Commedia Dell Arte Influence On Shakespeare's Work

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Commedia dell Arte, a form of theatre in which actors improvised upon a scenario arose in the middle of the sixteenth century and continued until the latter part of the eighteenth century. The form originated in Italy but was popular throughout Europe. The style of Commedia is characterised by its use of masks, improvisation, physical comedy, and recognizable character types. Commedia dell arte was a big influence on Shakespeare’s work when it came to his comedic plays. ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ was a play that shows how Commedia dell arte influenced his work. Commedia dell arte formed fundamentals within a comedy that turned out to be principles in comedic performances. Lies, love and jealousy are huge parts that make up a comedy. The characters
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How Does Commedia Dell Arte Influence Shakespeare's Work?

Commedia dell’arte was a prime influence to Shakespeare’s work as it’s known as a “comedy of professional players,” reached its height in Italy between the late 1560s and the 1650s, its so-called golden age. In has many factors in which Shakespeare’s ‘Taming of the Shrew’ and ‘Commedia dell’arte’ as they are both comedies and require similar amounts of actors and characteristics for each individual. Moreover it depends on their fortunes, the professional troupes generally had about eight to ten performers…

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