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Figaro Trilogy #1-2
The Barber of Seville / The Marriage of Figaro
A French courtier, secret agent, libertine and adventurer, Beaumarchais (1732-99) was also author of two sparkling plays about the scoundrelly valet Figaro — triumphant successes that were used as the basis of operas by Mozart and Rossini. A highly engaging comedy of intrigue, The Barber of Seville portrays the resourceful Figaro foiling a jealous old man's attempts to keep his beautiful ward from her lover. The Marriage of Figaro — condemned by Louis XVI for its daring satire of nobility and privilege — depicts a master and servant set in opposition by their desire for the same woman. With characteristic lightness of touch, Beaumarchais created an audacious farce of disguise and mistaken identity that balances wit, frivolity and seriousness in equal measure.
John Wood's lively translation is accompanied by an introduction discussing the author's turbulent life and multifarious careers, and examines each play in detail. This edition also includes Beaumarchais's notes on the characters and costumes.
'He has everything — pleasantry, seriousness, reason, vigour, pathos, eloquence of every kind' VOLTAIRE
John Wood's lively translation is accompanied by an introduction discussing the author's turbulent life and multifarious careers, and examines each play in detail. This edition also includes Beaumarchais's notes on the characters and costumes.
'He has everything — pleasantry, seriousness, reason, vigour, pathos, eloquence of every kind' VOLTAIRE
223 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1778
21 people are currently reading
965 people want to read
About the author
Pierre de Beaumarchais
538 books92 followers
Le Barbier de Séville
(1775) and
Le Mariage de Figaro
(1784), the comic plays, best-known works of French writer Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, inspired Gioacchino Antonio Rossini and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to operas.
Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, a musician, diplomat, horticulturalist, satirist, and American revolutionary, made watches, invented, inventor, fled, spied, published, dealt arms, and financed.
Born a son to a provincial watchmaker , Beaumarchais rose in society as an influential inventor and music teacher in the court of Louis XV. He made a number of important business and social contacts in various roles as a diplomat and spy,and earned a considerable fortune before a series of costly court battles jeopardized his reputation.
An early supporter of American independence, Beaumarchais lobbied the government on behalf of the rebels during the war of independence. From the Spanish government, Beaumarchais oversaw covert aid to supply arms and financial assistance to the rebels in the years before formal entry of into the war in 1778. He personally invested money in the scheme but later struggled to recover it . Beaumarchais also participated in the early stages of the revolution. People probably remember especially his three theatrical pieces.
Jean-Pierre de Beaumarchais, a contemporary female, linearly descended.
Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, a musician, diplomat, horticulturalist, satirist, and American revolutionary, made watches, invented, inventor, fled, spied, published, dealt arms, and financed.
Born a son to a provincial watchmaker , Beaumarchais rose in society as an influential inventor and music teacher in the court of Louis XV. He made a number of important business and social contacts in various roles as a diplomat and spy,and earned a considerable fortune before a series of costly court battles jeopardized his reputation.
An early supporter of American independence, Beaumarchais lobbied the government on behalf of the rebels during the war of independence. From the Spanish government, Beaumarchais oversaw covert aid to supply arms and financial assistance to the rebels in the years before formal entry of into the war in 1778. He personally invested money in the scheme but later struggled to recover it . Beaumarchais also participated in the early stages of the revolution. People probably remember especially his three theatrical pieces.
Jean-Pierre de Beaumarchais, a contemporary female, linearly descended.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 10, 2018
Almaviva was such a bae in the first play but I was so disappointed by him in the second!! But that’s the point and I can appreciate what his character development does for the grand scheme of the plays. Figaro is definitely the star of both plays and that whole arc with his birth was an amazing plot twist. I love how scheming everyone in the castle is and all the gossip! I would’ve loved to have lived in that castle!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2014
The Marriage of Figaro may be the pinnacle of the comedies of manners of the 17th & 18th centuries. It's playfully bawdy, like Wycherley's plays, but not gratuitously so. There's cynicism, like that of the city comedies, but not so much that it overwhelms the comedy. And, like the best of Sheridan and Goldsmith, the action is well choreographed and the plotting complete.
Plus, it has Figaro, definitely the perfect hero for this form.
Plus, it has Figaro, definitely the perfect hero for this form.
November 25, 2011
“The Barber Of Seville,” translated, and with a panegyric introduction on the life of Beaumarchais and the social import of his plays, by John Wood. This romantic comedy, a very short and predictable light farce, is brilliant; I laughed out loud several times. It’s fast-paced, witty, subtle, deft, and even manages some brief commentary about the gap between rich and poor. I enjoyed it very much —-- the humor carries over into English and is timeless. Figaro, Figaro, Figaro --— a great character.
“The Marriage Of Figaro,” also translated by John Wood. Although this play, the sequel to the above, is not as neatly drawn up as its antecedent, nevertheless it’s impressive work. The humor is just as witty, and in general the scenes were adroit and fast-paced, although this lengthy play’s plot is more tangled, and this stands in the way of the humor. The main difference in content between this play and the above is in this one, the injustices between nobles and their servants, and the skewed treatment of men and women, are more heavily accented. This play was put on in the 1780s, and first rumblings of equality must have been apparent. Some of the lines speak of the sentiments of Voltaire or Rousseau. Funny and socially important, this play is marvelous.
“The Marriage Of Figaro,” also translated by John Wood. Although this play, the sequel to the above, is not as neatly drawn up as its antecedent, nevertheless it’s impressive work. The humor is just as witty, and in general the scenes were adroit and fast-paced, although this lengthy play’s plot is more tangled, and this stands in the way of the humor. The main difference in content between this play and the above is in this one, the injustices between nobles and their servants, and the skewed treatment of men and women, are more heavily accented. This play was put on in the 1780s, and first rumblings of equality must have been apparent. Some of the lines speak of the sentiments of Voltaire or Rousseau. Funny and socially important, this play is marvelous.
November 13, 2022
i had to read this for a class but i enjoyed it a lot more than i thought i would! it was really fun and figaro and suzanne were actually so cute 💞 the ending sucked though, countess rosina girl leave him!!!!! 😭😭
February 8, 2021
oh how amusing
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July 14, 2017In partial fulfillment of the requirements for Dr. Craig Saucier's course, Western Civilization After 1500:
In the years leading up to the storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution, the prevalent ideas pertaining to the privilege of the nobility began to shift. The circumstances of one’s birth, under this new paradigm, might not necessarily be the sole determinant of one’s worth, if it was a factor at all. Pierre Beaumarchais’s The Marriage of Figaro represents this changing sense of identity in French culture in the form of the comedy of an unscrupulous count and his clever servant.
Beaumarchais was a writer who supported the American Revolution and participated in the early French Revolution. Though The Marriage of Figaro was clearly written as a comedy, Beaumarchais imbued the work with his notion of the significance of noble birth, or lack thereof. The titular character wins his happiness in life through cleverness rather than by right. Figaro’s writing experience is a vehicle for Beaumarchais’s misgivings against censorship. “Stupidities that appear in print acquire importance only in so far as their circulation is restricted… unless there is liberty to criticize, praise has no value, and that only trivial minds are apprehensive of trivial scribbling” (200).
The play begins where The Barber of Seville left off. Figaro has aided the count in winning the woman he desired, and in exchange has earned a marriage to his love, Suzanne. However, the deceitful count plans to take Suzanne as his mistress, thus cheating Figaro and forgoing his faithfulness to his wife, the countess. Figaro, Suzanne, and the countess devise a plan to entrap the count by having someone impersonate Suzanne to entice him, only to then reveal the count’s treachery (131-133).
Marceline’s arrival complicates the situation, as she demands Figaro’s hand in marriage as part of an agreement in which he borrowed money from her. Realizing that Figaro plans to deny Suzanne to him, the count supports Marceline’s claim to Figaro and delays the marriage while the case is tried. In the events of the case, it is ultimately revealed that Figaro is actually Marceline’s illegitimate, kidnapped son, thus resolving her claim in the negative and freeing him to marry Suzanne (174-175).
The countess switches costumes with Suzanne to rendezvous with the count. He believes he is meeting with his intended mistress when he is actually meeting with his own wife. Figaro, unaware that the switch has taken place, suspects Suzanne of adulterous intent, until he goes to the countess and finds that she is actually Suzanne in disguise. The count finds them together, still failing to notice the switch, and calls the attendees of Figaro’s wedding to witness his wife’s unfaithfulness. To his embarrassment, his own attempt at adultery is exposed, while Figaro emerges with both wife and dowry (214-216).
Figaro denies the understood notion of aristocratic privilege, valuing his own efforts in life to be of greater worth than those of his master, the count. “Nobility, fortune, rank, position! How proud they make a man feel! What have you done to deserve such advantages? Put yourself to the trouble of being born – nothing more! For the rest – a very ordinary man!” (199). The play also questions the double standard on adultery for men and women during this time period, as shown in the count’s speech to the countess (205-207).
The Marriage of Figaro provides a comical story which demonstrates the changing political ideas of its time. The culture of the story is not yet engulfed in the depths the French Revolution, but it is ripe for such a development of ideas. The old nobility, once inherently virtuous, is depicted as villainous and foolish. Simultaneously, in Figaro, Beaumarchais shows us a common man who triumphs after rising from nothingness.
In the years leading up to the storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution, the prevalent ideas pertaining to the privilege of the nobility began to shift. The circumstances of one’s birth, under this new paradigm, might not necessarily be the sole determinant of one’s worth, if it was a factor at all. Pierre Beaumarchais’s The Marriage of Figaro represents this changing sense of identity in French culture in the form of the comedy of an unscrupulous count and his clever servant.
Beaumarchais was a writer who supported the American Revolution and participated in the early French Revolution. Though The Marriage of Figaro was clearly written as a comedy, Beaumarchais imbued the work with his notion of the significance of noble birth, or lack thereof. The titular character wins his happiness in life through cleverness rather than by right. Figaro’s writing experience is a vehicle for Beaumarchais’s misgivings against censorship. “Stupidities that appear in print acquire importance only in so far as their circulation is restricted… unless there is liberty to criticize, praise has no value, and that only trivial minds are apprehensive of trivial scribbling” (200).
The play begins where The Barber of Seville left off. Figaro has aided the count in winning the woman he desired, and in exchange has earned a marriage to his love, Suzanne. However, the deceitful count plans to take Suzanne as his mistress, thus cheating Figaro and forgoing his faithfulness to his wife, the countess. Figaro, Suzanne, and the countess devise a plan to entrap the count by having someone impersonate Suzanne to entice him, only to then reveal the count’s treachery (131-133).
Marceline’s arrival complicates the situation, as she demands Figaro’s hand in marriage as part of an agreement in which he borrowed money from her. Realizing that Figaro plans to deny Suzanne to him, the count supports Marceline’s claim to Figaro and delays the marriage while the case is tried. In the events of the case, it is ultimately revealed that Figaro is actually Marceline’s illegitimate, kidnapped son, thus resolving her claim in the negative and freeing him to marry Suzanne (174-175).
The countess switches costumes with Suzanne to rendezvous with the count. He believes he is meeting with his intended mistress when he is actually meeting with his own wife. Figaro, unaware that the switch has taken place, suspects Suzanne of adulterous intent, until he goes to the countess and finds that she is actually Suzanne in disguise. The count finds them together, still failing to notice the switch, and calls the attendees of Figaro’s wedding to witness his wife’s unfaithfulness. To his embarrassment, his own attempt at adultery is exposed, while Figaro emerges with both wife and dowry (214-216).
Figaro denies the understood notion of aristocratic privilege, valuing his own efforts in life to be of greater worth than those of his master, the count. “Nobility, fortune, rank, position! How proud they make a man feel! What have you done to deserve such advantages? Put yourself to the trouble of being born – nothing more! For the rest – a very ordinary man!” (199). The play also questions the double standard on adultery for men and women during this time period, as shown in the count’s speech to the countess (205-207).
The Marriage of Figaro provides a comical story which demonstrates the changing political ideas of its time. The culture of the story is not yet engulfed in the depths the French Revolution, but it is ripe for such a development of ideas. The old nobility, once inherently virtuous, is depicted as villainous and foolish. Simultaneously, in Figaro, Beaumarchais shows us a common man who triumphs after rising from nothingness.
June 9, 2024
These two plays are farcical romantic comedies and social satires, more famous as operas than plays. Beaumarchais had an interesting life in politics, diplomacy, mechanics, law as well as in literature. The Barber of Seville is a relatively straightforward work compared with the sequel The Marriage of Figaro. Figaro is the main character in both plays; he is a rogue but one with depth. Beaumarchais sort to challenge the status quo and in fact the second play scandalized many of his contemporaries.
October 16, 2014
Para constatar que a literatura teatral do iluminismo era uma bobajada adolescente, de muita forma e nenhum conteúdo.
Não sobreviveria aos séculos não fosse a música que se pôs em cima.
Paulo e Cora Rónai fizeram uma adaptação cheia de maneirismos dos adolescentes dos anos 70, daqueles que se fazem para aproximar os jovens dos livros (e graças a Deus nunca funciona), o que torna a leitura ainda mais pamonha.
Não sobreviveria aos séculos não fosse a música que se pôs em cima.
Paulo e Cora Rónai fizeram uma adaptação cheia de maneirismos dos adolescentes dos anos 70, daqueles que se fazem para aproximar os jovens dos livros (e graças a Deus nunca funciona), o que torna a leitura ainda mais pamonha.
July 11, 2017
A classic, but not really classically good. Funny, but 17th century French humor, so take that for what it's worth. It was an interesting choice to have the hero of one play be the villain in another, then suddenly have everything wind up all hunky-dory. Situational comedy in the truest sense, but nothing really that stood out as extraordinary.
March 1, 2012
I really liked The Barber of Seville. I thought it was very witty, very sharp, and very nimble. I didn't enjoy The Marriage of Figaro as much, however. Ensiform's review of this book expresses my sentiments toward these two plays far better than I ever could.
June 18, 2024
This is the original feminist movement I tell you — the girls versus a straight man.
If you like Greek tragedies and comedies you’ll like this
Best quotes undisputed:
“Men are all the same”
“My truth is the truth”
If you like Greek tragedies and comedies you’ll like this
Best quotes undisputed:
“Men are all the same”
“My truth is the truth”
October 19, 2023
3.5 stars
I picked this up partly because I am trying to read more plays, but also, more importantly, I am going to see The Barber of Seville in November 2023 so reading this beforehand would give me a better insight into the playwright and the opera.
I did really enjoy this, and it was far more comic than I was expecting. I’m really interested to see how it is adapted onto the stage as an opera.
I picked this up partly because I am trying to read more plays, but also, more importantly, I am going to see The Barber of Seville in November 2023 so reading this beforehand would give me a better insight into the playwright and the opera.
I did really enjoy this, and it was far more comic than I was expecting. I’m really interested to see how it is adapted onto the stage as an opera.
January 6, 2017
Though the plot could be a tad convoluted at times, the dialogue was absolutely hilarious in both plays and the characters so winning I couldn't help rooting for them. I would love to see this performed in its stage version (rather than the Opera). The famous wit of Beaumarchais is certainly well on display with these.
June 14, 2019
The first play is really good, filled with excellent remarks and humour, I painted half the play with my pen (:.
Unfortunately I lost both my appetite and track in the second play, it was too long and complex for such a risky story, risky means can be boring. But I think someone who enjoys romance will like both.
Unfortunately I lost both my appetite and track in the second play, it was too long and complex for such a risky story, risky means can be boring. But I think someone who enjoys romance will like both.
July 15, 2007
It's funny that I should find the play that inspired such a work of genius as Mozart's opera of the same name to be so uninteresting. Maybe it was the translation. It just seemed like a silly farce, which it kind of is, but I guess I need Mozart to point out all the subtleties inbetween the lines.
December 25, 2010
The Barber of Seville: 4 stars.
The Marriage of Figaro: 3 stars.
'The Barber of Seville' was a lot of fun to read, very comical and full of intrigue. The sequel, 'The Marriage of Figaro', was less amusing, in part because I found it to be exceedingly complicated. A nice lighthearted read.
The Marriage of Figaro: 3 stars.
'The Barber of Seville' was a lot of fun to read, very comical and full of intrigue. The sequel, 'The Marriage of Figaro', was less amusing, in part because I found it to be exceedingly complicated. A nice lighthearted read.
May 2, 2015
Figaro, porte-parole de beaumarchais exprime ttes ses idées révolutionnaires contre la noblesse de son temps et annonce la révolution sociale et politique de 1789.
"Vs vs êtes donné la peine de naître et rien de plus " dit-il
(Il est vrai que Figaro est un valet mais il a l'éloquence d'un maître )
"Vs vs êtes donné la peine de naître et rien de plus " dit-il
(Il est vrai que Figaro est un valet mais il a l'éloquence d'un maître )
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2008
It seemed an odd thing to read at first, but Christian and I were going to see the Opera at the NY Met, so I read it and LOVED it. It's a quick read and you should read it!
October 26, 2008
It has been a while since I read this, but I remember liking it. Both plays were amusing and quite entertaining. I'll have to read this book again sometime to refresh my memory... :o)
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July 27, 2011Don't usually like to read plays, but these were good. Very cunning that Figaro!
June 13, 2014
Interesting. The source from which the operas were based. A must for opera fans. I'm one.
June 29, 2013
LOLZ!!!
November 20, 2014
I read these 2 plays for an opera course on the Figaro Saga. The plays are well worth reading and the bio of Beaumarchais in the introduction is fascinating.
February 20, 2017
(only the marriage of figaro)
December 29, 2019
//"CONTESA: Nu mă mai iubește deloc.
SUZANNE: Atunci, de ce e atat de gelos?
CONTESA: Din vanitate, draga mea, ca toți bărbații."//
SUZANNE: Atunci, de ce e atat de gelos?
CONTESA: Din vanitate, draga mea, ca toți bărbații."//
February 26, 2022
A four-act farcical drama, performed and published in 1775 as Le Barbier de Séville; ou, la precaution inutile (“The Barber of Seville; or, The Useless Precaution”). It was the basis of the 1816 opera Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini, with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The play achieved great popularity for its ingeniously constructed plot and lively wit.
Rosine (known as Rosina in the opera), the ward of Dr. Bartholo, is kept locked in her room by Bartholo because he plans to marry her, though she despises him. Young Count Almaviva loves her from afar and uses various disguises, including one as Alonzo, a substitute music teacher, in his attempts to win her. Bartholo’s roguish barber Figaro is part of the plot against him. Indeed, it is Figaro who steals the key to Rosine’s room for Almaviva. Unfortunately, Almaviva is in his disguise as Alonzo when he meets Rosine. Though in love with “Alonzo,” Rosine is convinced by the suspicious Bartholo that Alonzo intends to steal her away and sell her to a wicked count. Disappointed, she agrees to wed Bartholo that very night. All of Figaro’s ingenuity is required to substitute Count Almaviva for Bartholo at the wedding ceremony.
The Marriage of Figaro, comedy in five acts, performed in 1784 as La Folle Journée; ou, le mariage de Figaro (“The Madness of a Day, or the Marriage of Figaro”). It is the sequel to his comic play The Barber of Seville and is the work upon which Mozart based the opera Le nozze di Figaro (1786). The Marriage of Figaro was written between 1775 and 1778. The play reverses the character of Count Almaviva from the romantic hero of The Barber of Seville to an unscrupulous villain and is generally critical of aristocratic corruption, which it contrasts with lower-class virtue.
In the previous play, Figaro, who is the Count’s loyal factotum, helped his master win the hand of Rosine (known as Rosina in the opera), now the Countess Almaviva. Figaro is betrothed to Suzanne, the Countess’s maid. Because Count Almaviva wants Suzanne as his mistress, he attempts to prevent the couple’s marriage. Suspicious of his master, Figaro sends the Count an anonymous letter informing him that the Countess has a lover. Various intrigues ensue, during which Suzanne and the Countess change places to deceive both the Count and Figaro. Eventually, Figaro learns that Suzanne has always been faithful to him. The Count admits his dishonourable intentions and gives his permission for Figaro and Suzanne to marry.
Rosine (known as Rosina in the opera), the ward of Dr. Bartholo, is kept locked in her room by Bartholo because he plans to marry her, though she despises him. Young Count Almaviva loves her from afar and uses various disguises, including one as Alonzo, a substitute music teacher, in his attempts to win her. Bartholo’s roguish barber Figaro is part of the plot against him. Indeed, it is Figaro who steals the key to Rosine’s room for Almaviva. Unfortunately, Almaviva is in his disguise as Alonzo when he meets Rosine. Though in love with “Alonzo,” Rosine is convinced by the suspicious Bartholo that Alonzo intends to steal her away and sell her to a wicked count. Disappointed, she agrees to wed Bartholo that very night. All of Figaro’s ingenuity is required to substitute Count Almaviva for Bartholo at the wedding ceremony.
The Marriage of Figaro, comedy in five acts, performed in 1784 as La Folle Journée; ou, le mariage de Figaro (“The Madness of a Day, or the Marriage of Figaro”). It is the sequel to his comic play The Barber of Seville and is the work upon which Mozart based the opera Le nozze di Figaro (1786). The Marriage of Figaro was written between 1775 and 1778. The play reverses the character of Count Almaviva from the romantic hero of The Barber of Seville to an unscrupulous villain and is generally critical of aristocratic corruption, which it contrasts with lower-class virtue.
In the previous play, Figaro, who is the Count’s loyal factotum, helped his master win the hand of Rosine (known as Rosina in the opera), now the Countess Almaviva. Figaro is betrothed to Suzanne, the Countess’s maid. Because Count Almaviva wants Suzanne as his mistress, he attempts to prevent the couple’s marriage. Suspicious of his master, Figaro sends the Count an anonymous letter informing him that the Countess has a lover. Various intrigues ensue, during which Suzanne and the Countess change places to deceive both the Count and Figaro. Eventually, Figaro learns that Suzanne has always been faithful to him. The Count admits his dishonourable intentions and gives his permission for Figaro and Suzanne to marry.
June 21, 2018
It is no wonder that these conjoined plays—faithfully transferred into operatic comedy by Mozart—caused such a stir at the time of their staging. When the servants move to center stage and are not only smarter but wittier than their masters, they threaten to usurp the illusions of the wealthy. Beaumarchais depicts his moneyed men as bumbling, jealous, fools—even be duped by their own wives—while the men narrow-mindedly pursue their whims. Barber is a more straightforward comedy with Figaro guiding the hapless Count Almavida in artful seduction of an “unobtainable” woman, and easy to enjoy. The Marriage of Figaro bursts with comedic situations, disguises, subterfuge, and one-upmanship that gives the servants a platform to show who is really in control of the household (though the story can become convoluted and the banter over syntax lost in translation). Figaro has found an equal in his betrothed, Suzanne, who is as smart and sassy as he is. Beaumarchais’ work shows that we have long needed to keep the powerful in check and uses comedy as his foil. The pen, as they say….
June 29, 2020
I got bored so didn't finish this classic. I read 38 pages of the introduction and part of the 1st play. It is actually well written and I enjoyed the history leading up to the plays but just couldn't concentrate so gave it up. It is 18th century comedy. The author is Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais. He was as large in life as his plays. I think I would have enjoyed it as a play. My Dad sang opera so I knew some of the songs from the opera. He was a very interesting man who actually helped America during the war of 1776. Check into that if you want to want to know more. Maybe I will pick it up again one day or maybe my humor is just not the same as the humor in the eighteenth century.
August 17, 2017
Two very different plays. Having only knowledge of the operas, I went into this strongly desiring to know the originals.
The Barber of Seville is shorter and much lighter than the sequel. Mozart made the Marriage of Figaro much less intense than the play, which addresses class, gender, and politics. I was disappointed in the horrid change in the Count from the first play to the second, but I suppose it served Beaumarchais' purpose.
I think these are worthwhile reads to accompany the operas as well as explore 18th-century French literature.
The Barber of Seville is shorter and much lighter than the sequel. Mozart made the Marriage of Figaro much less intense than the play, which addresses class, gender, and politics. I was disappointed in the horrid change in the Count from the first play to the second, but I suppose it served Beaumarchais' purpose.
I think these are worthwhile reads to accompany the operas as well as explore 18th-century French literature.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews