Il Capitano

Il Capitano Capitano also Spavento etc., is a figure or mask from the Italian Commedia dell'arte.

His ancestors walked in ancient times as Miles Gloriosus of Plautus and figures from other writers the stage. It involves the type of bullies and braggart, which occurs usually as a (former ) soldier or sailor. He uses occasionally other names such as Capitano Corazza, Capitano Cardone, Rinoceronte, Terremoto, Spezzaferro, Spaccamonti, Rodomonte, which often describe him a little more closely. Him inherent in general the properties of the swagger, cruelty, greed, malice and pride, coupled with an extraordinary cowardice.

In the Commedia dell'arte Il Capitano dive mid-16th century in the costume of the Spanish or French soldiers who almost regular, but unloved guests were in Italy at this time. This caricature of the occupiers, it can reasonably be understood as a protest of the Italians against the unpopular occupiers. As the incarnation of our hero on the stage was in 1600 Francesco Andreini, the head of the then most important impromptu theater company, the Compagnia dei Comici Gelosi. This dedicated to his role in the 1607 published book Venice Le bravure del Capitano di Francesco Andreini Spavento da Pistoia Comico Geloso divise in molti Ragionamenti in forma di dialogo.

The figure was in these times of war and in other European countries as a literary model. Her features can easily be made in Shakespeare's Falstaff, Cervantes Don Quixote, Gryphius ' Horribilicribrifax or Corneille Matamor find.