The zanni are of the characters of standard theater servants.

The buffoons, Sanniones or buffoons of the ancient comedy are found, with the use of servants, in the Commedia dell' arte, where they bear the name of Zanni .

The zanni present, under the features of Flautino, Arlequin, Brighella, Mezzetin, Pierrot, Scapin, etc, of the comic characters, whose varieties go from the trick to the silliness. It is in these roles that the actors of the impromptu comedy showed all their flexibility of spirit, with the nimbleness of their movements.

In the old French theater, the servant buffoon was also essential. Its various roles were called with the “roles of large casaque”, because of casaque striped under which it appeared on the scene. Among the servants of the French comedy, the ones, like, Crispin, Scapin and Frontin, the Italian zanni following the example of, seek to be avenged by cheating for the disadvantage and humility for their condition.

Others are devoted, good advisers for their Masters whom they make an effort to moraliser and they approach the confidant of the Tragédie. Such are Cliton of the Menteur and the Sganarelle of the Festin of stone .

Come then, with their variously moderated characters, Mascarille, Jodelet, Large-Rene, Figaro finally, which seems to have given to the theater one servants of comedy, in substituent with the cynicism of their defects of convention boldnesses of the freethinking.

Reference

• Maurice Sand, Masks and buffoons (Italian comedy) , Paris, Michel Levy brothers, 1860

Source

• Gustave Vapereau, universal Dictionary of the literatures , Paris, Hatchet, 1876, p. 2010