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The clown emerged as a professional comic actor in the late Middle Ages. Court jesters and fools were influences for travelling entertainers. Italian commedia dellarte, improvised
masked comedy with stock plots also developed many stock clown characters, including Arlecchino (Harlequin) in the 16th century.

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Circus bands ranged from a half-dozen musicians to large ensembles. The music of the bigtop was invariably exciting and driving in manner, and was always played at
an appropriate breathtaking speed.

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By the mid 19th century the larger touring circuses began to exhibit side shows. These would sometimes include what were then called human oddities, Siamese twins,
giants, bearded ladies, dwarfs (then known as midgets), people without arms or legs, and people who could perform unusual acts such as snake charming.