Commedia dell'arte the "amorosi". The servants or the clowns are referred to as the "zanni" and include characters such as Arlecchino (also known as Harlequin), Brighella, Scapino and Pedrolino. Some of the better known "commedia dell'arte" characters are Pierrot and Pierrette, Pantalone, Il Dottore, Brighella, Il Capitano, Colombina, the "innamorati", Pedrolino, Pulcinella, Sandrone, Scaramuccia (also known as Scaramouche), La Signora, and Tartaglia. In the 17th century as "commedia" became popular in France, the characters of Pierrot, Columbine and Harlequin were refined and became essentially Parisian, according to Green. Each character in Commedia dell'arte has a distinct costume that helps the audience understand
The Two-Character Play to delude themselves, escape from the reality of their deteriorating mental states. Consequently, the viewers themselves are confronted with the darker truths of what it is to be human. It was very experimental for its time. The language is heightened. There are slabs of verbosity juxtaposed with pauses and stunted sentences. "The Two-Character Play" is partially autobiographical. The actor Clare and especially the character Clare are loosely based on Williams’ sister, Rose, and the actor Felice and the character Felice on Williams himself. The "confining nature of human existence" was a major theme throughout his work and this play is