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Vecchio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vecchio (Italian: [ˈvɛakk yo]; pl.: vecchi; meaning 'old one' or simply 'old') is a category of aged, male characters from Italian commedia dell'arte theatre. The primary members of this group are Pantalone, il Dottore,[1] and il Capitano.[2] Pantalone and il Dottore are the alter ego of each other: Pantalone being the decadent wealthy merchant, and il Dottore being the decadent erudite.[1]

They are overwhelmingly the antagonists, opposing the love of the innamorati; the comic ending is produced when the Zanni manage to overcome them and unite the lovers.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Henke, Robert (2010) [2002]. "Improvisation and Characters, Individual Roles". Performance and Literature in the Commedia dell'Arte. Cambridge University Press. pp. 19–24. ISBN 9780521172387. OCLC 701072868.
  2. ^ "Commedia dell'arte". MetMuseum.org. Retrieved 6 November 2021.