Character Analysis Of Il Dottore - 752 Words

Commedia dell’ arte translates to â€Å"comedy of the professional players† was introduced in Italy during the sixteenth century. Commedia usually contains eight stock characters (stereotypical fictional characters), one of these stock characters is Il Dottore which translates to â€Å"the doctor†. During the sixteenth century a â€Å"Dottore† was someone who studied each subject and had great knowledge upon it. In Commedia, the doctor claims to know everything and is able to give advice but, he ignores the knowledge of others and talks on about the things he thinks he has knowledge on. Since Il Dottore is a man of wealth and â€Å"knowledge†, he is dressed in a scholarly robe that is usually all black and goes to his ankles with a round white collar. The†¦show more content†¦He does not have much of a function on stage but, he does attempt to help the protagonist but, fails to do so. Another portion of his character is his social status, which is, upper class because he is considered, â€Å"educated† and wealthy. Il Dottore social status allows him to be considered as one of the â€Å"masters†. When someone is a â€Å"master† they are treated with respect and formality from other stock characters. As an example, a Brigella (highest ranking servant in Comedia) would speak in more of a formal tone when he/she approaches Il Dottore versus when a Brigella speaks with a Zanni (lowest class) where a they would speak to him casually and possibly use more of a demeaning tone towards a Zanni. This hierarchy of characters is still common in modern day theater and television. Commedia dell’arte is form of theater that has been used for hundreds of years and is commonly seen in twentieth and twenty first century playwrights. One example is from the American television show, M*A*S*H where Major Frank Burns, played by Larry Linville. Linville’s character fits the description of Il Dottore because Major Burns is wealthy, thinks he is an expert surgeon and is addressed in a formal matter by his under ranking officers (except Pierce and McIntyre). He also usually makes grand facial expressions and talks with his hands in order for the otherShow MoreRelatedCommedia DelArte - Character Analysis and Traits of Pantalone, IlCapitano and Il Dottore.1521 Words   |  7 PagesPANTALONE: Pantalone is of top pecking order. He is wealthy and controls the finance in the character world of commedia, therefore his orders are usually obeyed by all. He is the father of Isabella. He wears dark colours of black, grey and red; dynamic Pantaloons, tight-fitting long red trousers or red breeches and stockings, a short tight-fitting jacket, a loose long black cloak with plain sleeves, red-woollen skull-cap and yellow turkish slippers. He is lean and scrawny and often short in stature