Summary of “The Marriage of Figaro” by Beaumarchais


Action first

In the castle of Count Almaviva, his valet, Figaro and Suzanne, the wife of Count Rosina’s wife, are preparing for the wedding. This event is the cause of many incidents, because you have to keep an ear on the earl. Take, for example, his gift: he took the young man a room that connected his chambers with the Countess’s rooms. Do not have time to call their lords, like Figaro, and Susanna is right there.

Figaro likes the room, but Susanna… What’s wrong with her? She resolutely rejects this sign of attention from the count. Where is your usual ingenuity, Figaro? After all, Almaviva probably wants to take advantage of the right of the first night! Suzanne immediately became clear the real reason for count’s favor. Figaro is amazed. The count after his marriage to Rosine announced the abolition of this custom. Be that as it may, Figaro will not let himself be. He serves the master well, but he will be able to stand up for his honor.

The marriage of Figaro and Suzanne is trying to prevent the count’s housekeeper Marcellina and her old lover – Dr. Bartolo. Bartolo still has not forgotten how the clever barber fooled him by arranging Almaviva’s marriage on the beautiful Rosina.

Now the vengeful old man decided to take the opportunity to crack down on Figaro. At one time, Figaro borrowed money from Marcellina and promised in writing in case of non-payment to marry her. While filing a lawsuit against Marcellina, the cunning Bartolo expects to upset the wedding of the independent Figaro, despite the fact that Marcellina still cares about his blood. Susanna is seriously concerned about the situation. With interest she listens to the young page of Cherubino, who tells of her love for the Countess. However, not to her alone, he nourishes tender feelings. The young man is in love with all the women of the castle and therefore often gets into unpleasant alterations.

Most recently, the Count found him alone with Barbarina, a young gardener’s niece, Antonio, and, angry, ordered the young man to be driven out of the castle.

Only the intercession of the countess can mitigate the wrath of Almaviva, and Cherubino asks Susanna to put in a word for him in front of the lady. But, as a sin, the count appears. Hearing his approach, Cherubino, in fright, hides behind the armchair and involuntarily becomes witness to how Almaviva seeks a meeting with Suzanne. However, his lordship has to follow the example of the page. Not wishing that the incoming teacher of singing Basilio found him alone with Suzanne, Almaviva hides. He hears Basilio’s story of Cherubino’s love for the Countess. Outside of himself, the Count jumps out of his hiding and becomes furious when he sees Cherubino.

It would have been inconvenient to have a page, if it had not been for Susannah. Hinting that Cherubino was witness to the outpourings of the count, the girl somewhat tempered her master’s wrath. The embarrassment of the count is further intensified when he has to listen to the peasants who came to thank the seigneur for having canceled the feudal right of the first night. The peasant brought to the castle of Figaro, who is in a hurry to celebrate his wedding with Suzanne. Almaviva has nothing else to do but to allow the wedding and graciously agree to be a guest. Taking advantage of the confusion of the count, Cherubino begs forgiveness. But he must immediately go to the regiment, to military service. Figaro demonstrates to the spoiled page the “horrors” of military service.

The second action

Countess’s room. Suzanne, the Countess and Figaro decide to teach the Count. Suzanne must promise Almaviva a date, but instead of her, Cherubino, disguised, will appear at the meeting place. Hardly had the page been dressed in Suzanne’s dress, how he had to hide in the next room, for Almaviva’s footsteps were audible. However, the attention of the jealous graph did not escape the fact that the door of the room was locked. He demands a key from Rosina and, without receiving it, goes behind the instrument to break open the door.

The Countess is forced to submit to her husband and accompany him. Taking advantage of this, Suzanne enters the room, and Cherubino jumps out the window. The count is triumphant, now he will convict his wife of treason. The door is broken – and Suzanne comes out of the room. Frustrated Almaviva is forced to ask his wife for forgiveness. But unexpectedly appears the gardener Antonio with a broken flower pot. Someone jumped out of the window and broke the flowers. The Countess and Suzanne are rescued by the resourceful Figaro. He claims that he just jumped out of the window. The count is confused. The arrival of Bartolo, Basilio and Marcellina dramatically changes the situation. A suit of the old duenai is submitted for payment. Figaro does not have the money to pay off his debt – he has to answer before the court.

Action third

Hall in the castle. The court decided the case in favor of Marcellina, but Figaro manages to avoid marrying a duenne. Unexpectedly it turns out that he is the son of Marcelina and Bartolo, kidnapped in infancy. Happy parents decide today, together with the wedding of the newly-found son, to play his own wedding. Figaro observes that the count is reading a note. In her, Suzanne appointed a date to the Count. Previously, she had arranged with the countess to exchange a dress with her, and at night to Almaviva his own wife, disguised as Suzanne, would come to the garden. The note is stabbed with a pin. If the Earl agrees to be at the agreed hour at the agreed place, he must return the pin to Suzanne. Figaro suspects something amiss and decides to follow the count.

Step Four

The garden of the castle of Almaviva. In the moonlight, Barbara looks for a pin in the grass. On the question of Figaro, why she does it, the girl responds that at the decree of the count should deliver a pin to Suzanne. Struck by the treachery of the bride, Figaro decides to arrange an ambush and wait for Suzanne with the count. The appearance of Suzanne in the costume of the Countess and Countess in Suzanne’s dress serves as an occasion for amusing misunderstandings. In the end, everything is unraveled and it turns out. The Count begs his wife for forgiveness, and Rosina is inferior to his entreaties. A crazy day ends on a merry holiday.


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Summary of “The Marriage of Figaro” by Beaumarchais