Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Arlecchino (Harlequin)
Of the Commedia dell'Arte characters, Arlecchino, or Harlequin, is the most famous. On
stage, Arlecchino appeared frequently with Pantalone as a dim-witted, mischievous, and
comical counterpoint to the strong male lead. The Arlecchino mask is typically dark and
characterized by a snub nose and protruding forehead. Arlecchino's costume is immedi-
ately recognizable for its familiar diamond-shaped patterning.
Dottore or Capitano
The character of Il Dottore is a rich, pompous know-it-all, quick to share his opinions with
the other stage characters. His mask typically covers only the forehead and nose, and ac-
companies a bulky costume to suggest his gluttonous habits.
Zanni
Zanni is another servant character of the Commedia dell'Arte, an unlearned, meddling, and
comic personage whose mask is characterized by a low forehead and elongated nose, not
to be confused with the Plague Doctor below.
The Plague Doctor
The sinister-looking, beaked-nose Plague Doctor, or
medico della peste
, does not find its
origins in the Venetian Carnival or in the theater, but rather in the harsh realities of disease
in the pre-modern world. The mask owes its beginnings to the French doctor Charles de
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