Some Masks and Characters of Commedia Del'Arte
by Brent Samuel
1. Doctora
1.1. doctor, lawyer, astrologer, philosopher, or educated in some way
1.1.1. Hence, quoting latin at inappropriate times
1.1.2. enormously conceited
1.2. Animal: Pig
2. Harlequin
2.1. "a hippie"
2.2. constantly hungry, and without money
2.3. Outwits the others
2.4. acrobatic, agile, uses extravagant tricks
2.4.1. Uses his bat at every oppertunity
2.5. Costume: tattered patches
3. Pantalone
3.1. Typically a shop keeper from Vienna
3.1.1. retires
3.2. Very Wealthy
3.2.1. Miserly
3.2.2. He can smell money
3.3. talkative, guillible, full of temper, and the butt of all the jokes
3.3.1. Commonly decieved by his wife, or servent, or his son
3.4. Stupid
3.4.1. Fond of food
3.5. Animal: Chicken or Turkey
4. Zeni, the jester
4.1. resembled Greek slave of New Comedy
4.2. Any character at the absolute bottom of the social hierarchy
5. the Captain, Captano
5.1. Bragging, swashbuckling officer
5.1.1. tall tales of how he "beat a whole army of Turks and carried off the beard of the sultan"
5.1.2. Actually a big coward
5.1.2.1. Runs away at the first sign of trouble