Il Capitano

[2] Its genesis dates back to the Pyrgopolinices of Titus Maccio Plautus' Miles gloriosus and to Terence's Thrason of the Eunuch.

He usually personified the vainglorious soldier who continually affirmed his military quality in words and without foundation.

Another captain, portrayed as a laughing stock pitted against the Moors, is Captain Matamoros by Silvio Fiorillo; he had the clothing of the Spanish soldiers of the time, enriched however with trinkets and ribbons and very colourful, and with purely Iberian diction and ways of saying.

[2][page needed] In this case, his cowardice is usually overcome by the fury of his passion, which he makes every effort to demonstrate.

Columbine sometimes uses him to make Harlequin (Arlecchino) jealous, much to il Capitano's bewilderment and fright.

The origin of il Capitano comes from 2 literary sources: Plautus's miles gloriosus and Terence's Eunuchus.

[5][6][7] He stands in a high posture, occupying as much space as possible, with a straight back and his chest pushed forward.

[8] The nose for Capitan Spaventa's mask is fairly large, but it lengthens with Matamoros and becomes absolutely gargantuan for Coccodrillo.

The 1500s: feathered helmet or hat (mom panache), exaggerated garters, extraordinarily long sword and a plethora of ruffles.

[9][4] In one famous scenario, il Capitano makes up a lie regarding the reason for his lack of an undershirt by claiming that it got that way because, "I used to be an exceedingly fierce and violent man, and when I was made angry the hair which covers my body in goodly quantity stood on end and so riddled my shirt with holes that you would have taken it for a sieve."

Il Capitano usually has a properly showy name for himself, preferably several lines long and followed by many made-up titles and lists of relations.

Some are dismissive, such as "Cerimonia" ("Ceremony", all proper manners and rigid, slavish devotion to pointless details), "Coccodrillo" ("Crocodile", because he preys on others), "Fanfarone" ("Trumpeter" or "Loudmouth"), "Giangurgulo" ("John the Glutton"), "Grillo" ("Grasshopper", because he is small and 'hops' sides), "Malagamba" ("Lame leg"), "Squaquara" ("Little Shi"), "Papirotonda" ("Round letter", a complaint signed by mutinous soldiers or sailors in a circle around the main text so the ringleaders or originators cannot be discerned), "Tagliacantoni" ("Small-sized"), or "Zerbino" ("Doormat").

Major Bloodnok of The Goon Show bears some resemblance to il Capitano and shares many of his traits, such as lust, greed, and cowardice.

Has a hedgehog on his coat of arms, the result of his exploits at the battle of Trebizonde, where he claims to have fought his way into the tent of the Sultan himself.

He is more of a man of action than he is a braggart and is clever, brave, and quick-witted rather than ignorant, cowardly, and foolish.