Commedia del' Arte One

Subject: Drama
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 14 - 16
Order Number: 5198

Commedia del' Arte One introduces students to five characters from the Commedia canon; Pantalone, Arlecchino, The Captain, Zanni and Isabella. We see how the characters appear, how they would act and their function in a standard commedia plot.

Pantalone is rich. He is driven by the fear of losing his money and always has his purse with him. Arlecchino, also known as Harlequin, is an acrobatic but lowly character. He is generally quick-witted with numerous schemes on his mind. The Captain is a braggart. He is selfish and egocentric and is generally seen in a military outfit. Zanni is the lowliest of the commedia characters. He is generally poor and clumsy. Isabella is dressed well. This shows her status and station in life. Her appearance is more realistic than the other characters for they wear set masks and she doesn't.

The scripting of this resource allows for a diversity of approach in the drama classroom. Each character has a monologue of his or her own allowing for the basic character traits to be explored. There are moments of dialogue for students to explore how these characters would interact or the whole script can be performed in its entirety providing a sense of how a plot line would unfold. In this way, students can see the 'lazzi' or the comic complication of the story line around which the action revolves.