The Aesthetics of Commedia dell'Arte in European Fairy Tales

The article considers commedia dell’arte traditions in European fairy tales of the 19th and 20th centuries. The research material is “Pierrot ou les secrets de la nuit” by M. Tournier, “Harlequin and the Green Dress” by L. Fischetto and “Pulcinella on the Tomb of Columbine” by H. H. Andersen. The commedia images and plots presented in these works are compared with the original ones, and the techniques with which the authors of fairy tales adapt commedia traditions to the children's perception are highlighted. It is established that the authors of European fairy tales of the 20th century avoid turning to those carnival elements that can cause bewilderment in children’s audience – to satire and crude humor. The 19th-century fairy tale also neutralizes the “rough” aspects of commedia aesthetics: so as not to distract the reader from its tragic-philosophical content. Imitating the novel tradition, the fairy tale of the 19th century is based on the harlequinade grotesque.