Mezzetino
Mezzetino (also Mezzetin , Italian for "half, small measure") is a figure of the Commedia dell'arte .
He is a so-called Zanni (servant) figure and was probably created as a variation of the Brighella figure (other sources speak of one of the Arlecchino ). In its beginnings it wore a white linen blouse, a face mask, a hat and a wooden sword and was developed in the 16th century by the Italian comedy troupe of the Gelosi . From 1683 onwards Angelo Constantini became the personification of Mezzetino , who not only played this role in a red and white striped costume, but also lived it for over 40 years. The figure is graceful, agile, polite and charming, plays the guitar and can dance, is subtle but cold, unscrupulous and heartless.
According to Karl Riha , this mask served Molière as a template for his Scapin in Les fourberies de Scapin (German: Scapins Streich et al.).
literature
- Karl Riha: Commedia dell'arte. With the figurines of Maurice Sands. Frankfurt am Main 1980, (New edition: Frankfurt am Main 2007, ISBN 978-3-458-19007-3 )