Scapino

Scapino, also known as Scapin in French works, is a stock character in the Italian theatrical tradition of commedia dell'arte. Emerging in the 16th and 17th centuries, Scapino belongs to the Zanni, the agile, scheming servant archetype, and is typically portrayed as a quick-witted, nimble trickster who uses disguises, clever talk, and physical comedy to outmaneuver masters, win favorable outcomes for lovers, or untangle complex situations. He is usually a male servant, charged with managing the practical side of a plot and often acting as the audience's point of contact with the action.

In performance, Scapino is known for improvisation, rapid shifts in disguise, and a talent for manipulating social roles. He frequently engineers elopements and elicits help from others by exploiting gullibility and authority figures, and he uses humor to reveal moral and social tensions.

The figure spread beyond Italy and inspired similar characters in other European theatre. In France, Molière adapted an Italian Scapino into Scapin the Schemer (Scapin, ou Le Scélérat) in the 1670s, which popularized the archetype across the continent and helped cement Scapino/Scapin as a paradigm of the clever servant.

Today, Scapino is cited in theatre history as a classic exemplum of the commedia dell'arte servant and the broader tradition of stock characters. The name appears in various plays and adaptations that continue to explore themes of love, social hierarchy, and wit through trickery and disguise.