THE COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE

Commedia dell'Arte is famous around the world for being a theatrical representation born in the 16th century and developed in the 17th and 18th centuries, based on humours, improvisation, masks.
It was represented by peddler companies who went from one city to another performing their comedies.
Temporary stages on urban streets were favorite seats for attending this new kind of theatrical representation.
The most distinguishing element of Commedia dell'Arte was the lack of a pre-established play script; actors based their performances on canovacci - written texts just sketched – and were free to improvise if they were in a good mood.
Another important basic element of Italian comedy was the constant presence of masks. Each actor had to personify a character and make him distinguishable from the others throughout body movements, gags and leaps.
The masks represented fixed characters who acted in different comedies but playing always the same role. The most famous masks were Arlecchino, Brighella, Pantalone and Colombina.
Venice became one of the favourite places to perform comedies and an important referring point. There, playwriter Carlo Goldoni, well–known worldwide as one of the greatest Italian comedians, performed most of his comedies.

VENETIAN MASKS OF COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE

PANTALONE

Pantalone is one of the most famous Venetian masks. It represents the typical Venetian Merchant of the XVI° century. The name seems to derive from the action of "planting the Lion's flag" into the grove when Venetian militaries won a battle: pianta-Leone panta–Leone.
Others think that "Pantaleone" comes from a Greek clown mentioned in the works of Atheneus. Known also as Magnifico, Pantaleone has a snug tights, a black–hooked-nose mask, a little beard and a bag to which he hangs a knife ("Pisoltese") used by Venetian Merchants.
As for his character: he is a heartbreaker who was always hunting new preys such as courtesans, servants and young ladies.

COLOMBINA

The masks of Colombina comes back from the 18th century and represents the typical feminine heartbreaker. She's always free, not slave of Passion, foxy, fond of gossip and patters, always looking for someone to deceive.
Colombina plays the role of the servant, but she is generally more elegant than the others. Colors of her costume usually look like the costume of Arlecchino.
She is very often the reason of the contrast between Pantalone and Arlecchino. The mask of Colombina was much loved by Goldoni and in fact was often in his comedies.

We have collected for you two plots about two famous comedies of Goldoni: La Locandiera and La famiglia dell'antiquario. In this way we hope to give you an idea of a lifestyle of Goldoni's period and also an occasion for a good reading!

LA LOCANDIERA

Mirandolina, a Venetian publican, is courted from every man who attended the inn, but specially the marchiness of Forlipopoli who was an aristocratic fallen into disgrace. The count of Albafiorita was a rich merchant that seemed to be really in love with her.
The two characters represent two distinctive features of Venetian society. One of the marchiness is conviced that he can seduce Mirandolina by using his noble origins; the other is sure to strike the young publican giving her a lot of presents.
The foxy publican doesn't give herself to anyone leaving the illusion to be conquered. In this way she manages successfully to increase the tavern's popularity being crowed with people at all hours.
The comedy is a perfect metaphor of the Venetian society of the 18th century. The nobles represent the sponges of the society who live off the others. The merchant like the count of Albafiorita and Mirandolina are people only interested in money.
Although the comedy is a typical feature of the Illuminist period, the figure of self-made man personifies the female protagonist Mirandolina.

THE ANTIQUARIAN'S FAMILY

The Family of the antiquarian doesn't seem to have specific literary source. Probably Goldoni remembered the wife of a Venetian merchant for representing Isabella. As for Doralice, he took ispiration from Teodora Medebach the former actress to interpret her.

The count Anselmo Terrazzani is used to squander his money in objects of lacking value, being a person easily gullible.
For that reason the economic situation of his family is disastrous; in order to improve it the count convinces his son Giacinto to marry Doralice, the daughter of a rich Venetian merchant named Pantalone. The count receives twenty thousand shields by gift, but it doesn't solve Terazzani's problems; the count goes on with his crazy manias, the wife Isabella spends too much money in clothes.
Moreover the contrasts between Doralice and Isabella, who doesn't appreciate the social origin of the daughter–in–law, makes the situation worse.
The situation collapses when the two scoundrels Brighella (servant of Anselmo) and Arlecchino decide to deceive the count for stealing him a lot of money.
Only Pantalone will manage to put remedy to the awful situation. Comedy takes place in Palermo, but it's clear that Goldoni introduced typical scandals and habits of Venetian middleclass.
This comedy is less famous than La locandiera, but it's very important because it gives a clear idea of the Goldonian period.
The Count Anselmo personifies the crisis of the noble society that has not more clear identity of itself and it's disarmed to the climb of middle-class.
The lack of communication between nobleness and bourgeoisie is the main theme of the comedy. The contrast between Isabella and Doralice is another significant element that Goldoni introduces in his comedy but he lets it deliberately without solution.
The same Goldoni, defending himself from the accuses of a lacking happy end said: "I wanted to prefer a disagreeable truth to a delightful imagination giving example of the feminine persistency in hating".
Without solution is also the contrast between the Old (Anselmo) and Young generation (Giacinto). Moreover Goldoni uses the masks of Brighella and Pantalone to represent typical Venetian scoundrels of that period.
The trick is the key to the interpretation of the whole comedy.