In this blog post, I will summarize Beaumarchais’s life and major plays, focusing in particular on the plots and meanings of ‘The Barber of Seville’ and ‘The Marriage of Figaro’.
Beaumarchais’s Life
Beaumarchais (1732–1799) was born in Paris as the son of a watchmaker; his real name was Pierre Caron. In his youth, he frequented the royal court, working as a harp instructor for the princesses. Through an introduction by Duverney, an influential financier of the time, he became involved in speculative ventures and made a sudden fortune.
Having become an overnight millionaire, he spent a fortune to purchase the noble title of de Beaumarchais and secured a position as the king’s secretary. He continued to engage in speculation and business ventures, eventually becoming embroiled in a dispute over an inheritance with the Parisian businessman Count La Planche, who accused Beaumarchais of fraud and deception.
Ultimately, after losing the lawsuit, Beaumarchais sued the prosecutor, Guesman. It is said that the reason for this was that the prosecutor’s wife had promised to influence the trial in his favor, accepted a bribe, and then failed to return it. This anecdote demonstrates that his life extended far beyond that of a simple man of letters, being instead entangled in a constant struggle for power and money.
He later served as a spy for Louis XVI, acted as a shipowner and arms dealer for the American Revolutionary forces, and served as president of the Society of Writers, all while continuing to devote himself to speculative business ventures. When the French Revolution broke out, he was satisfied on one hand, yet paradoxically, he was also imprisoned during the revolutionary period.
His literary activities continued steadily. He made his debut in the literary world with two comedies, ‘Eugénie’ and ‘Deux amis’, published between 1767 and 1770, and subsequently released ‘Le Barbier de Séville’ and ‘Le Mariage de Figaro’ (1775–1784), and ‘La Mère coupable’ (1789–1792).
Major Works and Synopses
“The Barber of Seville”
“The Barber of Seville” was panned by critics and considered a failure at its premiere, but it was revised in 1775 and became a huge success. The story centers on the jealous guardian Bartolo, the innocent Rosina, and the servant Figaro and the bold Count Almaviva, who seek to help her.
The plot begins with Bartolo plotting to marry Rosina by exploiting his position as her guardian. However, Count Almaviva, aided by his servant Figaro’s schemes, outwits Bartolo, and the lovers ultimately succeed in uniting through a clever ruse. Devices such as disguises, anonymity, and mistaken identities blend with a Spanish exoticism to create the play’s vivid atmosphere.
At the time, tragic and moving plays that moved audiences to tears were in vogue, but the emergence of this work was hailed for returning theater to its original place as pure comedy. Figaro is a character who feels no pangs of conscience and is not foolish; he is a personality who appears to substitute moral virtue with wit and mischief.
Beaumarchais portrays Figaro as a dissolute man without family or wealth, yet his philosophy and schemes mock fate and power. This character can be read as a symbol representing the grievances of the common people who had been deprived of their property rights at the time. By comically exposing the disruption of class and power structures, the entire work creates a social resonance that transcends mere entertainment.
“The Marriage of Figaro”
Following the success of “The Barber of Seville,” Beaumarchais published “The Marriage of Figaro.” Although it sparked heated debate immediately after its premiere, it was performed three years later in 1784 with the king’s permission. The production drew such immense interest that an accident occurred during the performance, in which three people suffocated to death in the crowd.
The plot begins with Figaro engaged to Susanna, a maid to the Countess of Almaviva. Two obstacles arise: first, the Count himself—who had helped arrange the marriage—desires Susanna; second, Figaro must fulfill a marriage promise made to Marcelline due to a past debt.
The play resolves these conflicts through masks, disguises, and confusion over social status. Ultimately, it is revealed that Marcelline is Figaro’s mother, and the Countess disguises herself as Susanna to arrange a secret rendezvous with her husband. This scheme corners the Count, and all problems are resolved.
The impact this work had on the public was immense. Beaumarchais’s social satire was deemed harsher and more scathing than Molière’s, and it moved contemporary audiences all the more deeply. In particular, ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ contrasts the idleness and foolishness of the privileged class with the survival instincts of the common people.
This contrast goes beyond mere personal satire to become a critique of the social structure itself. Therefore, the interpretation that ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ foreshadowed the French Revolution is a natural conclusion when considering the circumstances of the time and the play’s message.
