♠️_Il sesso è limitato, ma i sentimenti possono durare tutta la vita. Questa è più dell'amicizia, più sottile dell'amore e molto, molto eccitante. Prendere possesso del corpo di qualcun altro non è una grande vittoria, ma impossessarsi del cervello di qualcun altro...
Harbinger names and the Commedia dell’arte Analysis (Part 11: Tartaglia)
This will be the last post for this series. So I did an analysis a long time ago regarding this very subject which can be read here, but since then more information has come out, so I wanted to revisit this topic. This analysis will be more in-depth than my previous one, and I’m going to take this Harbinger by Harbinger, starting with Pierro and going down the list in order of rank (Please note: I know Pierro is probably not actually ranked save if you say he fills the role of 0). This series will also contain a fair bit of theorizing due to the fact we haven’t actually met a fair number of the Harbingers in the Genshin Impact storyline yet. Each post will also start with a brief explanation of the Commedia dell’arte and the role the harbinger’s title usually fills. As such, due to length and fears of potential spoilers, the rest will be under the cut. I hope you enjoy.
So, real quick, the commedia dell’arte is a very early form of professional theatre, that involved specific stock character roles which are largely reflected by the Fatui harbingers via their titles/codenames. Notably, the story of these plays always revolves around two actors that are not reflected by the Harbingers, the Innamorati (lovers), whom the story follows. Our Harbingers are found within the other three classes of actors though. The Zanni, which are the lower class (the harbingers from this group are Pierro, Pulcinella, Scaramouche, Tartaglia, Arlecchino, and Columbina); the Vecchi, which are often wealth and/or older characters (Pantalone and Dottore); and the Il Capitano, who are self-styled captains and braggarts (Capitano himself, La Signora, and sometimes the Scaramouche character).
Our Tartaglia, also known as Childe or by his actual name, Ajax, is Rank 11 within the Fatui Harbingers. Within the commedia dell’arte the Tartaglia character is typically placed in the same area as the characters who have a higher high social status (The Vecchi) along with Pantalone and Dottore, or as a variant of the Innamorato (male lover) of the story. His precise social status can range from low, middle, to high income with his occupation and role within the story, though he is frequently a salesman. The Tartaglia character is also often far-sighted and has a minor stutter. This stutter often results in him being quick to anger as he also often has a large number of lines arranged so that he is frequently giving long speeches that he stumbles through. One of his primary emotions, in his most basic role, is that of frustration. Interestingly, the Tartaglia character is often put in a group with the Scaramouche and Pulcinella characters as being notably Neapolitan in terms of his character’s mask style.
In regards to other levels of characterization, when placed in a more important role such as the Innamorato, the Tartaglia character is often socially awkward and may even have a lack of confidence. He is also sometimes a bumbling character and, in some cases, his bumbling serves to get in the way of the Innamorati in some way whether he is the Innamorato or a side character.
It is worth noting that, for the most part, the Tartaglia character appears to fill roles as he is needed. Sometimes replacing the Il Dottore, as a secondary older man to Pantalone’s Vecchi role, the male Innamorato to the female Innamorata, or simply as a bit of a gag character for added comedy to the story.
The Genshin Impact Tartaglia is probably the Harbinger that differs the most from his commedia dell’arte stock character, though this is not to say that he doesn’t share some similarities. Our Tartaglia doesn’t really have a stutter, which is arguably the most notable aspect of the stock character. He does, however, feign being a salesman and can be somewhat bumbling, as noted in the way he has created some messes for the Fatui (i.e. his behavior in the Liyue and even the Fontaine archon quests). Similarly, he has quite the temper when things do not go according to plan for him, as shown in the Liyue archon quest.
It is feasible that he is filling a more Innamorato (male lover) role, but this is rather doubtful due to the notable lack of any Innamorata (female lover) character to go with him. As such, it is difficult to make any predictions about our Tartaglia’s storyline or place within the Fatui or overarching plot of the game based on his corresponding stock character. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that he could be acting as somewhat of a gag/side character in the way he keeps showing up all over Teyvat and is arguably the reason most of the Harbingers know so much about Traveler since he seemingly won’t stop talking about them. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that he is largely portrayed to be sympathetic, if mildly problematic, within the Genshin storyline in regard to the Traveler and thereby the audience’s perspective.
I would love to hear other’s thoughts on this entire situation with Genshin Harbingers vs. their Commedia Dell’Arte counterparts, and where Genshin writers might take these characters in the future, so feel free to comment and share!
...e poi io sono immensamente innamorata delle parole, perché penso che le parole possano fare miracoli se le sai usare. Ma, dall'altro lato, le odio. Sono così sottili e piccole quelle maledette, sono così brave ad infilarsi nella tua testa, a trasformarti i pensieri, a spingerti verso il burrone anche quando hai la certezza di cadere giù. Ecco, dovremmo prenderci tutti la responsabilità delle parole che diciamo, perché quello che dici a qualcuno può restargli impigliato al cuore per sempre.
