The Servant of Two Masters

Full Text and Introduction (NHB Drama Classics)

Carlo Goldoni, Stephen Mulrine

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781780015279
• Topic: Letteratura
• Subtopic: Teatro

Drama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price

A classic Italian comedy that remains blisteringly hilarious and relevant, over two hundred and fifty years after it was written.

Disguising herself as her dead brother, Beatrice travels to Venice to find Florindo, the man responsible for his death. However, her servant, Truffaldino, enters into the pay of Florindo, and struggles to keep his two lives and masters separate.

Carlo Goldoni's play The Servant of Two Masters ( Il servitore di due padroni ) was written in the 1740s, though later revised by its author. It draws on the tradition of Italian commedia dell'arte.

This English version in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series is translated by Stephen Mulrine.

ACT ONE

Scene One

A room in PANTALONE’s house. PANTALONE, DOCTOR LOMBARDI, CLARICE, SILVIO, BRIGHELLA, SMERALDINA.

SILVIO (offering his hand to CLARICE). Here is my hand, and with it I give you my whole heart.

PANTALONE (to CLARICE). Come now, don’t be shy – give him your hand too. Then you’ll be betrothed, and very soon you shall be married.

CLARICE. Dear Silvio, here is my hand. I promise to be your wife.

SILVIO. And I promise to be your husband.

They take each other’s hand.

DOCTOR. Bravo, bravo! So that’s settled now. There’s no going back.

SMERALDINA (aside). Well, isn’t that just lovely? And here’s me burning up with envy!

PANTALONE (to BRIGHELLA and SMERALDINA). You two shall be witnesses to the betrothal of my daughter Clarice to this most worthy son of our good Doctor Lombardi.

BRIGHELLA. We shall indeed, sir, and I thank you for the honour you do me.

PANTALONE. Well, I was a witness at your wedding, and you’re now a witness at my daughter’s betrothal. I’m not keen on having a great crowd of friends or relations, and I know the Doctor is of the same mind. We’d rather do these things without fuss or ceremony. We’ll sit down to dinner together and enjoy ourselves, with nobody to disturb us. What do you say, children – does that suit you?

SILVIO. For my part, I wish nothing more than to be near my fiancée.

SMERALDINA (aside). Obviously – that’s the tastiest dish.

DOCTOR. My son doesn’t care for vanities. He’s a good-hearted lad. He loves your daughter, that’s all he thinks about.

PANTALONE. Truly we may say this will be a marriage made in heaven. For had it not been for the death of my agent in Turin, Federigo Rasponi – you know I had promised my daughter to him – well, if he hadn’t died, my dear future son-in-law couldn’t have had her.

SILVIO. Fortune has certainly smiled on me, though I don’t know if Clarice would say the same.

CLARICE. My dear Silvio, you do me wrong. You know how much I love you. I would of course have obeyed my father and married this gentleman from Turin, but my heart has always been yours.

DOCTOR. That’s true. But when heaven decrees, it will find a way, however unforeseen. (To PANTALONE.) Tell me, sir – how did this Federigo Rasponi die?

PANTALONE. Poor, unfortunate man! He was killed one night – some business concerning his sister, that’s as much as I know. Run through with a rapier, and left for dead in the street.

BRIGHELLA. And this happened in Turin?

PANTALONE. In Turin, yes.

BRIGHELLA. Oh, the poor man! I’m truly sorry to hear that.

PANTALONE. Did you know him, this Signor Rasponi?

BRIGHELLA. Indeed I did, sir. I lived in Turin for three years, and I knew his sister too. A high-spirited young woman, very brave – dressed like a man, a keen horsewoman too. Her brother absolutely doted on her. Good heavens, who would have thought it!

PANTALONE. Ah well, disasters lie in wait for us all. Anyway, let’s have no more sad stories. You know what I’d like to do, Brighella, my dear sir? I believe you enjoy showing off your skill in that kitchen of yours, so why don’t you prepare two or three of your finest dishes for us?

BRIGHELLA. Most willingly, sir – it’ll be my pleasure. Though I say it as shouldn’t, perhaps, customers at my inn are always well contented. People say there’s nowhere better to eat, as you’ll see for yourself.

PANTALONE. Bravo, sir. And let’s have plenty of sauce with it, to dip our bread in.

A knock at the door.

Ah, there’s someone at the door. Go down and see who it is, Smeraldina.

SMERALDINA. Yes, sir. (Goes out.)

CLARICE. If you’ll excuse me, Father…

PANTALONE. No, wait. We’ll all leave together. Let’s see who it is.

SMERALDINA (re-enters). It’s a gentleman’s servant, sir – not from around these parts, a stranger. He wishes to call on you, but he wouldn’t talk to me. He says he’ll only speak to the master.

PANTALONE. Show him in. We’ll find out what he wants.

CLARICE. I think I should withdraw, Father.

PANTALONE. Where to?

CLARICE. I don’t know. To my own room…

PANTALONE. No no, young lady – you stay here. (Aside, to the DOCTOR.) We can’t leave these lovebirds alone, not yet, anyway.

DOCTOR (aside, to PANTALONE). Quite right, sir – a wise precaution.

SMERALDINA brings in TRUFFALDINO.

TRUFFALDINO. My most humble greetings, ladies and gentlemen, at your service! My, what a fine company – truly, a very fine company indeed!

PANTALONE. And who might you be, my friend? What is your business here?

TRUFFALDINO (pointing to CLARICE). Tell me, who is this beautiful young lady?

PANTALONE. That is my daughter, sir.

TRUFFALDINO. I’m delighted to hear it.

SMERALDINA. And she’s engaged to be married.

TRUFFALDINO. Oh dear, what a pity. So who are you?

SMERALDINA. I’m the young lady’s maid, sir.

TRUFFALDINO. Congratulations.

PANTALONE. Come, sir, enough ceremony. What do you want with me, and who are you? Who sent you here?

TRUFFALDINO. Patience, Signore, have patience. Three questions all at once is too much for a poor man.

PANTALONE (aside, to the DOCTOR). I think this man’s a fool.

DOCTOR (aside, to PANTALONE). No, I think he’s playing the fool.

TRUFFALDINO (to SMERALDINA). So you’re going to be married?

SMERALDINA (sighs). No, Signore – not me.

PANTALONE. Either you tell me who you are, sir, or be off about your business.

TRUFFALDINO. Well, if you want to know who I am, I can tell you that in short order. I’m my master’s servant. (Turns to address SMERALDINA.) Anyway, to get back to what I was saying…

PANTALONE. And precisely who, sir, is your master?

TRUFFALDINO. He’s a gentleman, sir, and he’s come a long way to pay you his respects. (To SMERALDINA.) Listen, about this marriage, we need to talk.

PANTALONE. Who is this gentleman? What’s his name?

TRUFFALDINO. Phew, that’s a long story, sir. Signor Federigo Rasponi of Turin, that’s my master, and he sends his compliments. He’s here to see you, sir, and he’s down below, but he’d like to come up, and he’s waiting for me to go back down with an answer. Now, sir, will that do, or is there anything else you want to know?

They all look at him, bewildered. He turns again to SMERALDINA.

Right, where were we?

PANTALONE. Look, come over here and talk to me. What the devil are you going on about?

TRUFFALDINO. And if you want to know who I am, my name’s Truffaldino Batocchio and I’m from Bergamo.

PANTALONE. I couldn’t care less who you are. Tell me again – who is this master of yours? I think I misheard you.

TRUFFALDINO (aside). Poor old soul – he must be deaf. (To PANTALONE.) Signor Federigo Rasponi, I said – from Turin.

PANTALONE. Oh, go away – this is madness! Federigo Rasponi of Turin is dead.

TRUFFALDINO. Dead?

PANTALONE. Yes, of course he’s dead, unfortunately.

TRUFFALDINO. Dead? (Aside.) What the devil… My master dead? I left him alive downstairs just a minute ago! (To PANTALONE.) Are you serious – he’s really dead?

PANTALONE. Yes, he’s dead – I’m absolutely certain of it.

DOCTOR. It’s true. Without a shadow of doubt, he’s dead.

TRUFFALDINO (aside). Oh, my poor master! He must’ve met up with an accident. (To PANTALONE, making to withdraw.) Your most humble servant, sir…

PANTALONE. Is there nothing else I can do for you?

TRUFFALDINO. No, sir, no thank you – not now that he’s dead. (Aside.) But I’m going to find out if it really is true. (Goes out.)

PANTALONE. Well, what are we to make of this fellow? Is he mad, or just plain stupid?

DOCTOR. I’ve no idea. Most likely six of one, half a dozen of the other.

BRIGHELLA. I’d say he was...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• For Further Reading
• Goldoni: Key Dates
• Characters
• Act One
• Act Two
• Act Three
• Pronunciation Guide
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information