Isabella is a

stock character A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. Th ...

used in ''

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 ...

'', in the class of '' innamorata'' (female lover). In the ''commedia dell'arte'', the relationship of the ''innamorati'', or lovers, is often threatened by the '' vecchi'' (old men) characters, but they are reunited in the end. In his 1929 book ''The Italian Comedy'', Pierre Louis Duchartre writes that Isabella changed from being mainly tender and loving in the 16th century to a more flirtatious and strong-willed woman with a "lively, picturesque wit" by the end of the 17th century. Although actress Vittoria degli Amorevoli also played an innamoratta named Isabella in the 16th century, the character Isabella is named to honour the actress and writer Isabella Andreini of the commedia troupe I Gelosi, who popularized the role. Later, Isabella was played by Françoise Biancolelli of the Biancolelli acting family.

References

Commedia dell'arte female characters {{theater-stub