Commedia erudita are Italian comedies written in the sixteenth century for scholars to enjoy. These plays copied the styles of ancient Roman playwrights Terence and Plautus.

Audiences saw many dramatic elements, such as monologues, asides, overhearing, misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and disguises. The humor often came from mocking powerful people who acted foolishly or young men who were love-struck. Performers helped create a fun and lively mood during the shows.

Like Roman comedies, commedia erudita was a joyful and celebratory experience. These plays were performed at weddings and to honor famous visitors. The shows were usually for court members, but sometimes included lower-ranking servants in the court.

Beginning ofcommedia erudita

The development of commedia erudita was highly expected by writers and audiences. Although there were some medieval examples of Roman plays being adapted, such as the work of Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim who adapted Terence, there was now an ongoing effort to restore the comedies written by Romans in the 2nd century B.C.E. A century before the creation of commedia erudita, twelve previously unknown plays by Plautus were found by Nicholas Cusanus, and Donatus's commentary on Terence was discovered by Giovanni Aurispa. These events led to new interest in the works of Plautus and Terence.

Roman theatre took about a century to be restored from its rediscovery because of three main reasons:

• Many situations and themes in the plays were hard for audiences to understand or relate to.
• At that time, people still did not fully understand how Roman theaters were built, which were very different from fifteenth-century theater spaces.
• Scholars spent a century copying, editing, translating, and performing the texts. Writers were slow to act because they were unsure about Roman language and poetic styles.

People resisted the movement because other forms of entertainment at the time had support from the church and secular leaders.

The "Mystery Plays" were the most common type of scripted performances in Italy during the fourteenth century. These were written in the local language and performed for the public, who understood biblical stories and believed in religious mysteries. These plays relied heavily on dramatic effects, such as scenes showing terrifying miracles and martyrdoms, like the skinning of St. Bartholomew using special lighting and stage tricks. Because the public was used to such shocking scenes, writers of commedia erudita had to include similar spectacle in their plays.

These educational writings were mostly prose pieces created by students, teachers, and scholars who criticized authority. Their content was often humorous and included inappropriate language. The authors considered these works to be light-hearted and youthful.

In 1444, a work written in Latin by Enea Silvio Piccolomini (who later became Pope Pius II) was published. It was the first major humanistic work inspired by Plautus. The story is about a rivalry between two men and their prostitutes. While the plot was not groundbreaking, the play itself was significant because it could be performed on a single set and included witty dialogue.

A play called La Cauteria, written in the 1420s in Bologna, was inspired by Terence. Antonio Barzizza wrote about a recent event on his street where a woman caught in an affair was punished by her husband with a brand. Her lover then threatens to brand the husband. What happens next makes the story interesting: the husband and wife are helped by two servants, and a clever conversation between characters occurs, similar to the style of Plautus.

The author of this play is unknown. It has a complex plot involving two separate but connected love stories, which was a major step forward for Latin playwrights. Like Roman comedies, the play creates intrigue when a clever servant tricks elderly characters into giving her money, which she then gives to young men who were denied their lovers.

The characters in the play are believable, and the dialogue flows naturally. It also includes a well-planned disguise scene. Additionally, this was the first published Latin play that directly borrowed elements from Roman theater.

Latin comedy

Before Roman plays were used as a model, Latin writers had not yet developed many storytelling techniques. Early Latin plays often lacked a clear structure, making it difficult for audiences to follow the story. Scenes would change suddenly, and some parts of the plays were impossible to perform on stage. Dialogue was often stiff and long. Simple practical jokes, like tricks played on the audience, were common in these performances.

Roman comedies provided Latin writers with new ideas for creating more organized plays. These plays showed how to write stories with connected and complex plots. Roman plays also included more advanced practical jokes, such as tricks that involved misleading characters about their relationships.

Developments ofcommedia erudita

The playwrights of commedia erudita created a new type of funny character. This character’s role is to appear at the start of the play and deliver a prologue to the audience. While giving the prologue, he also walks among the audience to greet them and make them feel comfortable. At the same time, he shares important details with them.

This practice became a required part of Italian comedy and was later used in other places. Breaking the play into acts allowed time for intermedi, which were short breaks during which the audience could watch performances, listen to music, and dance.

Themes

Many commedia erudita plays focused on the stronger desires of people watching them. The scripts included inappropriate comments and unacceptable actions. Writers used immoral behavior to keep the audience interested.

A young man from a respected family faces a strict father. With the help of a clever servant, he uses tricks and clever plans to overcome challenges. In the end, the young man marries and lives a happy life.

Dramaturgy

The Latins mostly tried to copy the Romans in their plays. They used a single stage in a small outdoor area. Their plays had limited time. There was only one group of characters listed.

Aretino'sLa Cortigiana

This commedia erudita play shows members of the court as villains. It is a very dark comedy filled with sharp satire.

Perception

Historians often review commedia erudita and believe it was not a successful artistic form. Critics of these plays argue that they are immoral and do not teach any lessons.

Benedetto Varchi says the problem with commedia erudita was that its humor was not realistic. He criticizes the writers for focusing only on making the audience laugh. He points out that this focus on humor limits the characters to situations that are not believable. Varchi also notes that these unrealistic scenarios are written not only by people with little knowledge but also by educated individuals.

Despite these issues, commedia erudita had some advantages. These plays tried to compete with religious performances, such as sacre rappresentazioni. These religious plays were very long, sometimes lasting two days. The shorter length of commedia erudita plays made them more appealing to audiences.