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Mezzetino
Mezzetino, also Mezzettino, (Pron. ''met-zeh-TEE-no'') is a character from the '' commedia dell'arte'' and is considered by Duchartre to be a variant on the stock character Brighella. His name means "Half-Measure (of liquor)" in Medieval Italian, and he is sometimes called in French and English plays "Mezzetin". He first appeared in the 16th century. Mezzetino is an adept schemer and trouble-maker, willing to commit acts of violence if necessary, but on the whole a little calmer than his brother Brighella, and much more gentle and cultivated, especially in his later life. He is often very musically inclined, and can sing and dance with skill. His character can vary greatly: he can be a loyal servant or simply scheming for his master's downfall; he can be a deceitful husband or be deceived by his wife. He also seems to be rather more interested in the ladies than is Brighella, often coming over as rather creepy in his efforts to flirt. His costume has gone through similar variat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brighella
Brighella (in Bergamasque dialect: ''Brighèla'') is a comic, masked character from the Italian theatre style Commedia dell'arte. His early costume consisted of loosely fitting, white smock and pants with green trim and was often equipped with a ' (also ' or ', depending on region) or slap stick, 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 olive-green) 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 though 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, j ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zanni
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".Rudlin, John. ''Commedia dell'arte: An Actors Handbook''. London: Routledge, 1994. 67. Print."Immigrant" in Italy at the time of the city-states did not mean someone from outside of Italy but rather someone from outside the city, an itinerant 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 person. The longer the nose on the characters mask the more foolish the character. Origin of the name The name ''Zanni'' (as well as ''Zuan'') is a variant of the name ''Gianni'' and was common in the Lombard-Venetian countryside which provided most of the servants to the wealthy nobles and merchants of Venice. In Italian it is specifically a name of someone whose identity i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
