Brighella

thumb|right|Brighella, from the 16th century Brighella (Bergamasque dialect: Brighèla) is a masked comic character from the Italian theatre style commedia dell'arte. His early costume consisted of loose-fitting white smock and pants with green trim and was often equipped with a ' (also ' or '''', depending on region) or slapstick, or else with a wooden sword. Later, he took to wearing a sort of livery with a matching cape. He wore a greenish half-mask (traditionally an olive-green color) displaying a look of preternatural lust and greed. It is distinguished by a hook nose and thick lips, along with a thick twirled mustache to give him an offensive characteristic. He evolved out of the general Zanni, as evidenced by his costume, and came into his own around the start of the 16th century.

He is loosely categorized as one of the Zanni or servant characters, although he often was portrayed as a member of the middle class, such as a tavern owner: his character could be adapted to whatever the needs to the scenario might be, just as Brighella himself is adaptable to any circumstance. He is essentially Harlequin's smarter and much more vindictive older brother. They both share the same traditional birthplace: Bergamo, a city in northern Italy. As in a stereotype of those who have risen from poverty, he is often most cruel to those beneath him on the social ladder; he even goes so far as to kill on occasion. In later versions of his character, these violent and malicious traits were lessened substantially. Pierre Louis Duchartre, in his The Italian Comedy, theorizes that in France, the gentrified Brighella eventually culminated in the character of Figaro, known from the plays and operas.