''Arlequin poli par l'amour'' is a one-act romantic

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

playwright

Pierre de Marivaux Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux (; ; 4 February 1688 – 12 February 1763), commonly referred to as Marivaux, was a French playwright and novelist. Marivaux is considered one of the most important French playwrights of the 18th century, w ...

. Its title could be translated into English as ''Harlequin, refined by love''. ''Arlequin poli par l'amour'' was first performed October 17, 1720 by the Comédie Italienne. In this play, a fairy tries to force Arlequin to fall in love with her. Instead, Arlequin falls in love with Silvia, a shepherdess. With the help of the fairy's servant Trivelin, the two manage to trick the fairy and live happily ever after. Its plot and comedic features were strongly influenced by the traditional

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

theatre of the

Commedia dell'arte Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...

Arlequin Arlequin may refer to: * Harlequin, also spelled Arlequin, a comic servant character * Arlequin (band), a Japanese rock band * Arlequin (software), population genetics software * L'Arlequin, a cinema in Paris * Los Arlequíns, Mexican pro-wrestle ...

and

Trivelin 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 A ...

are stock characters of the Commedia dell'arte, and Silvia is a name associated with the female romantic lead. Marivaux makes use of several traditional

lazzi ''Lazzi'' (; from the Italian ''lazzo'', a joke or witticism) are stock comedic routines that are associated with ''commedia dell'arte''. Performers, especially those playing the masked Arlecchino, had many examples of this in their repertoire, ...

as well. For example, near the beginning of the play, Arlequin tries to catch invisible flies while the fairy is trying to have a serious conversation with him. At the end, Arlequin uses the fairy's magic wand to beat all of the characters on stage. (Arlequin and his baton are the origin of the term "

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...

".)

Plot summary

Having transported a sleeping Arlequin to her island, the

fairy A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

waits for him to wake up. Her servant, Trivelin, questions her devotion to the young man who is too lazy, too

gourmand A gourmand is a person who takes great pleasure and interest in consuming particularly good food and drink. ''Gourmand'' originally referred to a person who was "a glutton for food and drink", a person who eats and drinks excessively. Etymolo ...

, and too simple to be worthy of her love. Moreover, he reminds the fairy that she is engaged to Merlin, a powerful sorcerer, and breaking the engagement could have serious consequences. When Arlequin wakes up, the fairy indulges him with romantic entertainment, but he is more concerned with a ring she wears on her finger and being fed. Arlequin, having left the fairy's palace, stumbles upon Silvia in the forest, and the two of them fall instantly in love. Silvia gives Arlequin her handkerchief, and they agree to meet later on that evening. Back at the palace, the fairy's suspicions are aroused when Arlequin suddenly begins showing manners and acting civilized; and when she spies the handkerchief, she assumes the transformation has occurred because of love. She follows him into the forest and catches Arlequin and Silvia together. She separates the lovers and forces Silvia to tell Arlequin that she is really engaged to a shepherd from the village; the fairy also sends Trivelin to spy on them to make sure that Silvia does not disobey. Upon hearing Silvia's lie, Arlequin threatens to kill himself. Silvia tells him the truth about the fairy's demands; and Trivelin reveals himself to the couple. However, Trivelin takes pity on Arlequin and Silvia and gives them advice on how to trick the fairy. Arlequin then pretends to reject Silvia and returns to the fairy. When he is close enough, he steals the fairy's

magic wand A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal, bone or stone. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, whi ...

and forces her to become his servant. Arlequin and Silvia decide to get married.

Characters

* The fairy - a powerful sorceress, engaged to

Merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...

, but in love with Arlequin. *

- the fairy's servant *

- a comedic young man who loves Silvia and is loved by the fairy * Silvia - a beautiful shepherdess * A shepherd - a young man who loves Silvia but is ultimately rejected in favor of Arlequin * A shepherdess - Silvia's cousin Dancers, Singers, and Spirits.

External links

''Arlequin poli par amour''
in French from the

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''Arlequin poli par l’amour''
in French, on the websit
CÉSAR
{{Pierre de Marivaux 1720 plays Plays by Pierre de Marivaux French comedy plays Fairies in popular culture