Pulcinella

This article is about the commedia character. For Stravinsky's 1920 ballet, see Pulcinella (ballet). For the marine bird "Pucinella di mare", see Puffin.

Pulcinella in a 19th-century Italian print
Capodimonte porcelain jar with three figures of Pulcinella. Naples, Italy, 1745–1750.

Pulcinella (Italian: [pultʃiˈnɛlla]; Neapolitan: Pulecenella) is a classical character that originated in commedia dell'arte of the 17th century and became a stock character in Neapolitan puppetry. Pulcinella's versatility in status and attitude has captivated audiences worldwide and kept the character popular in countless forms since his introduction to commedia dell'arte by Silvio Fiorillo [it] in 1620.[1]

His visual appearance includes a humpback, a crooked nose, gangly legs, a potbelly, large cheeks, and a gigantic mouth. These traits were inherited from two stock characters of the Atellan Farce. He typically wears a pointed hat (conical hat). When depicted as a member of the upper class, Pulcinella is a cunning thief and schemer. When depicted as a member of the servant class, Pulcinella is a perverted bumpkin. In either case, he is a social climber, striving to rise above his station in life. He is an opportunist who always sides with the winner in any situation and who fears no consequences. His main motivations are self-interest and self-preservation, yet Pulcinella tends to rescue other characters from trouble. He is said to be every character's savior, despite acting as a rebel and a delinquent.

  1. ^ Rudlin, John (1994). Commedia Dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook. London, England: Routledge. p. 139. ISBN 978-0415047708.