La Signora

La Signora (pronounced [la siɲˈɲoːra]; an Italian phrase which translates to "the lady" in English) is a character in Commedia dell'arte. She is the wife of Pantalone and the mistress of Pedrolino. She is tough, beautiful and calculating, and wears very wide dresses along with very heavy makeup. She walks with a flick of the toe and her arms held far out to the sides of her body.

La Signora could be a "courtesan" (high class prostitute), but more usually she manages to wrangle her way into the household of an old man, usually Pantalone, where she would inevitably cuckold him. She was an older sexually experienced Colombina, known as Rosaura.

• Appearance: Overdressed, wore too many jewels, too much hair, too many flowers, feathers and ribbons, fashionable; but over the top. A lot of makeup was worn by her.
• Physicality: Like Il Capitano, excessive and big gestures.
• Character Traits: Main aim is satisfaction of physical needs – more jewels, dresses and sex. She will scheme to have them assured. She has an immediate attraction to il Capitano – her Counterpart – and they must be together. However she is married to Pantalone, and she cheats on him regularly.

A common lazzo of La Signora is to have a fight with another woman, as she is very proud and often ridicules others.

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