This second of two linked modules will examine comic theatre in Italy in the eighteenth century, considering aspects such as the influence of commedia dell'arte, particularly in the theatre of Goldoni and Gozzi, paying attention to the disputes over the use of the fantastic or everyday realism on the stage, particularly in Venice. The module will also look at the links between opera and comedy, drawing on, in addition to works by Gozzi and Goldoni, the comic librettos produced by Da Ponte, particularly those he wrote for Mozart.