About
In his forward to A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess writes about the difference between story and allegory: stories are about change and growth, an allegory is a statement on the inherent nature of humanity. Especially in our adolescence, we tend towards allegory. We are prone to seeing ourselves as tragic heroes because it’s exciting and sensationalistic and full of meaning. Similarly, the characters of the Commedia Dell’arte are treated as archetypical forces engaging in dramatic allegory, not human personalities with depth and nuance.
Pierrot is typically depicted as self-indulgent, touched by madness, and expressively naive, someone who sees grandiose drama in everything. But in this story, it is only his starting point. In our interpretation, Harlequin and Pierrot, two characters in the Commedia dell’arte often depicted as companions, are actually the same person; the story chronicles how Pierrot eventually came to be Harlequin, who acts as narrator of his own journey. Rather than make a statement about any particular aspect of human nature, I wanted to show that change is an inevitable part of our living experience and that Pierrot eventually grows out of his tragedy and becomes is best possible self.
Pierrot is typically depicted as self-indulgent, touched by madness, and expressively naive, someone who sees grandiose drama in everything. But in this story, it is only his starting point. In our interpretation, Harlequin and Pierrot, two characters in the Commedia dell’arte often depicted as companions, are actually the same person; the story chronicles how Pierrot eventually came to be Harlequin, who acts as narrator of his own journey. Rather than make a statement about any particular aspect of human nature, I wanted to show that change is an inevitable part of our living experience and that Pierrot eventually grows out of his tragedy and becomes is best possible self.
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