Mezzetino, also Mezzettino, (Pron. ''met-zeh-TEE-no'') is a character from the ''
commedia dell'arte
(; ; ) was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as , , and . Charact ...
'' and is considered by Duchartre to be a variant on the stock character
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 ...
. 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 variations to Brighella's, beginning as a baggy white costume like that worn by the
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 Act ...
but later evolving into a
livery
A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery will often have elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...
or else a tunic and breeches, usually with stripes, and some sort of hat as an accessory. Whereas Brighella's color is green, Mezzetino's is red or
burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
. He is sometimes played without a mask, especially in later versions, after the manner in which played him; but when masked it is either brown or rust colored.
Callot shows him holding a sword as part of the ensemble. He is also sometimes dressed in a manner that closely resembles the habit of
Harlequin
Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque dialect, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the ''zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian language, Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city o ...
, as in the famous
Nymphenburg porcelain
The Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory (German: ''Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg'') is located at the ''Nördliche Schloßrondell'' in one of the ''Cavalier Houses'' in front of the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Germany, and since its establi ...
, hence some people's belief that he is a variant not on Brighella but on Harlequin. He almost always wears a short cape, called a
tabaro, which has its origins in the plays of
Ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...
.
Examples of Mezzetino's character
In one French play, Mezzetin attempts to flirt with the
innamorata Isabelle. He tells her how in 6 years of marriage, he and his first wife never had one fight until she tried to stop him from sneezing, for which act he murdered her. When Isabelle tries to send him away by pointing out that she is herself already married, he points out that so is he, and that "five sous' worth of rat poison will do the trick" to solve that.
Marjorie Bowen
Margaret Gabrielle Vere Long (née Campbell; 1 November 1885 – 23 December 1952), who used the pseudonyms Marjorie Bowen and Joseph Shearing, was a British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular history and ...
, writing as George R Preedy, cast Mezzetin as a character in ''Homage to the Unknown (Omaggio a la Incognita).'' This play is included in her work ''Bagatelle and some other Diversions''.
[ John Lane The Bodley Head Limited, 1930] In the play Mezzetin remarks, "...We give to the old memories, to the young hopes, to all another illusion either in the past or the future, and if our benefits are not very substantial we never destroy anything, not even the tenderest, sweetest falsehood. Perhaps you want to know who we are? We do not know ourselves. We have a thousand shapes, a thousand names."
References
{{reflist
External links
* ebook of Bagatelle and other Diversions b
Marjorie Bowena
Project Gutenberg Australia
Clever Zanni class characters