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WIKIMAG n. 5 - Aprile 2013
Harlequin
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Harlequin (or Arlecchino in
Italian, Arlequin in
French, and Arlequín in
Spanish) is the most popularly known of the
zanni
or comic servant characters from the
Italian
Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the
Harlequinade. The Harlequin is also known to b e
a type of clown.
Mother and child with Harlequin, unknown
Flemish painter, 18th century
Origins
Idries Shah has claimed that the name Harlequin is of
Sufi
origins
[1][2]
Classical sufi masters were indeed known to wear a pieced robe made of a
patchwork of coloured fabric as early as the 11th century AD. Shah
argues that the Arabic name aghlaq - which was given to such sufi
masters - with plural form "aghlaqueen" pronounced with the guttural gh-
as the Spanish jota, would have given the word Harlequin.
the coat of
Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides arguing that Arlequin
is a character of Sufi origins,
Idries Shah also wrote a chapter of
The Sufis on the sufi influence over Saint Francis,
arguing him having adopted the patched robe as his only
garment was a clear example of a sufi influence (Shah, I.
The Sufis The Octagon Press:1999 p. 228)
For others the origins of the name remain uncertain. One of the
origins postulated for the modern Harlequin is Hellequin, a
stock character in French passion plays. Hellequin, a black-faced
emissary of the devil, is said to have roamed the countryside with a
group of demons chasing the damned souls of evil people to Hell. The
physical appearance of Hellequin offers an explanation for the
traditional colours of Harlequin's mask (red and black).[3][4]
Hellequin is the leader of
la Mesnée d'Hellequin, thought to be related to the
Old English
Herla,
a character often identified with
Woden.[5][6]
Popular theories suggest that the character, and possibly the name,
may have come from France, Africa, or Italy.[3]
Others attribute the name to
Dante's Inferno, XXI, XXII and XXIII; one of the
devils in
Hell having
the name
Alichino. Although illustrations of Arlecchino have only been dated
as far back as 1572,[citation
needed] the character had existed before this date.
The Harlequin character may have been based on or influenced by the
Zanni
archetype who, although a slow thinker, was acrobatic and nimble.[7]
Interpreted thus, Harlequin's distinctive motley costume may be a
stylized variant of Zanni's plain white garb, designed to reflect the
ad-hoc patching necessary to prevent the garment's degradation.
Zan Ganassa, whose troupe is first mentioned in
Mantua
in the late 1560s, was one of the earliest known actors believed to have
performed the part.[8]
Another early Italian exponent of the role was the Bolognese actor,
Nicolò Zecca, active c. 1630 in Bologna as well as
Turin and
Mantua.[9]
Ganassa had performed in Paris in 1571 and 1572, and further
transformations of the character occurred in France, where Arlecchino
was performed at the
Comédie-Italienne in Italian by
Tristano Martinelli,
Giovan Battista Andreini, and
Angelo Costantini (c. 1654–1729). The role was played in French as
Arlequin in the 1660s by
Dominique Biancolelli(it),
who combined the zanni types, "making his Arlecchino witty, neat, and
fluent in a croaking voice, which became as traditional as the squawk of
Punch."[10]
The Italians were expelled from France in 1697 for satirizing
King Louis XIV's second wife,
Madame de Maintenon,[11]
but returned in 1716 (after his death), when
Tommaso Antonio Vicentini ("Thomassin", 1682–1739) became famous in
the part.[7][12]
Characteristics and dramatic function
The primary aspect of Arlecchino was his physical agility.[3][7]
While generally depicted as stupid and gluttonous, he was very nimble
and performed the sort of acrobatics the audience expected to see. The
character would never perform a simple action when the addition of a
cartwheel, somersault, or
flip would spice up the movement.
Within these restrictions the character was tremendously elastic.
Various troupes and actors would alter his behaviour to suit style,
personal preferences, or even the particular
scenario being performed. He is typically cast as the servant of an
innamorato or
vecchio
much to the detriment of the plans of his master. Arlecchino often had a
love interest in the person of
Colombina, or in older plays any of the
Soubrette roles, and his lust for her was only superseded by his
desire for food and fear of his master. Occasionally, Arlecchino would
pursue the innamorata, though rarely with success, as in the Recueil
Fossard of the 16th century where he is shown trying to woo Donna
Lucia for himself by masquerading as a foreign nobleman. He also is
known to try to win any given lady for himself if he chances upon anyone
else trying to woo her, by interrupting or ridiculing the new
competitor.
He eventually became something more of a romantic hero around the
18th century, when his popularity provoked the
Harlequinade.
Variants
Duchartre lists the following as variations on the Harlequin role:
Trivelino or Trivelin. Name is said to mean
"Tatterdemalion." One of the oldest versions of Harlequin, dating to the
15th century. Costume almost identical to Harlequin's, but had a
variation of the 17th century where the triangular patches were replaced
with moons, stars, circles and triangles. In 18th century
France,
Trivelino was a distinct character from Harlequin. They appeared
together in a number of comedies by
Pierre de Marivaux including
L'Île des esclaves.
Truffa, Truffaldin or Truffaldino. Popular characters with
Gozzi and Goldoni, but said to be best when used for improvisations. By
the 18th century was a Bergamask caricature.
Guazetto. Costume like the old Zanni's but accessorized with a
sort of
poncho, or otherwise a giant three-tiered collar. Known for his
dancing.
Zaccagnino. Character dating to the 15th century.
Bagatino. A juggler.
See also
References
Notes
-
^
Idries Shah Los Sufis Editorial Kairós, 2007 p.433
-
^
Gerstle Recovering the Orient:
Artists, Scholars, Appropriations Routeledge 1995 p.80
[1]
- ^
a
b
c
Grantham, B., Playing Commedia,
A Training Guide to Commedia Techniques, (Nick Hern Books)
London, 2000
-
^
Jean-Claude Schmitt (1999). Ghosts in the Middle Ages: The
Living and the Dead in Medieval Society. University Of
Chicago Press.
ISBN 978-0-226-73888-8.
-
^
"Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com.
Retrieved 2012-01-03.
-
^
"harlequin - Definitions from Dictionary.com".
Dictionary.reference.com.
Retrieved 2012-01-03.
- ^
a
b
c
Rudlin, J., Commedia dell’Arte, An
actor’s handbook, Routledge, London, 1994
-
^
Laurence Senelick in Banham 1995,
"Ganassa" p. 409.
-
^
Boni,
Filippo de' (1852).
Biografia degli artisti ovvero dizionario della vita e delle
opere dei pittori, degli scultori, degli intagliatori, dei
tipografi e dei musici di ogni nazione che fiorirono da'tempi
più remoti sino á nostri giorni. Seconda Edizione.
Venice; Googlebooks: Presso Andrea Santini e Figlio. p. p.
1103.
-
^
Senelick in Banham 1995,
"Harlequin" p. 472.
-
^
Donald Roy in Banham 1995,
"Comédie-Italienne" pp. 233–234.
-
^
Senelick in Banham 1995,
"Vicentini" p. 867.
Sources
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