related in some way or another to his financials. When this occurs, he is often amusingly "turtle-like" and is often stuck in that position until assisted. Pantalone can do all of the movements of the other characters, but they are greatly hindered because of his old age. None of Pantalone's physical actions should look easy, for his is truly "the oldest of the old." In the well-known "all the world's a stage" speech in Shakespeare's As You Like It (II, vii), Jacques describes the second-last stage of life as "the lean and slippered pantaloon." Costume Pantalone's costume was designed with the inappropriateness intended to comically entertain. The costume for Pantalone is characterized by the use of red for almost the entire costume. The characteristics of the costume also include a Greek style hat, a jacket, a pair of long trousers or breeches with stockings, a tight jacket, a woollen skullcap and a robe or cape; it also includes a prominent codpiece or strategically placed coin purse. It also includes a black and red robe and yellow Turkish slippers. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a sword or dagger and gold medallion often accompanied the purse. The Pantalone mask is a half-mask with accents on bony structure, big, bushy eyebrows, a long, hooked nose, a mustache, and a long, pointed or forked beard. He occasionally is noted as having horn spectacles. He occasionally carries a walking stick, but it is used more as an aggravating weapon than an actual walking tool. Because of his skinny legs, Pantalone is often portrayed wearing trousers rather than knee-breeches (which Jacques refers to as "his youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide/For his shrunk shank"). He therefore became the origin of the name of a type of trouser called "pantaloons", which was later shortened to "pants". Related Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber (in the short story "Puss in Boots") gives another representation of Pantalone. The interpretation uses the spelling 'Pantaloon', but he follows a very similar description and ends up dead. References External links Explanation on site from Roberto Delpiano dedicated to Venice. Vecchio class characters Fictional businesspeople