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Il Dottore (Commedia dell'Arte)
[edit]Il Dottore is a stock character found in Commedia dell'Arte. Known primarily as Il Dottore, there have been a few variations throughout history. Il Dottore has been part of the main canon of characters since the mid-1500's, and is characterized by his immense girth and faux-intellectualism. He is meant to be a caricature of the educated upper-class.
History and Origins
[edit]1500's-1600's
[edit]First originating in the mid-1500's as the comic foil and polar opposite of Pantalone, Il Dottore is the "educated" to Pantalone's "greedy". He has gone by many names besides Il Dottore, those being Il Dottore Gratiano, Il Dottore Boloardo, Il Dottore Balanzone, Il Dottore Scarpazon, and Il Dottore Forbizone. His many names are reflective of his buffoonish nature, and call attention to his negative traits. Of all the characters that appear throughout the brief history of commedia dell'arte proper, Il Dottore, once introduced, was such a favorite when paired with Pantalone that he was never written out. He is considered one of the essential characters.[1][2]
1600's-1700's
[edit]The character of Il Dottore finds its way to France during the mid-1600's. Since commedia dell'arte performers were itinerant by nature, it is only natural that commedia's influence was widespread. By the late 17th century, commedia's influence in France was obvious, as evidenced by the playwright Molière's inclusion of the character Docteur in his play La Jalousie du barbouillé.[3]
Characteristics
[edit]Large-bellied and gluttonous, Il Dottore is representative of the learned intellectual class, and as such is meant to be a parody of an educated man. He attended University at Bologna, and pretends to be an expert in many subjects. Il Dottore is a fan of the drink, and is sometimes portrayed as a father to one of the innamorati.
Il Dottore is ebullient and bouncy, and where other characters may roam the stage he plants himself firmly as if giving a lecture to the audience.[2]
Mask and Costume
[edit]Unlike the majority of half masks in Commedia dell'Arte, Il Dottore's mask is unique in that it is a one-third mask.[2] Decorations on the mask itself can be either bushy eyebrows with a wispy moustache, glasses, or no decoration at all. The actor's cheeks sometimes may have rouge applied to imply that Il Dottore is fond of the drink, which he often is.