Commedia dell'arte characters

form of theatre originating in Italy

stock character of commedia dell'arte

thumb|Two standard servants opposite a well-dressed, unmasked woman, La Dona Lucretia, who represents '''''' (; ) were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th-century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the lovers in some regard. These dramatic and posh characters were present within plays for the sole purpose of being in love with one another, and moreover, with themselves. These characters move elegantly and smoothly, and their young faces are unmasked unlike other commedia dell'arte characters. Despite facing many obstacles, t

character in Italian puppet theatre

200px|right|thumb|Sketch of Harlequin, a popular Zanni character Zanni (), Zani or Zane is a character type of commedia dell'arte best known as an astute servant and a trickster. The Zanni comes from the countryside and is known to be a "dispossessed immigrant worker". Through time, the Zanni grew to be a popular figure who was first seen in commedia as early as the 14th century. The English word zany derives from this character. The longer the nose on the character's mask, the more foolish the character.

thumb|right|220px|Beltrame Beltrame (in Milanese: baltramm) is a traditional character of the ''commedia dell'arte associated to the city of Milan, and dating back to the 16th–17th century or earlier. It is also often referenced by the full name Beltrame di Milano and also as Beltrame di Gaggiano (from the borgo – now a comune'' – of Gaggiano, in the surroundings of Milan) or Beltrame de la Gippa (where the "gippa" is the large blouse, or tunic, worn by the character).

thumb|Satirical print after the Five Days of Milan: [[Meneghino pulls the necks of the Habsburg double-headed eagle, exclaiming, "You're done pecking at us, queen of the turkeys."]] thumb|right|230px|Meneghino and Cecca, pin from the Carnevale Ambrosiano of 1885 Meneghino (; Milanese: ) is a traditional character of the Italian ''commedia dell'arte, associated to the city of Milan. As such, it also plays a major role in the Milanese celebrations of Carnival (Carnevale Ambrosiano) and in local marionette'' traditional shows.