Throughout culture we see character archetypes appear in everything we see. These "cookie-cutter-type" characters come from a number of things but most commonly we see these characters emerging from Greek Commedia dell'arte.
This is important not only to the play, "Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play," but also to The Simpsons as a whole. These characters have gone down into history to help create a road map for plot and story telling and can allow writers to toss these characters types into any situation.
These characters help The Simpsons' success for multiple reasons. One being that although all are elevated and exaggerated characteristics (both physically and emotionally within the world of Commedia dell'arte) but overall they are relatable people that we have become familiar with as an audience through stories we've all heard.
This also helps with the television show of The Simpsons because it allows the writers of the show easier access into parody. For instance, because these archetypes are used in every story we hear we are able to put Homer in story lines we've heard before, but because it's not the original character it allows humor to shine through. One example from the show can be taken from the famous Treehouse of Horror V. In this episode the writers parody the Simpsons family to a multitude of horror films, but most notably Stanley Kubrik's The Shining. Similar to Jack Nicholson's character, Jack Torrence, homer has the similar character archetype of the stressed father figure. Similarly, Marge can be paired well as a mirror to Shelley Duvall's character, Wendy Torrence, in the story.
Bart as Brighella: Another greedy character, but much less rich than Pantalone. Has no problem lying through his teeth. Tends to be a Manipulative Bastard and a Lovable Rogue, perhaps even a Magnificent Bastard.
Mr. Burns as Pantalone: Rich and miserly. Keeps propositioning Colombina, the Dirty Old Man. Is also a Bad Boss to Arlechino. Sometimes an Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist. Based primarily on the stereotype of the rich Venetian merchant. Has a peculiar, shuffling walk.
Homer as Zanni: Zanni is ignorant and loutish, and has no self-awareness. The very act of thinking is alien to him - the very sight of Zanni straining to give birth to an idea is risible. But he is astute in knavery; a loafer, but willing and able to dish out heavy thwacks with this slapstick; intolerant of discipline and authority, but very faithful. He lives totally in the present.
Marge and Lisa as Columbina: By her keen and active wit, she was able to hold her own in every situation and emerge with ease and dignity from the most involved intrigues. The only lucid, rational person in commedia dell’arte. Autonomous and self-sufficient, she has no negative attributes; she has enough to eat, decent clothes and no ambition to be rich.
Greek Theatre Rituals
The rule in Greek theatre was that no more than three actors could be on stage at the same time. This is why scenes were primarily among only 2 or 3 characters. Because the actors used masks, it was possible for each actor to play the part of one character. Actors were always men, never women, so men played female roles. In fact, actors were expected to be able to play both genders and all ages. Due to the outdoor settings, and the large audiences, subtle acting was not possible. Actors wore large masks instead of makeup and acted with large simple gestures.
The chorus was always made up of amateurs who practiced for months. At first, the duties of the chorus were basically the same as when they performed the dithyramb- to sing and dance. As theatre evolved the chorus began to take a role - they became a specifically designated group in a play, as opposed just a random group of men. They represented the common man, the voice of the audience. In a tragedy they acted as a counter balance to the flaws of the main character. They would watch and comment on the action. Aside from the group there was always a leader, the Choregos. The leader was able to interact with the actors. The size of the chorus could be upwards of 50 men but were more often around 15. As theatre evolved playwrights began to rely more and more on the actors and less and less on the chorus.
Mythology and "Mr. Burns-"
What is a myth?
Throughout the evolution of man kind we have evidence that story telling has been an important tool in the development of humankind. Myths are a collection of these stories by which we explain our beliefs and our history.
These myths we create a project serve a number of purposes. Myths create stability in cultures. They show a certain perspective and showcase values within literature and fiction. These stories are typically told in a communal environment, allowing connection to one another, to our ancestors, and to the world we've created.
With that said, myths can also explain the unexplainable. They have the ability to reveal reasons for chaos and miracles, yet they still retain a feeling of storytelling mystery. From this, we can create certain role models from these stories of deities' strength, persistence, and courage.
How do myths evolve?
Long story short, myths are really a never ending cycle of the game "Telephone." Something amazing happens and this information is passed through word of mouth from one person to the next, generation to generation until the story becomes twisted and fictional.
In the case of "Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play," we begin the 'myth' of Act 3 back in Act 1. The characters in Act 1 have recently had to deal with their impending doom after the electric grid fails. This is the first ingredient of the myth. We see the event being told between the characters with their own different interpretation of it. Some saying how they discovered it, some detailing that they've heard from other people, and some discussing what caused it. This then leads them to distract them selves from the problem at hand by retelling to plot of the Cape Fear episode of The Simpsons. This episode not only serves as a distraction but also as groundwork for the mythology they create at the end of the play.
Once we reach the final act we see that this episode has become the story the survivors tell to recount the days of destruction. It features all of the elements of a myth we recently discussed including showcasing values, attempting to explain the unexplainable, personifying chaos through characters, and creating a heroes for us to look up to.