Arlecchino is the most famous commedia dell'arte character in history. He has evolved into the Harlequin of later centuries and today and is a prototype for fools, clowns, and pantomimes.

He normally plays the "second zanni" because even his witless masters aren't dumb enough to put him charge if they can help it! He is the classic stupid, lazy, playful, often childlike, and mostly innocent-minded servant. He will mess up almost any task - and yet the other Masks keep giving him stuff to do! Especially Colombina (or another servetta) who hopes he'll someday learn better. And when he complicates the entire situation, it's usually with elaborate pratfalls. What he lacks in the mind he will make up in the body; he may be a complete klutz and overly lazy but he's also an accidental acrobat and should always be in motion.

Arlecchino will often get embroiled in the plots of others and though he may be sent to do nefarious deeds (most often by Capitano, Pantalone, or Brighella), he is usually good of heart and will come out on top at the end. He's also usually too stupid to realize the consequences of the task he was given. The characters with good intent try to use his assistance as well though his exploits often complicate the plot rather than help it.

In classic commedia and in many modern plays he is almost always a servant, usually to one of the old vecchi or as a sidekick to Capitano though sometimes to the amaroso. His status is low enough that other servants such as the first zanni or servetta (even those from other households) can and will boss him around. In plays set in later periods, Arlecchino is often more of a hapless friend or companion who somehow get caught up in the machinations of the others.

As one of the lower ranking, lazier, and stupider servants, he is often abused by being yelled at or beaten (with slapstick stage combat) by his masters and others or never paid his wages. Yet he does have a certain luck and can be clever enough to grab hold of any seemingly fortunate situation that happens upon him. He might not think up a plan on his own but he can come up with some amazingly complicated and absurd explanations and rationalizations. Later period harlequins were more prone to become clever tricksters and rascally tramps while still often being foolish or stupid.

Arlecchino is a creature of carnal desires. If he sees food, he will always want to eat it - and even when he doesn't he's always hungry. When he's tired he'll fall asleep on the spot - even while standing. Early commedia often depicted Arlecchino jumping at any lady on stage like a male dog in heat but this has been toned down in modern times so today's audiences can still sympathize with the character. Arlecchino often does find himself looking for love and usually it's with Colombina, though he sometimes ends up disguised as someone else and mistaken for Capitano or one of the innamorati - either male or female!

His earliest costume had patches of various bright colors over his jacket and pants. This patchwork motif has been adopted by other characters in our troupe. These patches later led to a lozenge design that is today often called a harlequin pattern and a popular costume for clowns.

Our Arlecchino in modern set plays is sometimes a foolish college student or the idiot teaching assistant to Dottore Gratiano (though on one occasion he was an extreme geek - unusually intelligent but completely foolish and clueless in regards to common sense). Though still an idiot, Arlecchino has been known to somehow become the savior of the Multiverse and prevent the Zombie Apocalypse.