Commedia dell’arte started in Italy in the 16th century (the first recorded performance being in 1545). It started by street performers who wore masks with much exaggerated expressions to attract people’s attention.
The origins of Commedia dell’arte are not very clear but it is believed that it was derived from ancient Greek and Roman comedies.
As Commedia dell’arte characters wore masks that concealed their identities, they could represent everyone in society in a mocking and comical way without getting into too much trouble. Each mask represented different archetypes which were known to the audience, and so the story line was clear.
Commedia dell’arte influenced many well-known performances even outside of Italy. The archetypes of the characters were repeatedly shown through many plays, such as Shakespeare’s "As You Like It", "Twelfth Night, "The Tempest", "Merchant of Venice", and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. However, although many plays and performances use the same characterization as those in Commedia dell’arte, many later ones did not use the masks.
The origins of Commedia dell’arte are not very clear but it is believed that it was derived from ancient Greek and Roman comedies.
As Commedia dell’arte characters wore masks that concealed their identities, they could represent everyone in society in a mocking and comical way without getting into too much trouble. Each mask represented different archetypes which were known to the audience, and so the story line was clear.
Commedia dell’arte influenced many well-known performances even outside of Italy. The archetypes of the characters were repeatedly shown through many plays, such as Shakespeare’s "As You Like It", "Twelfth Night, "The Tempest", "Merchant of Venice", and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. However, although many plays and performances use the same characterization as those in Commedia dell’arte, many later ones did not use the masks.