The characters in Commedia dell'Arte are stock characters, which means that the same characters are used in each show. Their attributes are outlined, and each character has their own distinct mask, costume, walk, and mannerisms, so the audience will know immediately whom they are watching.The actors often interact with the people watching, suiting the comedy to the audience's taste. If people of the upper class were in the audience, the comedy tended to be smarter. On the other hand, if the audience was more of the middle and lower classes, the improvisations were bawdier.
On this page, you can learn about a few of the characters that make up a Commedia troupe. Many of the character pages compare that Commedia character with a modern counterpart, so you can have something familiar in your mind while reading. Read over the information provided. You might then want to choose one character to focus on and create your own Commedia troupe with your classmates.
Pantalone The Lovers Il Dottore Zanni Il Capitano Arlecchino
