Brighella

Brighella (derived from the Italian word briga for " trouble, strife " ) is a character from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and, with Arlecchino to the Zanni, the servant figures. Together with this, he advances the plot, which Brighella is presented as the more skillful the servant.

First appearing in peasant garb, but already there " shrewdness " showing, he transformed the servant figure in livery, often also with a guitar. He is cunning, attentive to his advantage and materially. Therefore he wears as Pantalone often a purse on the belt, but also a knife or a dagger. Unlike Arlecchino he is capable of acrobatic feats and this usually also intellectually superior when it comes to obliterate its respective gentlemen, Pantalone and the Dottore, a. Therefore, he is the first of the Zanni. Other names are Scapino (see Scapin Scapin in Moliere pranks ), Mezzetino, Flautino, Paquariello, Coviello and Fagottino.

According to Karl Riha this mask is detected since 1571, but she survived the end of the Commedia dell'arte, in contrast to Harlequin, whose mask evolved to clown, and the Pagliaccio, the predecessor of Pierrot, not.