320:), exaggerated garters, extraordinarily long sword and a plethora of ruffles. 1600s: coat, breeches, and he would mostly have a musket instead of a sword. In one famous scenario, il Capitano makes up a lie regarding the reason for his lack of an undershirt by claiming that it got that way because, "I used to be an exceedingly fierce and violent man, and when I was made angry the hair which covers my body in goodly quantity stood on end and so riddled my shirt with holes that you would have taken it for a sieve." The real reason is that he has become too poor to afford one. Sometimes he wears it with a helmet or a
620:, a beak-like and prominent nose, curling moustaches and goatee beard, and glasses. He uses his wits, his amazing luck and superhuman skills, and his gift of blather and blarney to defeat his enemies. He is also unusual in that he is handicapped by infirmities but is superhuman when he compensates for them. Without his glasses, he is blind as a bat; with them, he can see clearer and farther than a man with perfect vision. He has a lame leg, but when he carries his cane, he is capable of running faster and jumping higher and farther than an athlete.
182:"I think of him as a peacock who has moulted all but one of his tail feathers, but does not know it", notes author John Rudlin. In this case, his cowardice is usually overcome by the fury of his passion, which he makes every effort to demonstrate. Typically, however, his cowardice is such that when one of the characters orders him to do something, he often steps down out of fear, but is able to make up an excuse that ensures the other characters still see him as a brave and fierce individual.
300:
126:
557:") was a reinvention of the character by Tiberio Fiorilli. He is more of a man of action than he is a braggart and is clever, brave, and quick-witted rather than ignorant, cowardly and foolish. He is also a good singer and musician, and is usually depicted with a lute or guitar. Although quite a heartbreaker, he is usually indirectly or unobtrusively helpful to the
36:
542:
exploits at the battle of
Trebizonde, where he claims to have fought his way into the tent of the Sultan himself. He then dragged him through the camp with one hand while fighting off the entire enemy army with the other hand. Afterwards, there were so many arrows stuck in him by the time he fought free that he resembled a hedgehog.
541:
6. Matamoros (Spanish for "Killer of Moors") – the original
Spanish mercenary – was created by Francesco Andreini. He is powerfully built and very lavishly dressed. The clothes of his servants were supposedly made from the turbans of his victims. Has a hedgehog on his coat of arms, the result of his
165:
Il
Capitano often talks at length about made-up conquests of both the militaristic and the carnal variety in an attempt to impress others, but often ends up impressing only himself. He gets easily carried away in his tales and doesn't realise when those around him don't buy his act. He would be the
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as a violent, easily angered braggart who is sensitive about slurs on his considerable courage, his rural Gascon heritage, or his ugly face (which is identical to the features of the
Scaramouche mask). He nobly helps his friend, a handsome but naïve and foolish youth, woo Roxane whom they both
307:
His mask is described as having "a long nose, often unambiguously phallic". The nose for
Capitan Spaventa's mask is fairly large, but it lengthens with Matamoros, and becomes absolutely gargantuan for Coccodrillo. Originally, the color of the mask was probably flesh tone, now it can be many
237:
He wakes up to find he is not the only one in the room. There is someone crouching in the corner. He shakes his fist at the person, the person shakes their fist back at the same time. It turns out the person in the room is just il
Capitano's reflection in a full-length
331:
He is usually always wearing his trademarked sword. If he were to ever work up enough nerve to draw it, it is usually too long to draw easily or too heavy or wobbly to wield properly. Even if he cut somebody with it, he would faint at the very sight of the blood.
288:
174:, he will bluster about fighting them to his last drop of blood, but when the Turks seem to be winning, he will join them. When they are driven off, he will change sides again and boast about his loyalty and bravery.
571:
shows, Scaramouche is depicted by a puppet with a detachable head or an extendable neck. The former is for il
Capitano incarnation, who seeks to fight all the other characters and the latter is for a singing
141:
of
Plautus, the first famous type of il Capitano, best represented by the local Capitan Spaventa, was ambitious and boastful but also a dreamer with positive connotations. The other type of il Capitano was a
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matched this character to the letter. In the play he waits, bespectacled and wearing ragged clothes, desperately trying to frighten away any rival suitors from the house of the girl he wishes to marry.
170:
to protect his daughter from her many suitors, il
Capitano would set up a bidding war for his services or aid between the suitors and Pantalone while wooing her himself. If he is hired to fight the
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414:" ("Round letter", a complaint signed by mutinous soldiers or sailors in a circle around the main text so the ringleaders or originators cannot be discerned), "
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flamboyant colors such as bright pink, yellow and light blue. The mask often has a strong mustache and brow lines that can be black or have a purple/blue tone.
166:
first to run away from any and all battles, and he has trouble talking to and being around men. He is also extremely opportunistic and greedy. If hired by
340:
Il
Capitano usually has a properly showy name for himself, preferably several lines long and followed by many made-up titles and lists of relations.
234:
Il Capitano gloats to Harlequin about his expertise with the ladies and then proceeds to demonstrate on Harlequin how he would make love to a woman.
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To be exposed or 'de-masked'. He exists to be stripped of his excessive confidence and shown in a moment of panic and humility.
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5. Cocodrillo ("crocodile") – "a crocodile who never bites, he is all fanfare easily deflated," according to Rudlin.
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He stands in a high posture, occupying as much space as possible, with a straight back and his chest pushed forward.
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379:" (the correct masculine version and an invented feminine version for "Fracas", "Skirmish" or "Big noise").
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bears some resemblance to il Capitano and shares many of his traits, such as lust, greed and cowardice. In
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able to maintain his claims only by benefit of the fact that none of the locals knows him. He is usually a
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Il Capitano uses bravado and excessive shows of manliness to hide his true cowardly nature. Engraving by
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or in the wars with the Muslims. Capitano matamoros best represents this type of il Capitano.
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122:. He most probably was never a "Captain", but rather appropriated the name for himself.
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386:" ("Ceremony", all proper manners and rigid, slavish devotion to pointless details), "
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hat with a huge plume. Spanish characters often wear an exaggerated large neck-ruff.
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is an obvious form of the character, though modeled from the earlier Roman plays.
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Military-esque uniform (a satire on the period). 1500s: feathered helmet or hat (
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550:
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The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of
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is another take on Scaramouche. He is usually depicted as an elderly man in an
422:" ("Doormat"). He is also prone to awarding himself ridiculous titles such as "
19:
This article is about the commedia dell'arte character. For the 1991 film, see
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478:(either 'Night-bird' or 'Big-mouth'). England has the Irish dramatist
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8. Fanfarone – pretends to be Spanish, but is actually just a Zanni.
504:
204:
190:(Arlecchino) jealous, much to il Capitano's bewilderment and fright.
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298:
124:
454:" (French for "Lord of 'Knock it down' and 'Break everything'").
724:
Playing commedia : a training guide to commedia techniques
231:
Whenever il Capitano sees the audience, he stops to be admired.
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A crocodile who never bits, he is all fanfare easily deflated.
586:, is the most popular variant on Scaramouche. It portrays the
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858:
Harlequin on the Moon: Commedia dell'Arte and the Visual Arts
303:
II Capitano mask being made at the University of Mississippi
212:. The first famous Capitano, Capitan Spaventa, appeared in
402:" ("Grasshopper", because he is small and 'hops' sides), "
198:
The origin of il Capitano comes from 2 literary sources:
804:, p. 121: "Long nose, often unambiguously phallic".
426:" ("Captain Fear, (Lord) of Hell's Valley"; the name of
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When frightened, he often screams in a high and womanly
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Several types of il Capitano exist. Deriving from the
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who told tall tales of their exploits either in the
367:" ("Earthquake"). Some names are ironic, such as "
154:, most probably inspired by the boisterous Iberic
450:" (Spanish for "Savior of Drunken Virgins"), or "
16:Stock fictional character in commedia dell'arte
515:A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
474:(either 'Limb-Cutter' or 'Arm's Length'), and
390:" ("Crocodile", because he preys on others), "
371:" ("Beautiful view", a vain but ugly man) or "
8:
431:
430:also sounds similar to "Va' all'Inferno!",
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343:Some names are fierce-sounding, such as "
220:('The Boast of the Terrifying Captain').
118:) is one of the four stock characters of
76:Learn how and when to remove this message
772:The History of the Harlequinade Volume 1
655:The Comic Mask in the Commedia dell'Arte
286:
916:Commedia dell'arte: An Actor's Handbook
867:Commedia dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook
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512:for 'Famous or Boastful Soldier') from
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801:
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594:An unnamed soldier in a short play by
774:. London: Benjamin Blom. p. 150.
462:The French coined characters such as
446:, an Italian-language imprecation), "
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884:Rudlin, John; Oliver Crick (2001).
722:Barry., Grantham (1 January 2000).
950:Commedia dell'arte male characters
704:. Methuen and Co Ltd. p. 104.
470:for 'Puffed up with hurt pride'),
448:Salvador de los Vírgenes Borrachos
14:
394:" ("Trumpeter" or "Loudmouth"), "
424:Capitan Spaventa di Vall'Inferna
355:" (Spanish: "Blood and Fire"), "
34:
535:4. Spezzafer ("iron splitter")
452:Sieur de Fracasse et Brise-tout
382:Some are dismissive, such as "
347:" ("Fired out of a cannon"), "
21:Il Capitano: A Swedish Requiem
1:
657:. Antonio Fava. p. 1463.
526:1. Capitan Spaventa ("fear")
283:Description of the character
955:Fictional military captains
759:. Benjamin Blom. p. 8.
218:Bravure di Capitan Spaventa
186:sometimes uses him to make
981:
869:. Routledge. p. 120.
726:. Heinemann. p. 174.
359:" ("Mountain splitter"), "
351:" ("Mountain-crumbler"), "
18:
700:Oreglia, Giacomo (1968).
529:2. Rinoceronte ("rhino")
398:" ("John the Glutton"), "
965:Fictional Spanish people
755:Smith, Winifred (1964).
363:" ("Iron-breaker"), or "
160:conquest of the Americas
860:. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
532:3. Fracassa ("uproar")
418:" ("Small-sized"), or "
930:Pierre Louis Duchartre
856:Lawner, Lynne (1998).
770:Sand, Maurice (1915).
757:The Commedia dell'Arte
702:The Commedia dell'Arte
653:Fava, Antonio (2004).
612:18th century uniform,
485:The Recruiting Officer
304:
291:
134:
99:[ilkapiˈtaːno]
23:. For other uses, see
865:Rudlin, John (1994).
600:The Vigilant Sentinel
302:
290:
128:
960:Fictional impostors
596:Miguel de Cervantes
410:" ("Little Shi"), "
934:The Italian Comedy
887:Commedia dell'arte
878:General references
634:Commedia dell'arte
576:Cyrano de Bergerac
305:
292:
272:Francesco Andreini
214:Francesco Andreini
135:
120:commedia dell'arte
897:978-0-415-20409-5
588:historical figure
545:7. Scaramouche –
406:" ("Lame leg"), "
245:, or else faints.
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584:Edmond Rostand
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569:Punch and Judy
549:(Italian), or
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500:modern theater
490:Major Bloodnok
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353:Sangre y Fuego
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336:Noms de guerre
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890:. Routledge.
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901:. Retrieved
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614:powdered wig
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912:John Rudlin
850:Works cited
840:Lawner 1998
819:Rudlin 1994
802:Rudlin 1994
785:Lawner 1998
683:Rudlin 1994
553:(French) ("
551:Scaramouche
547:Scaramuccia
476:Engoulevent
472:Taille-bras
441:Go to Hell!
412:Papirotonda
396:Giangurgulo
388:Coccodrillo
361:Spezzaferro
357:Spaccamonti
318:mom panache
113:the Captain
91:Il Capitano
944:Categories
640:References
560:innamorati
369:Bellavista
58:footnoting
464:Boudoufle
408:Squaquara
404:Malagamba
392:Fanfarone
384:Cerimonia
365:Terremoto
349:Rodomonte
188:Harlequin
184:Columbine
168:Pantalone
156:caudillos
148:swaggerer
66:July 2011
903:4 August
742:48711142
628:See also
555:skirmish
482:'s play
458:Variants
377:Fracassa
373:Fracasso
326:tricorne
243:falsetto
210:Eunuchus
152:Spaniard
144:braggart
95:Italian:
54:citation
598:called
572:puppet.
567:In the
435:
420:Zerbino
322:bicorne
312:Costume
238:mirror.
200:Plautus
107:
25:Capitan
922:
894:
740:
730:
400:Grillo
250:Stance
194:Origin
146:and a
618:queue
616:with
591:love.
522:Types
510:Latin
225:Lazzi
172:Turks
920:ISBN
905:2009
892:ISBN
738:OCLC
728:ISBN
580:play
578:, a
432:lit.
295:Mask
178:Role
104:lit.
56:and
582:by
492:of
375:"/"
324:or
216:'s
202:'s
946::
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826:^
809:^
792:^
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563:.
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102:;
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508:(
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27:.
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