Commedia Dell Arte

Topics: Stock character, Commedia dell'arte, Stereotype Pages: 4 (1428 words) Published: April 14, 2013
Comedia dell’ Arte is a theatre art form dating back to Renaissance Italy. Its attributes and techniques are still used today to create theatre and film productions. Throughout this paper the origins of Commedia dell’ Arte will be discussed and its distinctive traits explored. These include the characters Used, mask work, pantomime (physical comedy) and improvisation. In addition, by using examples from both 16th century Commedia and modern day television I will show how not only was Commedia an inspiration for modern television, but that modern comedy would not exist without it.

Commedia draws its existence from the period of economic and cultural enlightenment known as the Renaissance ( Claudon,2003).While the Renaissance was present most everywhere in Europe, it had its beginnings in Italy where manufacturing and trade with the Islamic world made it an economic superpower. It was through this trade with the Islamic world that Italian sailors and scholars found Ancient Roman and Greek texts containing the writings of philosophers like Sophocles and Aristotle. Bringing them back to Italy and translating them, Scholars would spend the next few centuries deciphering and interpreting the meaning of these ancient texts. The product of the introduction of these Greek and Roman cultural elements (examples include the right of free speech, critical thinking and questioning divine authority) into Italian society was an atmosphere where the humanities (an umbrella term used in Italy to denote history, architecture, dramatic art and visual art) could be studied and practiced with little intervention from higher authority. It was from this atmosphere that Commedia could begin to evolve (Wild, 2011). Now, what is Commedia?

Commedia dell’ Arte is a theatre form combining pantomime, masks/costumes and improvisation. The actors (known at the time as either players or artisans) would play stock or stereotypical characters and act out familiar plot...
Continue Reading

Please join StudyMode to read the full document

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Commedia Dell Arte Essay

    ...COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE Commedia dell’Arte is Latin for comedic arts or Artistic Comedy and is a style of performance that originated in 16th century Italy, during the Renaissance. Some sources believe that there is indication of Commedia dell’Arte being present in Rome and Ancient Greece before that. Commedia would be performed in towns all around Italy by travelling actor troupes who would fold out there caravans to create a stage and put on shows for tips from the people, much like today’s busking. Unlike other theatre at this time, which was stylish, serious and classy with carefully planned and thought out stories, Commedia was loud, vigorous and inappropriate. It made fun of common day experiences and created caricatures of the people and stereotypes. An example of this is Il Capitano. Il Capitano’s mask and character are caricatures of the cruel soldiers that the Italian people were subjected to in the 16th century. Often ignorant, brutal and egotistical these mercenary soldiers oppressed the Italian citizens, and so it is clear why they took pleasure from seeing the soldiers portrayed in this ridiculous, inept way. STYLE Commedia dell’Arte does not follow a script for most of the performances, rather it has a set of rules and structures that the actors learn as well as who their character is and how they would react to certain situations, and from this the performance would be built...

    Read More
    1072 Words 3 Pages
  • Commedia Dell Arte Essay

    ...Drama Assessment – Commedia dell’Arte This term during our drama lessons we have been exploring and learning about Commedia dell’Arte, a comical and slapstick style of theatre that first became popular in Italy during the 16th century. I had never heard of Commedia before we began studying it in class, so my first impressions were that it was extremely over the top and exaggerated! At the start of the topic I didn’t think that I would enjoy it very much as, because of the use of stock characters, I felt that there would be little room for creativity and making the performances original and inventive. However I was proved wrong and I learnt that although all the characters are the same, everyone interprets them differently so I enjoyed watching other groups portray the likes of Il Dottore and Columbina in ways that I would never have thought of. Commedia first came about in 16th century Italy and was performed on temporary stages in city streets and market places. The troupes of actors performed for all social classes, and as their plays mostly took place outside, were accessible to all. Using skilful and strangely understandable mime and grummelot, stereotypical stock characters, masks with exaggerated features, over the top physical movements and improvised dialogue, Commedia actors were accepted and enjoyed wherever they went. As the style grew in popularity, it spread to Europe and has influenced...

    Read More
    1151 Words 3 Pages
  • Commedia Dell' Arte and Moliere Research Paper

    ...Commedia Dell' Arte and Moliere Commedia Dell’ Arte was a distinctive form of stage art in the 1600’s and the famous playwright Moliere furthered its acceptance and import throughout his life. Originating in Italy, the popular art form spread quickly with the aid of traveling troops. One area that was greatly affected by this form of theater was France. The French people adored this theater and made it fit in with their culture. This can be seen in an essay by Gustave Lanson when he states, “In Paris Italian farce had replaced French farce.” The success of Commedia Dell’ Arte during the reign of Charles IX is well-known” (Lanson, 137). This effect can be seen through one of the country’s most famous playwrights, Moliere. Moliere was a renowned playwright and actor that continues to be well-known today. He was greatly influenced by Commedia Dell’ Arte. “Well-known definitions of the Commedia Dell’ Arte are that it was a semi-literary form of theatrical performance based primarily upon effective gestures and lazzi, and involving a limited number of generally accepted types who in their contrasting relation provide the setting for a light and flimsy action linked somehow by the eternal theme of love”( 704). His showing of the art form can be seen through his three...

    Read More
    2389 Words 10 Pages
  • Essay about Commedia Dell' Arte and Influences on Modern Theatre

    ...Commedia dell Arte is an interesting form of acting in the history of theatre. During the 16th, 17th and 18th century, in the midst of the renaissance, there was a very delightful source of entertainment that people where privy too. This archaic form of acting was based around improvising and the use of masks. I am comparing this to modern day comedy since I have seen direct examples on television, which use this method of acting, in modern day shows. The fact that some of these performers were verging on genius is without dispute. Contemporary performers have looked into the past finding resourceful techniques to further illustrate comedy to their peers. The first question is why use Commedia Dell' Arte as a training tool for modern actors at all, since drama and the business of acting has hopefully moved on since the Italian comedians left Paris. The leading form of acting today both exists as the aspiring young actor's performance role model and as a category of performance in itself. We are lucky in that something both inspirational and technical theater has survived from those exciting times. When contemporary acting techniques do not provide all the answers that actors may be looking for, it is not surprising actors look towards the past for inspiration. The wide variety of theories concerning the acting techniques, styles and training of these late entertainers, can give us a...

    Read More
    1140 Words 3 Pages
  • Commedia Dell'Arte Essay

    ...Commedia Dell’Arte Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries there has been an evolution of theatre performance. This evolution can be particularly witnessed through the form of performance of Commedia Dell’Arte. Commedia Dell’Arte commonly referred to as ‘Comedy of the Art’ or ‘Italian Comedy’ is improvised drama, and emphasises the conduct of a performance not the actual subject content of a play. It is mainly known as an amusing theatrical display performed by professional actors who emerged and travelled in troupes throughout urban centres of Renaissance Italy within the 16th century. Commedia Dell’Arte developed in Italy as a form of popular street theatre, and has had a long life. Commedia Dell’Arte flourished from the 14th to the 18th century, and particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries during which time it spread to Europe, with many of its elements persisting into today’s modern theatre. Within the abundant 16th century, performances appeared on substitute stages, generally on city streets, and would also occasionally take place in court settings. Witty dialogue, dance, music and all sorts of chicanery aided to the humorous effects. The better commedia troupes, such as the Gelosi, Confidenti, and Fedeli became internationally admired once they begun travelling. As the style spread, it also adapted different influences from differing countries of a troupes...

    Read More
    2371 Words 8 Pages
  • DELL Essay

    ...profit margin improvement can fund growth, repayment of debt and buy back of shares 1) The first liability assumption is that liabilities remain fixed at 1996 levels. If the 1996 profit margin of 5.1% remains constant, profits will fund $405 million of the additional assets. Dell would require additional funding of $315 million.  1996 Profit Margin: Net profit/sales = 272 000 000 / 5 296 000 000 = 5.136% 2) The second liability assumption is that liabilities remain at 1996 sales ratios. With this assumption, Dell has excess capital of $217 million. This is consistent with the adjusted sustainable growth calculations. Sales of Liabilities= Total Liabilites x Sales Growth = 1 175 000 000 x 0.5 = 58 750 000 Total liabilities in 1997: Profit Margin + % Sales of Liabilities + Short Term Investment = 408 003 840 + 58 750 000 + 591 000 000 3) The third liability assumption is the repayment of debt and the repurchase of $500 million of equity. The other liabilities are assumed to remain at 1996 sales ratios. As a result of reducing debt and equity capital, Dell would create a substantial cash shortfall of almost $1 billion.  500 million +113 million + 779 million = If asked to choose between the three liability assumptions, students generally choose the proportional liability...

    Read More
    774 Words 2 Pages
  • Commedia Dell'Arte Essay

    ...Character Analysis of Pantalone Final Essay: Commedia dell’Arte, a popular form of theatre began in Italy in the sixteenth century and it became known for the creation of improvised theatre that were based on sketches or scenarios. The earliest known company formed in Padua in 1545, and by the turn of the seventeenth century troupes such as the Gelosi, Confidenti, and Fedeli enjoyed international celebrity (Kenneth and Kenneth 20-25). Commedia dell’Arte was performed by professional actors who were usually masters of their craft whether it was acting or singing or dancing. Historians such as Roberto Tessari and Luciano Pinto believe that the tradition was developed in response to the economic and political crisis that occurred in the fourteenth century[1] (Katritzky 80-92). Commedia dell’Arte would grow to become the first professional form of theatre filled with comedic characters and lavish costumes which would become the trademark for this theatrical era. With each stock character of the Commedia evolved a distinct set of attribute, characteristic speech, gestures, props, and costume, all of which became standard to the portrayal of the character. One of the most important and popular stock characters is Pantalone, the “first old man of the Commedia dell’Arte”(Oreglia 78). Scholars have various ideas of what the origins of the name were. Some believe that it derived from St Pantalone, the...

    Read More
    2200 Words 6 Pages
  • Dell Essay

    ...The strategy Dell currently implements is the cost leadership and maximizes the operational efficiency. This strategy is accomplished through the low cost to reach the low price product and service to obtain the larger market share in order to generate more profit. On the other hand, Dell attempts their excellent supply chain model to control their inventories in low level and maintain the high quality production. Moreover, Dell motivated their employees to be nimble atmosphere to deal with unexpected situation. Dell also provides the good customized customer service to maintain their market share. For corporate strategies, Dell reorganizes their business units to refocus on the core PC business which contributes more than 80% of the revenue. Dell offers the low price strategy to obtain their market share. As the result, Dell has generated the large growing revenue but the profitability is slightly decreasing in recent years (refers to Exhibit 3). Therefore, if Dell increases the company’s profitability, the company needs to improve its competitive position and it is able to respond effectively to demands in the growing market. Through the strategy, Dell may win the completion by squeezing their profit in future in the short run. For the customer segmentation of Dell, there are two major segments:...

    Read More
    795 Words 3 Pages

Popular Essays

Become a StudyMode Member

Sign Up - It's Free