Commedia dell'arte Characters

A list of characters to be found in the old Italian genre of theatre that apparently links to Carter's reinvention of Puss in Boots (I can't help but hear Antonio Banderes' voice whenever I type/read that).

As Carter was a feminist and because girls are better than boys here are the female characters first:

• Columbina "little dove"- mistress of Harlequin and wife of Pierrot. She is a comic, 'tricky', servant who is described as often being the only 'functional intellect on stage' (wiki)
• Isabella (a female inamorata). Isabella is Pantalone's daughter and is depicted as being flirtatious and headstrong, constantly trying to escape her controlling father's attempts to set her up with an older suitor. Most of the commedia dell'arte plays are about trying to get the lovers (Isabella and Flavio) together.
• La Ruffiana- An old lady character who used to be a prostitute. Nice. Pantalone is often romantically linked to her but his love can be unrequited. At times she is depicted as a witch (to make things interesting)
• La Signora- A beautiful self assured woman driven by her desires to be fulfilled materially and sexually. Sometimes she is depicted as being Pantalone's wife, at others she is a high class courtesan (prostitute).

Male Characters:

• Pantalone- Is the symbol of money in Commedia. Driven completely by money and ego Pantalone prizes intelligence highly. He is often the father of one of the two lovers (Isabella) and the man who depicts him does so hunchbacked to make him appear old.
• Il Dottore "The doctor"- Crude character that is an old man that claims to know everything about everything. Will not listen to experts in the fields that he claims to have knowledge about. Often one of the elder male characters that gets in the way of the two lovers being together. Has 'old' money.
• Tartaglia- The stutterer. An older male character that is given different ranks dependent on the play, ranging from servant to statesman.
• Scaramouche- Rouge like clown. Always wears black (a bit of a goth). An iconic character in the Punch and Judy puppet shows used in Commedia.
• Harlequin- A servant of one of the vecchio, known for his agility, gets in the way of the Vecchio's plans.
• Male lover- no point having a female lover without a male one. Usually called Flavio.