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Who is Pulcinella, the commedia dell'arte mask?
- SumMaSk
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Pulcinella, or Pulecenella in Neapolitan, is one of the most singular and profound characters in the Commedia dell'Arte. A native of Naples, he belongs to the Zanni family (the servants), but stands out for his complexity. Unlike other, more naive or cunning valets, Pulcinella is at once violent, melancholic, unpredictable, and deeply human. He constantly oscillates between grotesque brutality and disarming sensitivity, capable of killing with a single blow of his stick before mourning the victim he has just struck. He embodies the contradictory soul of the Neapolitan people, in their familiarity with death, poverty, and resourcefulness.
Who is Pulcinella, the commedia dell'arte mask
What are the origins of Pulcinella?
Pulcinella appeared in 17th-century Naples, in southern Italy, within a popular context deeply marked by poverty, foreign domination, and social tensions. His roots lie in the traditions of Neapolitan theater, but also in earlier peasant figures (notably the Latin mask Maccus). Some suggest that his name may derive from "pulcino" (little chick), referring to his nasal and piercing voice. His black mask, with its hooked nose and flattened face, is directly inspired by the features of the Neapolitan people of the time, worn down by the hardships of daily life. Pulcinella quickly became an emblematic figure of Naples, to the point of embodying a form of popular and philosophical spirit specific to the city. Who is Pulcinella?
What are Pulcinella's characteristics?Who is Pulcinella, the commedia dell'arte mask
Pulcinella wears a loose-fitting white garment, wide trousers, and a pointed hat called a cuppulone. His black mask reveals half-closed eyes, a sign of his cunning and disillusioned view of the world. His hooked nose symbolizes his ability to cling to life, despite the blows it deals him. The wart on his nose and the deep wrinkles are the marks of hunger and fatigue. His body is stooped, and his voice is nasal. He often speaks in Neapolitan dialect and maintains a close relationship with death, which he mocks without ever truly distancing himself from it. Pulcinella is both tragic and grotesque, like the city whose spirit he embodies.
Article based on the texts of Pierangelo and Robin Summa: La maschera è libertà, storia di un'insurrezione teatrale.
Libretto 1 : le origini della commedia dell'arte e qualche suo personaggio, Il Quaderno Edizioni
