Commedia Dell'Arte Research Assignment

Grade 11 - DP Theater (HL/SL)

Commedia Dell'Arte Research Assignment

Student Name: Ga-yon, Yang

Character's Name: Pantalone = Il Magnifico = Pantalone de' Bisognosi

1. What is the meaning of the character's name?

The clear meaning of the name 'Pantalone' is unknown but it is considered to mean 'plant the lion', which is 'Pianta leone' in Italian. Pantalone's another name is Il magnifico and in Italian, it means 'the Magnificent'. Some even suggest that his name does not mean the Magnificent but the Munificent (from Latin munifice meaning bountiful and charitable), as a complete irony and sarcasm to Il Magnifico (Pantalone)'s extreme greediness. His family name, 'Bisognosi', which means 'in need' in Italian, also depicts the covetousness that he has.

2. What is the status of the character?

Pantalone is at the top of the pecking order as he was a rich merchant of the most commercial city of Italy: Venice. He is usually the father who hates the lover of Isabella, the Innamorata (female lover) of the play. This shows the status of Pantalone as a patriarchal and thus a high-status character. Also as an employer of his servants, he always gives orders to his servants, such as Arlecchino, in the play.

3. What is the origin of the character?

The origin of Pantalone is closely related to the supposed meaning of Pantalone. According to John Rudlin in his book "Commedia dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook", the lion was the merchant's stamp on goods that were traded through Venice, the richest and most commercially minded city-state in Italy, throughout the sixteenth century when Commedia dell'Arte was popular. This suggests that the origin of the name 'Pantalone' is from a rich Venetian merchant in the sixteenth century.

4. Describe the personality traits of your character.

Money and Sex are the two words that can summarize Pantalone. He is a conceited old man who he thinks he is good-looking and still quite popular among women. He thinks he is at the prime of his life and thus he engages with men much younger than his age. He thinks everything that is not love or loyalty can be sold and bought. Because he is greedy and loves money, he strives to get his daughter married to a rich guy. He is overly protective to his possessions, representatively his money. He is also conservative and authoritarian as he is in the highest in prestige. Thus he disapproves the love between his daughter, Isabella, and Lelio, the Innamorato (male lover). His personality is similar to that of '영감'(Young-gham) in Korean theatre, which means the 'very old man' in Korean. 영감 is also an authoritarian patriarch of a family who decides and gives orders to his servants and children. This character also thinks he is still fair and good-looking and thus young girls, especially his female servants, would like him.

5. Describe the physical appearance of your character.

His genital area is often magnified or emphasized to describe his want or need for sex and his masculinity that he thinks he has. He is a man of short stature but it does not make Pantalone seem as a man with a little confidence. John Rudlin in his book "Commedia dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook" said Pantalone is "Lean and scrawny, often short in stature and early often has a phallic codpiece."

6. Describe the traditional costume worn by the character.

His wear a tight-fitting jacket and a pair of tight, long, red trousers. He wears a black cape with plain sleeves over his red jacket. He wear yellow, black or red Turkish shoes. These are the characteristics of the common costume of Venetian merchants in the sixteenth century.

7. Describe the mask worn by the character.

The mask of Pantalone is a half-mask that has white, bushy eyebrows and is sometimes with a grey whiskers on it. It has a long, big nose that depicts the character's high status. The wrinkles on the mask also tells the audience that he is an old man. According to Allardyce Nicoll in his book "Masks, Mimes and Miracles: Studies in the Popular Theatre", the mask is darkish brown in colour, marked by an outstanding hooked nose.

8. How can the character be identified by their stance, walk, movements  and/or gestures?

The main characteristics of Pantalone or Il Magnifico lay in his authority, conceited ness and greed. According to Rudlin in his book mentioned above, "his back bends the other way to the Zannis, giving him an old mans' stoop, protecting his purse and his penis and effectively restricting the motion of his legs. The feet are together, toes apart, knees well bent and facing apart He is usually creating a focus on the crutch." Also when he walks, according to Barry Gratham in his book "Playing Commedia", Pantalone walks deliberately and even though he is an old man, he not he need not be bent forward like a child acting Grandpa. His hands flutter continuously and he stops using his gestures only when his hands are behind his back.

9. What prop is associated with the character?

As Patalone is a greedy man who loves money, he always carries his money purse near his genital area. At times he carries a walking stick to chastise his servants. At times he also carries a small sword with him, but it not to fight with people but to show his authority. He also wears a woolen bonnet, which was a part of the typical Venetian merchant fashion.

Bibliography

·      Grantham, Barry. Playing Commedia: A Training Guide to Commedia Techniques. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000. Print.

·      Rudlin, John. Commedia Dell'arte: An Actor's Handbook. London: Routledge, 1994. Print.

·      Eckersley, Mark. Drama from the Rim: Asian Pacific Drama Book. Melbourne: Drama Victoria, 1997. Print.