Dramas {comedy} can involve unimportant characters, have celebratory endings, emphasize variety, explore love's foibles, or have main character that succeeds or has luck. Aristophanes and others began Greek comedy using satire and fantasy {Old Comedy}. Second Greek-comedy period {Middle Comedy} was after Aristophanes. After -300, Menander, Plautus, and Terence were in last Greek-comedy phase {New Comedy}.
Before masque {antimasque}, professional dancers, representing chaos, appeared as monsters or clowns, whom nobles then routed, in drama form developed by Ben Jonson.
Late-19th-century European comedies {boulevard drama}, such as Offenbach comedies, can have sophisticated humor.
People, event, or work imitations {caricature}| {burlesque imitation} can be comic and arouse contempt or indignation.
Comedies {comedy of humors} can be about character type or about mood.
Italian comedy {commedia dell'arte} [1545 to 1763] had professional actors, who improvised using comic dances, stock gestures, and stock characters. Commedia dell'arte evolved from gypsy traveling theaters {carro di tespi} (thespian).
characters
Arlecchino (Harlequin) is Pantalone's poor servant, who has cat, pig, or monkey mask and has a stick to hit people.
Brighella (Figaro or Scapin) is Arlecchino's partner and likes money and women.
Columbina (Colombina, the Servant, Columbine, Harlequine, or Pierrette) is the Innamorati's intelligent maidservant, Arlecchino's lover, and a plotter.
Il Capitano (the Captain) is a boastful but cowardly soldier.
Il Dottore (the Doctor), Dottore Balanzone, or Dottore Graziano is a rich aristocrat.
Innamorata (Lover) is leading lady. Innamorato (Lover) is leading man. These two lovers are Amorosi or Innamorati.
Isabella (Lucinda, Cornelia, Silvia, or Rosaura) is Pantalone's attractive and teasing daughter, whom he introduces to old rich men.
Pagliaccio (Clown) is a clown.
Pantalone (Pantalon de' Bisognosi or Pantaloon) is a rich miser, Isabella's father, and Arlecchino's cruel employer.
Pedrolino (Pierino, Vicenza, or Pierrot) lives in fantasy and wears a white mask.
Pulcinella (Punch) is hunchback who likes women.
Scaramuccia (Scaramouche) is a swordsman who can replace Il Capitano. He is typically a servant who wears all black, including black velvet mask and hat.
La Ruffiana is an old woman who gossips and bothers the Lovers. Gianduia is a good peasant. Zanni is a poor old servant.
Comedies {farce} can have humorous plot.
Comedies {high comedy} can use witty and humorous dialogue {repartee} between characters. Etherage, Wycherley, and Congreve developed high comedy {Restoration comedy}. Later, others developed Restoration-comedy derivatives {comedy of manners} {comedy of wit}.
Japanese comedy {kyogen}.
Dramas {rogue comedy} can involve pleasant scoundrels.
Dramas {romantic comedy} can involve lovers or soon-to-be lovers in improbable situations.
Comedies {satiric comedy} {critical comedy} can ridicule main-character faults or meddling.
Comedies {situational comedy} can use plots that put characters in humorous situations.
Comedies {slapstick} can use humorous plots and involve physical comedy, such as hitting, falling, and contortion.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225