Goldoni, Carlo (1707-1793), was an Italian playwright. Almost all his plays deal with light and humorous subjects, though he often questioned the values and conduct of the aristocracy and the middle class. Unlike other dramatists of his day, who let the actors improvise on a plot outline, Goldoni insisted on writing the entire play. He gradually abandoned the use of stock characters and created realistic roles instead. His best plays include The Servant of Two Masters (1745), The Family of the Antique Dealer (1750), The Liar (1750), and The Mistress of the Inn (1753).
Goldoni was born in Venice. He studied law in several universities before deciding in 1748 to become a playwright. He wrote more than 150 comedies in Italian, in the Venetian dialect, and in French. He also wrote an Autobiography (1787) in French.
