Commedia dell'arte
The actors often wore masks. The stories were often about people being cunning. Hunger, love and money were important in the stories. There were several characters who appeared in many of the stories. These are called "stock characters". Examples of stock characters from Commedia dell'arte are: Harlequin, Pantalone, Arlecchino, Colombina, Pulcinella, Pierrot, Scaramuccia.