Commedia dell'Arte (not sure of exact spelling) was a theatrical form that flourished in Italy and France from the 1500s to the 1700s. It was truly theatre for the masses, stock situations, easily-identifiable characters (wearing masks) and lots of improvisation. Harlequin is one of the characters, as are probably Punch and Judy.
You had a pair of lovers, and old couple, madcap servants, a maidservant, soldier, lawyer and others. The lovers, played maskless, were really secondary.
Best way to put it, perhaps, is they were the sitcoms of their day.
Scaramouche/Scapino is the unscrupulous and clever servant, who is constantly plotting.
Moliere introduced him into French theatre. It really is a delight.
Scaramouche the novel is about a young lawyer in 1789 France whose best friend is killed in an unfair duel. He whips up a crowd in Nantes, so is forced to flee, taking up with a travelling troupe of actors.