| 1 | Probably from a Commedia dell'Arte sketch. The dialogue presents two characters: Zanni, talking a mixed dialect (Zanni is a mask depicting Bergamo labourers working in Venice), and a conversation partner, 'un zentil cavaller' ('a gentleman') talking Italian. When asked how to make ends meet, driven out by his master, Zanni reveals his future prospects. He will be a sort of manager, whilst his wife and his trained baboon will be the stars of an itinerant performance. | |
| 2 | Probably 'wine cellar' | |
| 3 | The funny aspect of the situation originates from the equivocal meaning of the word 'mona'. Florio's 1611 Italian/English Dictionary: Móna, a nickname for a woman, as we say, Gammer, or goodie such a one, Also a Pug, an Ape, a Kitlin. 'Mona' is a venetian word used and understood in all Italy. Its meaning is not as obscene as the Italian (Tuscan) 'fica' ('pussy'). In addition it is used in a lot of popular expressions: meaning of `stupid' in `va in mona' ('go to the devil') and in the derived noun 'monada' or 'monata' ('stupid trick'). Zanni says 'E me Muier po mostrarà la Mona' meaning that she will show the baboon, but the gentleman understands that Franceschina will show her pussy, so he asks for a demonstration. Zanni replies that the gentleman is blind, because, in the meantime, the baboon accompained by Franceschina has appeared on the stage. Just at that moment the gentleman realizes his misunderstanding. We should observe that the public has the same point of view as the gentlemen and the author of the sketch the same point of view as that of Zanni. | |
| 4 | In the last cue the gentleman, now aware of the circumstance, plays on the double entendre, because he refers to Franceschina and not to the baboon as 'mona' (translated here as 'monkey'). |