The Pantalone mask was used to do what is most Venetian and widely known of all: Carlo Goldoni's plays.
I am almost sure that there is no play made by Goldoni in which Pantalone is not appearing. He is too much the soul of Venice and an expected character.
I can't imagine a play where the leading character is Florindo or Beatrice, the ones that appear in "The Obedient Daughter" play, or Lelio ... oh please ...
Pantalone, with his faults and humanity, and old guy's lust, and greed, how can we do without him?
He's definitely a milestone in every Goldoni play, somebody to use as a counterpoint, around which to develop a story, and he can be put down as much as possible, nobody in the public would identify with him, or commiserate him.
And Goldoni's theater is not to be considered "slapstick" as the Commedia dell'Arte is, nevertheless ...
