Commedia’s origins have not been conclusively determined, and scholars have demonstrated a variety of possible factors in its development: the masked, improvised comedy of the Roman Atellan farce tradition; the mime theatre of the Byzantine world; the jugglers and traveling players of Medieval Europe; the market …

What is not characteristic of commedia dell arte? the audience grants the characters temporary reality. Theatre is not an art, but an entertainment.

Commedia dell’arte, (Italian: “comedy of the profession”) Italian theatrical form that flourished throughout Europe from the 16th through the 18th century. Outside Italy, the form had its greatest success in France, where it became the Comédie-Italienne.

In spite of its outwardly anarchic spirit, commedia dell’arte was a highly disciplined art requiring both virtuosity and a strong sense of ensemble playing. The unique talent of commedia actors was to improvise comedy around a pre-established scenario

Commedia Dell’Arte contributed to the social environment of early modern Italy by re-emphasizing social standards, bringing the people of the city together regardless of class, religion or ethnicity and highlighting the importance of the street

Commedia dell’Arte Characters

• Zanni. Zanni is probably not the first character that springs to mind when you think of Commedia dell’Arte characters.
• Pantalone. Pantalone is a well known Commedia dell’Arte character.
• Il Dottore (The Doctor)
• Arlecchino (Harlequin)
• Pulcinella.
• Colombina.
• Il Capitano (The Captain)
• Brighella.

A mask helps to create the beautiful, extravagant, repulsive and yet attractiveness of each character. Masks allow the actor to further explore the character. To the audience, the actor’s physical movements and embodiment of the stock characters help to establish their character and the mask enhances it.

Columbina (in Italian Colombina, meaning “little dove”; in French and English Colombine) is a stock character in the commedia dell’arte. She is Harlequin’s mistress, a comic servant playing the tricky slave type, and wife of Pierrot.

Columbina, a maidservant, was often paired in love matches with Arlecchino, Pedrolino, or the Capitano. With Harlequin she became a primary character in the English pantomime’s harlequinade.

While the theories of the St Pantaleone and the lion of St Mark are common, they are both now considered unlikely origins, and the true origin is unknown. The name Pantaloon generally means “old fool” or “dotard”. The role of Pantalone is usually spoken entirely in the Venetian dialect.

northern Italy

Commedia dell’arte has four stock character groups:

• Zanni: servants, clowns; characters such as Arlecchino (also known as Harlequin), Brighella, Scapino, Pulcinella and Pedrolino.
• Vecchi: wealthy old men, masters; characters such as Pantalone and il Dottore.

During his occupation of Italy, proponents of reform and critics of French rule used the carnival masks to hide their identities while pushing political agendas, challenging social rule, and hurling insults and criticisms at the regime. So to put an end to it, Napoleon banned Commedia Dell’Arte completely

Stock characters are ones who represent specific stereotypes. These characters are types and not individuals. Stock characters are based on clichés and social prejudices. For example, the dumb blonde, the mean stepmother, the loyal servant, the abusive boyfriend, or the evil dictator or CEO are all stock characters.

3 Examples of Foil Characters from Literature

• John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men. George and Lennie are best friends.
• J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter. Draco Malfoy is a classic foil.
• William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar. The devious and cunning Cassius and the nobler Brutus conspire to assassinate Julius Caesar.

They are archetypal characters distinguished by their simplification and flatness. As a result, they tend to be easy targets for parody and to be criticized as clichés. The presence of a particular array of stock characters is a key component of many genres, and they often help to identify a genre or subgenre.

Twelve archetypes have been proposed for use with branding: Sage, Innocent, Explorer, Ruler, Creator, Caregiver, Magician, Hero, Outlaw, Lover, Jester, and Regular Person.

Jung claimed to identify a large number of archetypes but paid special attention to four. Jung labeled these archetypes the Self, the Persona, the Shadow and the Anima/Animus. The persona (or mask) is the outward face we present to the world.

The four main archetypes described by Jung as well as a few others that are often identified include the following.

• The Persona. The persona is how we present ourselves to the world.
• The Shadow. The shadow is an archetype that consists of the sex and life instincts.
• The Anima or Animus.
• The Self.

There are 13 seduction archetypes; the siren, the sophisticate, the boss, the bohemian, the coquette, the goddess, the enigma, the sensualist, the lady, the diva, the empress, the ingenue and the gamine.

According to most Jungian psychologists, there are seven feminine archetypes that prevail in contemporary society—the mother, the maiden, the queen, the huntress, the wise woman, the mystic and the lover. The presence of these archetypes in our psyches account for the major differences among women.

Jungian Psychology explains that there are 7 Feminine Archetypes; the Maiden, the Mother, the Huntress, the Wise Woman, the Wild Woman (or Mystic), and the Queen. These may have different names depending on which resource you’re looking at.