Harlequin

thumb|The classical appearance of the Harlequin stock character in the commedia dell'arte of the 1670s, complete with batte or "[[slapstick", a magic wand used by the character to change the scenery of the play (Maurice Sand, 1860)]]

Harlequin (, , ; , ) is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan Ganassa in the late 16th century,. It was definitively popularized by the Italian actor Tristano Martinelli in Paris in 1584–1585, and became a stock character after Martinelli's death in 1630.

The Harlequin is characterised by his checkered costume. His role is that of a light-hearted, nimble, and astute servant, often acting to thwart the plans of his master, and pursuing his own love interest, Columbine, with wit and resourcefulness, often competing with the sterner and melancholic Pierrot. He later develops into a prototype of the romantic hero. Harlequin inherits his physical agility and his trickster qualities, as well as his name, from a mischievous "devil" character in medieval Passion Plays.

The Harlequin character first appeared in Bergamo, Italy, early in the 17th century and took centre stage in the derived genre of the Harlequinade, developed in the early 18th century by John Rich. These demons were led by a masked, club-wielding giant and they were known as familia herlequin (var. familia herlethingi). This medieval French version of the Germanic Wild Hunt, Mesnée d'Hellequin, has been connected to the English figure of Herla cyning ('host-king'; German: Erlkönig). Hellequin was depicted as a black-faced emissary of the devil, roaming 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 red-and-black mask. The name's origin could also be traced to a knight from the 9th century, Hellequin of Boulogne, who died fighting the Normans and originated a legend of devils. In Cantos XXI and XXII from Dante's Inferno there is a devil by the name of Alichino.

History

thumb|A scene from the commedia dell'arte played in France before a noble audience in 1571 or 1572 (Museum of [[Bayeux). Pantalone is front and center, while just to the right and slightly behind is Harlequin in motley costume, "the oldest known version of Harlequin's costume".]]

The re-interpretation of the "devil" stock character as a Zanni character of the commedia dell'arte took place in the 16th century in France. Zan Ganassa, whose troupe is first mentioned in Mantua in the late 1560s, is one of the earliest known actors suggested to have performed the part, although there is "little hard evidence to support [it]". Ganassa performed in France in 1571, and if he did play the part there, he left the field open for another actor to take up the role, when he took his troupe to Spain permanently in 1574.

Among the earliest depictions of the character are a Flemish painting () in the Museum of Bayeux

thumb|[[Tristano Martinelli's Harlequin costume as depicted in his Compositions de rhétorique, 1601]]

Tristano Martinelli is the first actor definitely known to have used the name "Harlequin" (or "Arlequin") from French folklore and adapted it for the comic secondo Zanni role, and he probably first performed the part in France in (or just before) 1584 and only later did he bring the character to Italy, where he became known as Arlecchino. The motley costume is sometimes attributed to Martinelli, who wore a linen costume of colourful patches, and a hare-tail on his cap to indicate cowardice. Martinelli's Harlequin also had a black leather half-mask, a moustache and a pointed beard. He was very successful, even playing at court and becoming a favourite of Henry IV of France, to whom he addressed insolent monologues (Compositions de Rhetorique de Mr. Don Arlequin, 1601).

Martinelli's great success contributed to the perpetuation of his interpretation of the Zanni role, along with the name of his character, after his death in 1630, among others, by Nicolò Zecca, active in Bologna as well as Turin and Mantua.

The character was also performed in Paris at the Comédie-Italienne in Italian by Giambattista Andreini and Angelo Costantini () and in French as Arlequin in the 1660s by (1636–1688), 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". but returned in 1716 (after his death), when Tommaso Antonio Vicentini ("Thomassin", 1682–1739) became famous in the part. The rhombus shape of the patches arose by adaptation to the Paris fashion of the 17th century by Biancolelli.

Characteristics and dramatic function

thumb|Harlequin at the [[Pantomimeteatret|Pantomime Theatre in Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark]]

Physicality

The primary aspect of Arlecchino was his physical agility. 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.

Early characteristics of Arlecchino paint the character as a "second" Zanni servant from northern Italy with the paradoxical attributes of a dimwitted fool and an intelligent trickster. Physically, Arlecchino is described as wearing a costume covered in irregular patches, a hat outfitted with either a rabbit or fox's tail, and a red and black mask.

Aside from his acrobatics, Arlecchino is also known for having several specific traits such as:

Appearing humpbacked without artificial padding
The ability to eat large amounts of food quickly
Using his wooden sword like a fan
A parody of bel canto

and several other techniques.

Between the 16th and 17th centuries Harlequin gained some function as a politically aware character. In the Comédie-Italienne Harlequin would parody French tragedies as well as comment on current events.

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.

Zaccagnino. Character dating to the 15th century.

Bagatino. A juggler.

Pedrolino or Pierotto. A servant or valet clad in mostly white, created by Giovanni Pellesini.]]

16th century

Tristano Martinelli
Domenico Biancolelli
Evaristo Gherardi

18th century As the Harlequinade portion of English pantomime developed, Harlequin was routinely paired with the character Clown.

Two developments in 1800, both involving Joseph Grimaldi, greatly changed the pantomime characters. Grimaldi starred as Clown in Charles Dibdin's 1800 pantomime, Peter Wilkins: or Harlequin in the Flying World at Sadler's Wells Theatre. For this elaborate production, Dibdin and Grimaldi introduced new costume designs. Clown's costume was "garishly colourful ... patterned with large diamonds and circles, and fringed with tassels and ruffs", instead of the tatty servant's outfit that had been used for a century. The production was a hit, and the new costume design was copied by others in London. The most influential pair playing Harlequin and Clown in Victorian England were the Payne Brothers, active during the 1860s and 1870s, who contributed to the development of 20th-century "slapstick" comedy.

Popular culture

Representations of or characters based on in contemporary popular culture include Harley Quinn, an American comic book character originally serving as a sidekick to the Joker, and Arlekin, a puppet from Karabas Barabas' theatre in the Soviet children's film and the novel it was based on, The Adventures of Buratino. Video game representations of the character include the Knave from Genshin Impact, Fourth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers and Father of the House of the Hearth, , King of Riddles from Lies of P, as part of the "Les Quatre" from Karakuri Circus and from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, a French Army soldier from the commedia della morte.

References

Bibliography

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