Commedia dell’arte had great influence of Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing”. This form of theatre shows many comparisons to the Shakespearian comedy. Commedia dell’arte created elements within a comedy that became standards across comedic literature. Love, deception, matters of out witting one another and jealousy are components that make up the back bone to a comedy. “Shakespeare made use of many typical elements found in commedia scenarios” (McQuinn, Anne), creating plots that parallel those of the Italian comedies. The characters in Commedia dell’arte have somewhat universal traits and stereotypical characterizations that were able to cross over into Shakespeare’s Elizabethan period of writing. Although the Shakespeare’s plays did not take on the exact form of Commedia dell’arte; many themes, characters, societal and social based plots blended into “Much Ado About Nothing”.
Commedia dell’arte is the Italian meaning of “comedy of the professional artists” (Wikipedia). It is a form of improvisational theatre that follows a “rough storyline, called Canovaccio” (Wikipedia). This allowed for the actors to express themselves fully, as there was no written script to follow. Since the actors had free will over the script “the dialogue and action could easily be made topical and adjusted to satirize local scandals, current events, or regional tastes, mixed with ancient jokes and punch lines” (Wikipedia). Shakespeare bases most of his plays, including “Much Ado About Nothing”, on the mockery and lifestyle of the aristocrats. Although his plays are not improvised, he was influenced in his writings by the expressed art form of the Commedia dell’arte. “Art always reflects the cultural sentiments within the society from which it stems” (McQuinn, Anne), the art of commedia allowed for Shakespeare to create stories which reflected societal views of the aristocrats. It was “entertainment by the people and for the people; and it is this very close relationship with humanity which gives this highly theatrical form its life” (McQuinn, Anne).
