Tartaglia

In a resounding symphony of foolish laughter and theatrical whirlwind, Tartaglia appears, that southern Italian Capitano who embodies the foreign invaders like no other. A shadow of oppression, yet of grotesque form and questionable morals, he leads the people astray as a tax collector, a policeman, or a government official. With a tongue plagued by an invisible curse of the language barrier, Tartaglia stumbles over his own words. In every sentence, a struggle; every spoken word, a desperate battle against the syllables fate has denied him. Stuttering and stammering, he entangles language like a bewildered labyrinth of sounds and letters.

His appearance resembles an misshapen Moloch, marked by a body that grows beyond the bounds of decency. A bloated frame, stretched beyond every available seam, giving the impression of an insatiable desire for worldly pleasures. His thick lenses cast a murky light upon a vision tainted by selfish aims and dark intentions. Yet, despite his physical and linguistic flaws, Tartaglia carries an aura of power, albeit a fateful one. He exploits his position to harass and oppress the people. Behind the mask of a tax collector, a policeman, or a government official lies a corruption that seeps into his soul like a plague. Bribery and exploitation are his weapons, employed against those who dare to cross his path.

At first glance, Tartaglia may appear a comedian, but beneath the fool's mask lurks a dangerous shadow of tyranny. A character who reminds us that outward appearances do not always reveal a person's true nature. A figure who, with their unsympathetic and corrupt essence, teaches us that laughter can sometimes be bitter and comedy can sometimes be tragic.