Scaramuccia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scaramuccia, also known as Scaramouche, is a roguish commedia dell'arte character who wears a black velvet mask and black trousers, shirt and hat. He is usually portrayed as a buffoon or boastful coward. The character was invented by a 17th century Italian actor, Tiberio Fiorelli.
The hero of Rafael Sabatini's historical novel Scaramouche, later made into a film, is a similar swashbuckling character who goes incognito in the theatrical role of Scaramouche. In pop culture, the character is mentioned in the 1975 Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody.
[edit] Quotation
- "He was born with the gift of laughter, and a sense that the world was mad." – opening sentence of Rafael Sabatini's Scaramouche.
