MTA 104 ("Understanding Theatre")
Instructor: Walter Metz
Reading Notes: Flaminio Scala, The Dentist (1611)
The Dentist features the three main groups of characters in commedia dell'arte
Act One
New Comedy: Generational conflict (Pantalone wants to send his son Oratio away to school so that he can have Isabella for himself). (158)
New Comedy: Class conflict (Pedrolino slaps Pantalone for being such a lecherous jerk. Pantalone retaliates by biting Pedrolino on the arm. Pedrolino wants revenge). (158)
Physical Comedy: Pedrolino's "wounded arm" gag (Pedrolino flails his wounded arm more violently with each new person he meets, encouraging the others to join in his revenge plot against Pantalone). (158)
Scatological Comedy: Pedrolino initiates the "stinky breath" gag, having everyone convince Pantalone that he has bad breath. (159)
Physical Comedy: Arlecchino (the "harlequin," that is, the grotesque one), dressed as a dentist, begins pulling out Pantalone's perfectly good teeth with "comically inappropriate tools." Pantalone discovers he's been had when he pulls off Arlecchino's fake beard. (159)
Act Two
Isabella has Pasquella prepare a love potion candy for Oratio so that he will lose his wits and thus not be able to leave her. (159)
Physical Comedy: Pantalone drags Oratio into his house to make sure he prepares to leave to go to school. (159)
Pedrolino's trickery: Pedrolino has Flavio dress up as a dentist. Flavio thinks this will help him woo Flaminia. Pedrolino knows this will get Flavio in trouble with Pantalone. (160)
Class Politics: Pedrolino laughs at his hoodwinking of his social "betters." (160)
Pedrolino's trickery: Pedrolino has the Capitano dress up as Pantalone. The Capitano thinks this will allow him to sneak into Isabella's house to woo her. Pedrolino knows this will get the Capitano in trouble with Flavio. (160)
Physical Comedy: Pedrolino acquires a dress so that Flavio can come to Flaminia disguised as a woman. As Dottore happens by, Pedrolino throws the dress at him. Pantalone thinks Dottore is a thief, and beats him. Pedrolino joins in with the beating of Dottore, just for fun. (160)
The payoff of Pedrolino's dual trickery: Pantalone beats Flavio because he's dressed as the dentist. Flavio returns and beats the Capitano because he is dressed as Pantalone. (160)
Act Three
Comic Confusion: The delivery of the candy gets all mixed up. Arlecchino gives the candy to Isabella. She gives some back to Arlecchino. Arlecchino gives the candy to Perolino, who eats some himself, not knowing it is enchanted. (160)
Pedrolino is the hero of The Dentist: Pedrolino's candy-induced madness saves him from beatings by both the Capitano and Dottore. (160)
Oratio also eats the candy and goes mad as well. (161)
New Comedy: Correct marriages are arranged (Isabella uses her possession of the cure for the candy-induced madness to bargain with Pantalone for two marriages: the Flavio/Flamenia marriage and the Oratio/Isabella marriage. Pantalone consents to both). (161)
New Comedy: Overly simplistic resolutions (Pedrolino asks for forgiveness from everyone he has wronged. Everyone forgives Pedrolino, and the play ends with laughter). (161)
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This page was last updated on June 27, 2001
Questions or comments? Please phone me at (406) 994-6403 or send an e-mail to: metz@montana.edu
Walter Metz, Department of Media and Theatre Arts, Montana State University--Bozeman