Isabella Andreini in the context of Commedia dell'Arte

Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as commedia alla maschera, commedia improvviso, and commedia dell'arte all'improvviso. Commedia is characterized by masked "types" which are standardised archetypical characters shared across all productions and identified via their names, costumes, and functions in the comedy.

Commedia was responsible for the rise of actresses such as Isabella Andreini and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. A commedia, such as The Tooth Puller, contains both scripted and improvised portions; key plot points and characters' entrances and exits are scripted, but the actors may otherwise be expected to improvise new gags on stage. A special characteristic of commedia is the lazzo, a joke or "something foolish or witty", usually well known to the performers and to some extent a scripted routine. Another characteristic of commedia is pantomime, which is mostly used by the character Arlecchino, now better known as Harlequin.

Vittoria Piisimi (fl. 1595), was an Italian actress, singer, dancer, theatre director and musician. Known as la divina Vittoria Piisimi, she was one of the most famous Italian actors of the period. She and the Italian actress Isabella Andreini were described as great rivals.

Isabella is a stock character used in commedia dell'arte, in the class of innamorata (female lover). In the commedia dell'arte, the relationship of the innamorati, or lovers, is often threatened by the vecchi (old men) characters, but they are reunited in the end. In his 1929 book The Italian Comedy, Pierre Louis Duchartre writes that Isabella changed from being mainly tender and loving in the 16th century to a more flirtatious and strong-willed woman with a "lively, picturesque wit" by the end of the 17th century.

Although actress Vittoria degli Amorevoli also played an innamoratta named Isabella in the 16th century, the character Isabella is named to honour the actress and writer Isabella Andreini of the commedia troupe I Gelosi, who popularized the role. Later, Isabella was played by Françoise Biancolelli of the Biancolelli acting family.