in a way that initially seems pretty hopeless. [[spoiler: Though unlike most versions he gets a happy ending with Amaryllis.]]
85** Amaryllis is then Columbina, though not as intelligent as some versions. She still tends to come across as somewhat more reasonable than the other characters in scenes with Trumbull and Hinchley. And she sings...''horribly''.
86** Mr Black is Pantalone, a pompous old rich man and an antagonistic figure despite not being particularly evil in comparison to Trumbull.
87** Hinchley, Amaryllis's father, is a version of Dottore who's straight-up senile instead of simply absent-minded, though it doesn't prevent him from a few scenes of overusing long words and reciting dubious "facts".
88** Mrs Phipps is La Signora: the young and beautiful wife (and soon widow) of a rich old man, who plays the BrainlessBeauty but turns out to be calculating and greedy, cheating Trumbull out of his fee.
89** The Groundskeeper is a very minor character but could be a form of Harlequin, as a comedic, slapstick, working-class character with a more cheerful attitude than Gillie's Pierrot.
90
91[[/folder]]
92
93[[folder:Literature]]
94* It is less evident from the book's final edition, but in ''Literature/TheMasterAndMargarita'' by Mikhail Bulgakov two of the devil's servants bear some resemblance to the most popular zanni characters. Koroviev, the talkative trickster dressed in checked clothes brings to mind Arlecchino, and in certain early version of the novel there's a character called "Fiello", a hunchbacked brute with mouth full of fangs, dressed in white, grotesque clothes with bells attached, who seems to have some of Pulcinella's characteristics. The latter was subsequently modified by the writer to become Azazello, another servant of the devil. Azazello lacks any significant resemblance to Commedia dell'Arte characters.
95* The ''Literature/CiaphasCain'' series mentions liturgical plays about the Emperor of Mankind done in this style. The only reason they aren't condemned as blasphemy and heresy by the Ecclesiarchy is because it actually has their believers ''pay attention.''
96* Commedia dell'Arte motifs figure in the later [[Literature/TheCorneliusChronicles Jerry Cornelius]] stories by Creator/MichaelMoorcock, particularly ''The Condition of Muzak'' and ''The Entropy Tango''.
97* The characters do not fit the archetypes, but in ''[[Literature/TheVampireChronicles The Vampire Lestat]]'', the title character joins a Commedia dell'Arte troupe in his pre-vampire days. He plays Lelio, and counts his time as an actor among the best experiences in his human life.
98* In Creator/JohnCWright's ''[[Literature/TheGoldenOecumene The Golden Age]]'', Phaethon donns a Harlequin outfit for the Masquerade. The Earthmind salutes his fidelity when he greets her. Possibly inspired by this, his foes don the forms of Scaramouche and Columbine to pursue him.
99* Creator/AgathaChristie wrote a series of stories featuring a [[Literature/TheMysteriousMrQuin Mr. Harley Quin]], who had a knack for turning up where there were two lovers in trouble and, seemingly by chance, saying or doing just the right thing to influence events in their favour. (Being Agatha Christie stories, this often involved inspiring a EurekaMoment in somebody trying to solve a murder, but it didn't always -- and there's at least one Harley Quin story in which nobody dies at all.)
100* The story "Puss-in-Boots" in Creator/AngelaCarter's ''Literature/TheBloodyChamber'' is essentially a commedia dell'arte play in prose form, with the titular cat helping his owner get in bed with Pantalone's young beautiful wife. Several stock characters of the genre are referred to by name.
101* ''Literature/WinnieThePooh'', albeit without the romance or the social class:
102** Pooh himself, with his clumsy nature, very little brain, and great appetite, is Arlecchino, of course.
103** The self-important Rabbit has aspects of both Pantalone and Brighella.
104** Owl, a rambling fool who thinks himself a wise and learned fellow, is pure Il Dottore.
105** The rambunctious, unintentionally-violent Tigger is primarily a Pulcinella figure.
106** Both Eeyore and Piglet have aspects of Pierrot - Eeyore the perpetual gloominess, and Piglet the defeatist, timid attitude.
107** Kanga is a sort of a Columbina figure, albeit a fairly bland one, while her son Roo is a Pulcinella-in-training, but with some of the wide-eyed innocence of the ''innamoratti''.
108* Partly-inverted in the ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' series of Creator/PGWodehouse. On the one hand, the manservant [[TheJeeves Jeeves]] is always ready with a ZanyScheme to help his social betters work their way around a ParentalMarriageVeto 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 real clowning done by the upper classes, with his master, Bertie Wooster, as a rare aristocratic ''Arlecchino''. That said, many of the upper class characters fit these archetypes pretty well, despite not being servants, with Bertie's aunts Dahlia and Agatha representing different takes on the ''Signora'' (as Bertie puts it in a moment of hyperbole, Agatha eats broken 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 here), the drippy newt-enthusiast Gussy Fink-Nottle is a ''Pierrot'', Madeleine Basset (who believes every time a fairy blows its nose, a baby 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''. Likewise, there's always a violent ''Pulcinella'' figure on hand to threaten Bertie with bodily harm, most notably the hot-tempered Tuppy Glossop and the would-be fascist dictator Roderick Spode.
109* Wodehouse's ''Literature/BlandingsCastle'' series 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 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 always a pair of ''innamorati'' on hand, one of whom will generally be a grandchild or distant in-law of Clarence. This time, however, the servants are a bit more in on the act, with the eternally put-upon butler Beach as a toned-down, non-romantic ''Pierrot'', and the truculent gardener Angus [=MacAllister=] as ''Pulcinella'' (without the violence or threats thereof), and the opportunistic pig-keeper George Cyril Wellbeloved as a more conventional Brighella.
110* The theatre troupe in ''Players of Literature/{{Gor}}'' is this with the serial numbers very half-heartedly filed off -- with justification, since all human Gorean cultures originated on Earth and have adapted to the local customs as necessary. Characters include Bina (a truncation of "Columbina", but also previously established as Gorean for "Slave Beads" and a common 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 MilesGloriosus. As this is low art, female players are always slaves and have an alternative means of earning coins if the plays are doing poorly. (On the other hand, men do the heavy lifting and are more likely to be flat-out killed if they fall into bandit hands.)
111* The villain in ''Literature/MedusasWeb'' has a secret cache of papers relating to a series 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's mother's first husband, and the Innamorato is Rudolph Valentino.
112* In ''Literature/{{Scaramouche}}'', the protagonist Andre-Louis Moreau spends several chapters hiding out in a traveling commedia dell'arte troupe, first as a roadie and later taking the role of Scaramouche on stage after 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.
113* ''Harlequin Valentine'', by Creator/NeilGaiman, is explicitly based on commedia dell'arte tropes, with Harlequin as a [[TheTrickster trickster spirit]] romancing a mortal woman (who is, in the Columbine spirit, the sanest and most sensible character, and things don't go quite as expected). Along the way, Harlequin nominates the other characters as filling various stock roles, although it's ambiguous whether this is genuine insight or just a case of labelling people according to his preconceptions.
114[[/folder]]
115
116[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
117* The characters of ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' can do this frequently, although the main character, Michael Bluth, can shift between an Innamarata and a Pantalone multiple times in any given episode, most of the time, however, he is Pierrot.
118** The Lovers: George Michael and Maebe, although Maebe tends to also often be the rare female version of Arlecchino.
119** Il Dottore: Dr. Tobias Funke, of course.
120** Pulcinella: Buster Bluth.
121** Il Capitano: GOB and his illegitimate son, Steve Holt.
122** Brighella: George Sr.
123** Pantalone: Lucille usually plays this part, considering her greed and generally bitter nature.
124** Pierrot: Poor, poor Michael Bluth.
125* Rarely actually seen, but apparently a regular sketch on ShowWithinTheShow of ''Series/Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip''. [[ViewersAreGeniuses Nobody gets the joke, of course.]]
126* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' is basically an extended series of mutations of this central trope, particularly emphasizing the social classes and power dynamics of the stock characters.
127** Edmund Blackadder himself is always some variant on the Brighella figure, defined by his greed, cowardice (particularly in the first series), and the fact that he is never the highest-status person around - even when he's the son of the king, he's only the second son, and as the series progresses, his rank in the world gradually drops.
128** Baldrick, whether the HypercompetentSidekick of the first series or the cheerful dimwit he is the rest of the time, is always some kind of Arlecchino, consistently the lowest-status character present, and always with some kind of 'cunning plan' on hand.
129** The gloomy, supercilious Percy is pure Pierrot, especially in the second series, where he's constantly hopelessly in love with some offscreen woman.
130*** His fourth-series incarnation, Captain Darling, is more of a particularly British take on Il Capitano, however - Edmund's rival and nemesis, but more out of priggish professionalism than hammy bravado. He also occasionally borders on the Pierrot, devotedly following General Melchett's orders, often the butt of Blackadder's jokes and awaiting in vain to marry Doris...
131*** The first series' Prince Harry is an Il Capitano, though an oddly benign and well-meaning one.
132*** Whenever Flashheart shows up, he's a more straightforward Capitano, with all the bravado that implies. Unlike most versions of Il Capitano though, he's TheAce, especially in the second series.
133** Either incarnation of Melchett - and, indeed, any character played by Creator/StephenFry, such as the third series' Duke of Wellington - is generally a Dottore figure.
134** George is an odd case. Appearing in series three as a kind of dimwitted Innamorato figure (with aspects of Pantalone, given his lechery and high-ranking position as 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.
135** King Richard IV of the first series is a cross between Il Capitano, given his military background and [[Creator/BrianBlessed 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.
136** The third series' Mrs. Miggins is a pretty straightforward Columbina, given her quasi-romantic relationship to Blackadder, middle-class social status (she owns and operates an inn/pie shop), and her collaborative role in many of Blackadder's plots. This also applies to Kate/Bob of the second and fourth series.
137* On ''Series/TheAmazingRace,'' a Fast-Forward task involved a routine with such a troupe. The green pass would appear during the performance, upon which it could be claimed.
138* ''Series/FawltyTowers'' is a stripped-down version of this - notably, without any innamorati.
139** Greedy, bad-tempered, class-conscious manager Basil Fawlty is a rare protagonist version of Pantalone (albeit an [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist unsympathetic one]]) with elements of Brighella that come out around high-status guests.
140** Sybil Fawlty blends the traits of Signora and Ruffiana: she is vain, gossipy, and at time very cruel, but not stupid, and far better than her husband at handling guests.
141** Underpaid, out-of-his-depth Manuel is clearly a nonromantic version of Pierrot, right down to the black-and-white waiter's uniform he typically wears, though his cheerful attitude gives him elements of Harlequin as well.
142** Polly, the [[OnlySaneMan most reasonable]] staff member, is a classic Colombina.
143** Terry, the resourceful, level-headed, but self-interested cook, is a minor Brighella.
144** The Major, a long-term guest at the hotel, is a Dottore figure: a somewhat-senile, rather racist old man with a pompous attitude and an inflated view of himself.
145** One-off hotel guest characters often fit these archetypes, too. The domineering and unreasonable Mrs. Richards is a Strega figure (with elements of Ruffiana), for example, while the pompous, annoying [[EagleLand American guest]] Mr. Hamilton was a Capitano - though a rather blameless one, since everything that went wrong in his episode was Basil's own fault. Lord Melbury was [[spoiler: a Brighella, since he was actually a con man trying to steal Basil's antique coin collection and not really Lord Melbury at all]].
146** One episode, before Terry was introduced, has the role of cook filled by Kurt, a more classic Pierrot, given his unrequited crush on [[spoiler: Manuel]].
147* "[[Recap/InsideNo9S6E1WutheringHeist Wuthering Heist]]" episode of ''Series/InsideNo9'' places many of the classic Commedia dell'Arte characters in a ''Film/ReservoirDogs''-style heist story. Pantalone is a gangster organising a diamond heist, with other characters as his henchmen. The "Columbina" [[spoiler: who is an undercover cop]] explains various tropes to the audience as they're happening. [[spoiler: In the tradition of both Tarantino and ''Inside No. 9'', most of the characters get killed off at the end.]]
148** ''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 detail in their podcast "Inside Inside No.9", explaining how it inspired comedies such as Fawlty Towers.
149* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' hews fairly close to ''Commedia''[='=]s archetypes:
150** Leonard and Penny are the ''innamorati'', given that their fluctuating relationship remains a big focus of the series. Leonard's name is even close to one of the stock names for the ''innamorato'': Leandro (both names are partly derived from words meaning "lion").
151** Sheldon is ''il Dottore'', being by far the most accomplished and intelligent of the main cast, but completely lacking in social skills and street smarts.
152** Howard is ''il Capitano'', fancying himself as a major ladies' man and early on trying to make a move on Penny.
153** Raj is ''Pierrot'', being loyal to his friends (especially Howard), but remains the unluckiest in love.
154** Amy and Bernadette are alternate takes on ''Colombina'', being accomplished scientists themselves but largely career-focused unlike the men.
155[[/folder]]
156
157[[folder:Music]]
158* "The Carnival Is Over" by Tom Springfield, a signature song of The Seekers:
159-->''Like a drum my heart was beating\
160And your kiss was sweet as wine\
161But the joys of love are fleeting\
162For Pierrot and Columbine.''
163* "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen:
164-->''I see a little silhouette of a man\
165Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?''[[note]]Scaramuccia's anglicized name; the fandango is a Spanish dance[[/note]]
166[[/folder]]
167
168[[folder:Theatre]]
169* Characters from Creator/{{Moliere}}'s plays tend to fit in those roles.
170* Carlo Goldoni's ''early'' plays are classic Commedia dell'Arte. From ''Momolo Cortesan'' onwards, though, his works take a completely new style, often violently clashing with the classic Commedia dell'Arte popular in Italy and France at the time.
171* In the plays of Creator/WilliamShakespeare:
172** Playfully mocked in ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing''. The [[MeaningfulName aptly-named]] Hero and Claudio are the innamorati, Antonio is the tartaglia, Margaret is the colombina, etc. It's mockery because Beatrice and Benedick are the real main characters, and they are probably the only ones who don't fit any stock models. Also, the ZanyScheme is cooked up by Don Pedro, probably the highest-ranking person in the play, and his chief compatriot, Hero's father Leonato, really should be a Pantalone figure.
173** ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' is a GenreDeconstruction. Many of the stock characters are clearly there. However, the play is a tragedy rather than a comedy. So the ZanyScheme doesn't work out, and several of the characters end up dying.
174*** Romeo and Juliet themselves are the Innamorati, [[LoveAtFirstSight who fall in love with each other at first sight]].
175*** Friar Lawrence is the Tartaglia, who performs a secret wedding ceremony for Romeo and Juliet.
176*** Lord Capulet is the Pantalone, who wants Juliet to marry Paris to further his own ambitions.
177*** Lady Capulet is the Signora, who wants her daughter to be a proper upper class woman just like her.
178*** Tybalt is the Capitano, who seems to always want to start a fight.
179*** The Nurse is the Columbina, who does her best to help Juliet.
180*** Mercutio is the wise-cracking Arlecchino (but he's a cousin of the local prince, so unlike most other classical Arlecchinos, he's not a servant, but a fellow aristocrat and a friend of Romeo's).
181*** Benvolio is the more sombre Pedrolino (but he's a cousin of Romeo's, so unlike most of the other classical Pedrolinos, he's a not a servant, but a fellow aristocrat and a friend of Romeo's).
182** ''Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice'' has Portia and Bassanio the innamorati, as well as Shylock as the Pantalone (although Pantalone is typically a merchant of Venice, this play's title character, Antonio, does not actually qualify as a Pantalone) and Gratiano as the Arlecchino.
183** ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor'' has Fenton and Anne as the innamorati, the foolish doctor Caius, Evans as the priest with a "speech impediment" (actually an outrageous Welsh accent), and Falstaff of all people as a sleazy Pantalone-type.
184** ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'' has Andrew Aguecheek as a MilesGloriosus Scaramouche, Malvolio the Pierrot, Feste the Arlecchino, Maria is the Colombina to Sir Toby Belch'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.
185** At least one version of ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'', produced for television in the '70s by [[Creator/{{PBS}} WNET New York]], is explicitly Commedia, down to the costumes and presentation style.
186** Bottom of ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' and Touchstone of ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt'' are patterned after Arlecchino.
187* ''Theatre/{{Pagliacci}}'' is a classic opera, by Ruggero Leoncavello, about a Commedia troupe. The title literally means 'clowns'. The ShowWithinAShow is that Colombina is cheating on Pierrot with Il Capitano, and it's played for laughs, but backstage, Canio (the actor playing Pierrot) finds out that his wife Nedda (Colombina) is actually cheating on him with Silvio, a young man from the village where they are performing. He sings the classic aria "Vestia la giubba" ('put on the costume') and then goes mad with grief when the comedy they are playing starts hitting too close to home, with Colombina even seeing off Il Capitano with the same line with which Nedda saw off Silvio.
188* The Pantomime Theatre in the Copenhagen amusement park Tivoli frequently features new and old plays with this. Here the loving couple however usually is the trickster Harlequin and the beautiful Colombina. The latter is the daughter of the old rich man Kassander, who won't accept their love, but of course they always get each other in the end. The favourite of the audience is however Kassander's always unlucky and not too bright servant Pierrot. In fact Pierrot has become quite a symbol in Tivoli - and in three other Danish amusement parks which also have a Pierrot each entertaining the children.
189* ''Servant of Two Masters'':
190** Pantalone
191** The Lovers: Silvio and Clarice.
192** The Doctor: Lombardi, Silvio's father.
193** The Captain: Florindo. Beatrice is his love interest and has some captain-like qualities when posing as Federigo.
194** Arlecchino: Truffaldino.
195** Colombina: Smeraldina.
196** Brighella
197* Based directly on ''Servant of Two Masters'', Richard Bean's ''One Man, Two Guvnors'' updates the plot to 1963 Brighton:
198** Pantalone: Charlie Clench.
199** The Lovers: Alan Dangle and Pauline Clench.
200** The Doctor: Harry Dangle, Alan's father.
201** The Captain: Stanley Stubbers. Rachel is his love interest has some captain-like qualities when posing as Roscoe
202** Arlecchino: Francis Henshall.
203** Colombina: Dolly.
204** Brighella: Lloyd Boateng.
205* ''Theatre/SweeneyTodd'' might be seen as a very twisted version:
206** Anthony and Johanna, of course, are the innamorati.
207** Judge 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 speech patterns. It also helps that the Beadle is usually played by a heavyset actor.
208** Todd himself and Mrs. Lovett are rather more murderous incarnations of Arlecchino and Columbina, making Toby Pierrot.
209** The Beggar Woman is the only character who doesn't neatly fit into a traditional mold. However, she does show several qualities of the modern La Strega character, with her mad ramblings and repulsive appearance.
210* Aspects of this structure are present in all of Creator/GilbertAndSullivan's works, but ''Theatre/TheYeomenOfTheGuard'' is probably the most pronounced form it takes, albeit with a few unexpected twists.
211** Jack Point is introduced as an Arlecchino figure, but by the end, he's become a tragic Pierrot.
212** Wilfred Shadbolt is set up as the ''Pierrot'', given his unrequited love for Phoebe, but in the end, he wins her hand (though not her love) and becomes more of an ''Arlecchino''.
213** Col. Fairfax is set up as ''Innamorato'' to Phoebe's ''Innamorata'', but we gradually learn Fairfax to be more of a ''Capitano''.
214** Elsie Maynard is pure ''Colombina''.
215** Lieutenant Sir Richard Cholmondeleigh probably should be ''Il Capitano'', but he and Sgt. Meryll are both more ''Dottore'' figures in their ineffectualness and lack of insight.
216** Dame Carruthers is a ''Signora'' figure.
217* In the Music/GiacomoPuccini opera ''Theatre/GianniSchicchi'', much of the characterization is in the commedia dell'arte tradition. Rinucchio and Lauretta are obviously the ''innamorati'', with nothing 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 father of the ''innamorata''.
218* In ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'', many of the characters from the Creator/{{Plautus}} play "Pseudolus" upon which this is based are probably the Ur-examples of several Commedia dell' Arte types, so it's not surprising that they show up here in spades:
219** Pseudolus is the ''arlecchino''
220** Gymnasia (despite being TheSpeechless) is the ''colombina''
221*** (Speechless in the movie. Has one line in the play.)
222** Hysterium is the ''pedro''
223** Hero is the ''innamorato''
224** Philia is the ''innamorata''
225** Senex is the ''pantalone''
226** Lycus is the ''brighella''
227** MilesGloriosus is the ''capitano''
228* ''Theatre/{{Zemsta}}'' has:
229** Wacław - ''inamorato'', the HotBlooded young man head over heels with...
230** Klara - ''inamorata/colombina'', a witty, slightly snarky young woman in love with Wacław, who nevertheless refuses to elope with him
231** Papkin - ''il capitano'', MilesGloriosus extraordinaire who honestly thinks he's got a chance with Klara
232** Rejent - ''il dottore/pantalone'', Wacław's father and a miserly, cunning lawyer (he does most of the plotting)
233** Cześnik - ''pantalone/il dottore'', Klara's guardian who wants to marry either her or Podstolina for money (he mostly cares about the money), a choleric BadBoss for Papkin
234** Podstolina - ''la signora'', beautiful, calculating, somewhat narcisstic, wants to get married (for money)
235* Many of the stock characters appear in the Swedish play ''Söderkåkar''.
236** Johan (being a crude but witty and good-hearted bricklayer) is a good example of a ''Sandrone''.
237** Hanna (Johan's wife) is likewise a good example of a ''Pulonia''.
238** Albin (their son) is both an ''Innamorato'' (he's in love with Majbritt, the Innamorata) and a ''Sgorghiguelo'' (he's also the son of the Sandrone and the Pulonia).
239** Erik (Johan's brother) is a more sympathetic version of the ''Pantalone''. He used to be a rich business man, but his money is now mostly gone. And he's actually a kind-hearted man, but he's often pushed into bad situations by his haughty wife.
240** Aurore (Erik's wife) is a selfish and calculating ''Signora''.
241** Majbritt (their niece) is a sweet and innocent ''Innamorata'' (she's in love with Albin, the Innamorato).
242** Malin (their maid) is a spunky and vivacious ''Colombina''.
243** Officer Karlsson (one of Malin's suitors) is a bumbling but likable ''Arlecchino''.
244** Mailman Olsson (Karlsson's rival for Malin's affections) is a more sombre but dependable ''Pedrolino''.
245** Josefsson (the rich man whom Aurore wants Majbritt to marry) is a conceited ''Capitano''.
246* The {{ballet}} ''Les millions d'Arlequin'' (Harlequin's Millions, today often called 'Harlequinade') is themed around Commedia dell'Arte
247[[/folder]]
248
249[[folder:Video Games]]
250* In ''[[VideoGame/NancyDrew Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice]]'', a crime ring uses characters from the Commedia dell'Arte as code names for the various members:
251** Il Capitano: Communications, [[spoiler: Antonio Fango]]
252** Scaramuccia: Security Systems Expert, [[spoiler: Gina ]]
253** Brighella: Thief, [[spoiler: Nico Petit]]
254** Il Dottore: Boss, [[spoiler: Helena Berg]]
255** Arlecchino: Smuggler, [[spoiler: Enrico Tazza]]
256* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', Anju and Kafei's subplot fits this; they are the Innamorati, Mayor Dotour is il Dottore, and Link seems to be a male version of Columbina. Among others, the Curiosity Shop owner is Brighella, and Tingle is a loose version of Pulcinella.
257* In ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'', the most powerful members of the [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Fatui]], known as the Fatui Harbingers, are named after character archetypes from the Commedia dell'Arte. The extent to which they represent their Commedia dell'Arte counterparts vary, however; some make sense (La Signora is a beautiful but calculating [[TheBaroness Baroness]]; Pantalone is a filthy rich businessman; Dottore is a MadScientist), while others are loose references (Sandrone is a well-dressed girl rather than a crude peasant, but she controls a mechanical golem and is known as "The Puppet" due to the Commedia dell'Arte Sandrone and his family being represented by puppets), and still others don't match at all (Tartaglia is a competent, well-spoken BloodKnight). And in any case, none of them share the interpersonal relationships of their ''dell'Arte'' counterparts. The only ones that don't use the Italian versions of the character names are Pierro and Scaramouche who both use the French names for Pedrolino and Scaramuccia.
258* Punchinello from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' is named after Pulcinella and he's a stocky, odd bomb-like creature with [[HairTriggerTemper a short fuse]] and [[MadBomber a tendency to lob explosives at anyone annoying him]]. He's fought as the boss of an abandoned coal mine.
259[[/folder]]
260
261[[folder:Web Comics]]
262* The now-defunct ''Commedia 2X00'' used the Commedia dell'Arte characters and plot as a vehicle, except in the skewed sci-fi/video-game setting of the Twenty-Xth Century; Dottore is a deranged cyberneticist who loses his funding for crimes against nature and arranges for his daughter Isa to marry billionaire Mr. Pants in exchange for a massive dowry, despite the fact that Isa is in love with Mr. Pants' son Flave. Dottore's project is the creation of Super Fighting Cyborgs. So far the only one we've seen is Arlecchino, who in a shout-out to Mega Man, "having a strong sense of loyalty, volunteered to be converted to a Super Fighting Cyborg."
263* ''[[https://www.kevinforbesofficial.com/phantomcaycomics Tales of Phantom Cay]]'' has characters loosely based on Commedia dell'Arte. Quinn is Harlequin, Pierre is Pierrot, Mr. Trousers is Pantalone, etc.
264[[/folder]]
265
266[[folder:Western Animation]]
267* The characters of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' are strikingly like Commedia characters:
268** Arlecchino: Fry
269** Colombina: Leela
270** Brighella: Bender
271** Pantalone: Professor Farnsworth
272** Il Dottore: Dr. Zoidberg
273** Il Capitano: Zap Branigan
274** Innamorati: Amy and Kif
275* As can ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
276** Innamorati: Homer and Marge, whenever they're not being co-Zanni along with their kids.
277** Arlecchino: Homer/Bart
278** Colombina: Marge/Lisa
279** Pantalone: Mr. Burns
280** Pierrot: Smithers
281** Brighella: Moe
282* Classic WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes cartoon characters also show their Commedia roots:
283** WesternAnimation/BugsBunny: Scapino
284** WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck: Arlecchino - due to his tendency to receive slapstick as often as he doles it out.
285** WesternAnimation/PorkyPig: Tartaglia
286** Yosemite Sam: Il Capitano
287** Wile E. Coyote: Il Dottore - his "education" brings out his foolishness.
288* In a similar manner to ''Winnie-the-Pooh'', ''WesternAnimation/RubyGloom'' is like a Goth version of the commedia, minus the romance:
289** Ruby herself seems a benign Arlecchino, being the one administering conflict rather than being involved.
290** Iris is Columbina, in the hard-working, go-getter, rational voice of reason sense, sort of combining traits with Pulchinella. Doom Kitty is a more traditional Columbina.
291** There are two Pierrots - Scaredy Bat with his defeatist, afraid of everything attitude, and Misery with her constant depression and well...misery.
292** Poe the Crow is both Pantalone in the sense of puffing himself up and Il Dottore in the sense of his claimed profession and actual class amongst the cast.
293** Skull Boy is both a more benign Pantalone in the sense of his versatility and trying many jobs, and also a Scapino in his general attitude.
294** Frank and Len are both Pulchinella, being oafish and dimwitted, as well as often initiating slapstick.
295* WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants:
296** Mr. Krabs is the cartoon embodiment of Pantalone (and the episode where he falls into a coma after his money-stuffed mattress is thrown out could be a realistic commedia dell'arte story plot).
297** Patrick is Brighella.
298** Squidward is Il Capitane.
299** Pearl would be Columbina.
300** Plankton would most likely be Beltrame.
301* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Clown", Bobby goes to a ClownSchool taught by a professor who specializes on commedia dell'arte and takes it ''very'' seriously. When Bobby wants to take his new act to the school talent show, Hank has to save him because he knows the kids won't find "jester crap" to be funny at all.
302[[/folder]]
303
304[[folder:Other]]
305* ''Website/TheOnion'' had a poll about who was the best Commedia dell'Arte character. The highest answer at ''one-hundred percent'' was "I don't know."
306[[/folder]]

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