Goldoni's comedy: Not just a simple plot-driven comedy

Carlo Goldoni Goldoni's comedy is not a simple plot-driven comedy, it is complex and multifaceted, like nature itself: tragedy and comedy coexist, nothing ever appears identical or one-sided.

At the Top of the Social Ladder

“At the top of the social ladder, we find the Marquis of Ripaverde, who is accustomed to living nobly and basking in splendour:

— One can truly see, said Brighella, that Your Lordship is a great horseman!

— Why?

— Because you enjoy doing nothing.”
Carlo Goldoni “The Good Wife”

At the Bottom of the Social Ladder

Carlo Goldoni, The Cabala Lover And at the bottom of the ladder, at the back of a courtyard, the widow Barbara hides in the greyness of obscure heroism:

“— What do you want me to do?
— When I've finished my housework, I amuse myself by working, I laugh with my children, I laugh with the maid.
— And then I have a cat, I have a cat who is my jester. If you could see what a pretty creature he is!
– Where has he got to? Minon? Minon?“
Carlo Goldoni “The Good Mother”

The Imaginary Hypochondriac

Clelio, who sticks his tongue out at everyone, and when you talk to him about melancholy, accidents, people who have suddenly swollen up, people who have died unexpectedly, spits to ward off bad luck, and says Salute a noi! is the imaginary hypochondriac.

The Freeloader

Carlo Goldoni, I pettegolezzi delle donne

Goldoni, I pettegolezzi delle donne And Count Onofrio, who has eyes bigger than his stomach, is the glutton, who in gatherings absorbs one forgotten cup of chocolate after another and surreptitiously slips desserts into his pockets.

If a quarrel breaks out in the middle of a salon between sharp-tongued fools, he, losing neither his composure nor the opportunity, pulls Count Ottavio by the sleeve:

“— Count Ottavio, just a word.

— Say, while all these unfortunate fools are arguing over trifles, would you like to come with me to the kitchen to eat four meatballs?”
Carlo Goldoni —“The Fussy Women”
and Philippe Monnier — Venice in the 18th century, Goldoni

Do not spoil nature

Goldoni states in his memoirs: “All my efforts have been directed towards not spoiling nature in the writing of my plays.”

Carlo Goldoni, Brawl in Chioggia Thus in his play “Brawl in Chioggia”:

“And facing the sea strewn with sparkles is the beach of Chioggia.

Having pulled out their straw chairs, lace-makers, their noses on their tambourines, swiftly work their tongues and spindles: Pasqua, Lucietta, Libera, Orsetta, Checa.

With his hands in his pockets, Tofolo arrives, returning from Sotto-Marina where he has loaded up on fennel.

— What are you offering?
— Whatever you want!.
— Hey! Zucche barucche!...

Portrait of Carlo Goldoni And he pays them with pieces of baked pumpkin.
They sink their teeth into the popular treat.
The sea is blue. The sun is shining.

Suddenly, a word causes a brawl to break out: shrill cries rise, chairs fly, and insults rain down in rapid succession:

— Checa la Fouine....! Toffolo the Marmot...! Lucietta the Joker!

The husbands, brothers and fiancés, returning from fishing, are immediately informed; excited, they rush forward: one picks up stones, another draws his knife,another runs to fetch his musket from the stern.

The women cry, complain, accuse each other of adultery, call each other bitches, wipe their eyes, squeal, scream, quicker than ever to slap each other.

Goldoni The Lovers With each blow, the debate is reborn and begins again.
Toffolo Marmottina:

– The one who gave him that name is a char...
– Go complain to Cogitore.
– Are you appealing to the courts?
– What?
– An appeal...
– Are you asking for this man to be condemned?
– Yes, Your Excellency.
– To what?
– To the galleys, Your Excellency.

All are summoned before the judge.

They arrive: the men in red or green caps, their ears pierced with gold thread; the women in white ninzoletto, which is gathered at the back and brought down over their foreheads.

No sooner is the dooropen, they all rush forward to be first:

- Me! ... Me! ... Me! ...
Carlo Goldoni

From the “Commedia dell'arte” to the “Comedy of manners”

Portrait of Carlo Goldoni by Charles Nicolas Cochin But now, instead of the eternal Brighella, or the eternal Tartaglia, or the eternal Arlequin — who we imagine, for example, a contemporary husband, such as one might encounter in Venice, madly in love with his young wife but ashamed to show it, horribly jealous but afraid above all of appearing so, cursing the Cicsbeos but a slavish slave to fashion.

On his orders, his wife receives suitors alone, rides alone with them in carriages, goes alone with them to gatherings, accepts their gifts, allows their advances, listens to their chatter, and endures their familiarity; it is he who orders her to do so, and he who curses.

He withdraws and repents of having withdrawn, runs after the carriage he refused to board, arrives unannounced in the salon he refused to enter, announces that he is leaving, cannot bring himself to leave, spies, intervenes, meddles, suspects, disturbs, brusquely dismisses the people he attracted, supremely ridiculous and supremely human.

This is Don Roberto from La Dama Prudente.

Or, instead of the old men of the old repertoire, bed-wetting fools who are duped and beaten, Pantalone who, through being deceived, cheated, robbed, cuckolded and led by the nose, becomes mean and bites, we imagine an old idler, impoverished, embittered and lonely.

Carlo Goldoni as a young man As he suffered from fate, he became misanthropic.

As he has nothing left to do, he busies himself with his neighbour.

As he has nothing left to say, he can only speak ill of others.

To play a role he no longer has, he spreads evil, and if necessary invents it; to make himself seem more important, he exaggerates and embellishes it; and almost unconsciously, perhaps less malicious than painful, less wicked than idle, he does so.

So much so that when those he has betrayed turn against him and abandon him to his ignominy, he remains astonished, protests, and recognises in this desertion the validity of his grievances.

This is the most deeply drawn character in this play, the Don Marzio of “La Bottega del Caffè.”
Philippe Monnier - Venice in the 18th century, Goldoni.

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