“The Barber of Seville, or Vain Precaution” by Beaumarchais in brief summary
On the night street of Seville in the suit of a modest bachelor Count Almaviva waits, when the window will show the object of his love. A nobleman, tired of court debauchery, for the first time wishes to win the pure impartial love of a young noble girl. Therefore, so that the title does not eclipse a person, he hides his name.
The beautiful Rosina lives in confinement under the supervision of the old guardian, Dr. Bartolo. It is known that the old man is in love with his pupil and her money and is going to keep her in custody until the poor woman marries him. Suddenly, in the same street, the humming of Figaro appears cheerfully and recognizes the earl, his old acquaintance. Promising to keep the incognito of the count, the scoundrel of Figaro tells his story: having lost the post of a veterinarian because of too loud and questionable literary glory, he tries to establish himself in the role of a writer. But although all of Spain sings his songs, Figaro can not compete with competition,
Blinds open, and Rosina appears in the window, as always with the doctor. Allegedly she accidentally drops a sheet with notes and a note for her unknown fan, in which he is asked in singing to open his name and rank. The doctor runs up the sheet, but the count is quicker. On the motif from “Vain precaution” he sings a serenade, where he calls himself an unknown bachelor, Lindor. Suspicious Bartolo is sure that the sheet with notes was dropped and allegedly carried away by the wind for good reason, and
The next day, poor Rozin is languishing and bored, imprisoned in her room, and is trying to figure out a way to transfer the letter to Lindor. Figaro has just “treated” the household members of the doctor: the servant girl let the blood out of her leg, and the servants prescribed sleeping pills and sneezers. He undertakes to pass on Rosina’s letter and in the meantime overhears Bartolo’s conversation with Basil, the music teacher of Rosina and Bartolo’s main ally. According to Figaro, this is an impoverished rogue, ready to pound for a penny. Basil reveals to the doctor that the Count of Almaviva in love with Rosina in Seville has already established correspondence with her. Bartolo in horror asks to arrange his wedding the next day. Count Basil proposes to pour Rosina in slander. Basil leaves, and the doctor rushes to Rosina to find out what she could talk with Figaro. At that moment a count appears in the form of a cavalryman, pretending that he is tipsy. His goal is to call himself Rosina, give her a letter and, if possible, stay in the house for the night. Bartolo with a sharp instinct of a jealous man guesses what intrigue lies behind this. Between him and the imaginary soldier there is a funny squabble, during which the Count manages to deliver a letter to Rosine. The doctor proves to the Count that he is relieved of his standing and expels him.
The count is making another attempt to enter Bartolo’s house. He changes into a bachelor’s suit and calls himself a disciple of Basil, whom a sudden indisposition keeps in bed. The Count hopes that Bartolo will immediately suggest that he replace Basil and give a lesson to Rosina, but he underestimates the suspicion of the old man. Bartolo decides to immediately visit Basil, and to keep him, the alleged bachelor mentions the name of Count Almaviva. Bartolo demands new news, and then the Count must report on behalf of Basil that Rosina’s correspondence with the count has been found, and he is instructed to give the doctor an intercepted letter from Rosina. The count is in despair that he is forced to give the letter, but there is no other way to earn the old man’s trust. He even suggests using this letter when the time comes to break the resistance of Rosina and persuade her to marry the doctor. It is enough to lie, that the student of Basil received it from one woman, and then confusion, shame, vexation can bring her to a desperate deed. Bartolo is delighted with this plan and immediately believes that the count was sent by the scoundrel Basil. Under the guise of a singing lesson, Bartolo decides to introduce the imaginary pupil to Rosina, which the count sought. But they can not remain alone during the lesson, because Bartolo does not want to miss the chance to enjoy the singing of the pupil. Rosina performs a song from “Vain Precaution” and, modifying it slightly, turns the song into a love confession to Lindor. Lovers take time to wait for the arrival of Figaro, who will distract the doctor. At last he comes, and the doctor scolds him because he deformed his family members. Why, for example, it was necessary to put poultices on the eyes of a blind mule? It would have been better for Figaro to return the debt to the doctor with interest, to which Figaro swears he will rather prefer to be a debtor to Bartolo all his life than to abandon this debt even for a moment. Bartolo in response is afraid that he will not yield to the dispute with the impudent. Figaro turns his back, saying that, on the contrary, he always gives in to him. And anyway, he just came to shave the doctor, and not to plot, as he wants to think. Bartolo is in difficulty: on the one hand, you need to shave, on the other – you can not leave Figaro alone with Rosina, or he can again send her a letter. Then the doctor decides, in violation of all proprieties, to shave in the room with Rosina, and Figaro to send for the device. The conspirators are delighted, since Figaro has the opportunity to remove the key from the blinds from the ligament. Suddenly there is a sound of the beating dishes, and Bartolo rushes out of the room with a scream to save his device. The count manages to appoint Rosina a date in the evening to rescue her from bondage, but he does not have enough time to tell her about the letter sent to the doctor. Bartolo returns with Figaro, and at that moment Don Basil enters. Lovers in silent dread that now everything can open. The doctor asks Basil about his illness and says that his pupil has already transferred everything. Basil in perplexity, but the count imperceptibly puts a purse in his hand and asks to remain silent and leave. The strong argument of the graph convinces Basil, and he, referring to ill health, leaves. All are relieved to be taken for music and shaving. The earl declares that before the end of the lesson he should give Rosina the latest instructions in the art of singing, leans over to her and explains in a whisper his disguise. But Bartolo sneaks up on lovers and overhears their conversation. Rosina cries out in fright, and the count, being a witness of the wild antics of the doctor, doubts that with such strangeness Senhor Rosina will want to marry him. Rosina in anger swears to give her hand and heart to someone who will release her from a jealous old man. Yes, sighs Figaro, the presence of a young woman and an old age – that’s what the old people get to think about for reason.
Bartolo runs in fury to Basil, so that he sheds light on all this confusion. Basil admits that he never saw the bachelor, and only the generosity of the gift made him keep silent. The doctor does not understand why you should take the purse. But at that moment Basil was confused, and in difficult cases, gold is always presented as irrefutable argument. Bartolo decides to strain the last effort to enjoy Rosina. But Basil does not advise him to do this. In the end, the possession of all kinds of goods is not all. Getting pleasure from owning them is what happiness is all about. To marry a woman who does not love you is to subject yourself to endless heavy scenes. Why commit violence against her heart? And to that, answers Bartolo, that let it be better she cries because he is her husband, than to him to die because, that she was not his wife. Therefore, he is going to marry Rosina that night and asks to bring the notary as soon as possible. As for Rosina’s persistence, the alleged bachelor, unwittingly, suggested how to use her letter to slander the count. He gives Basil his keys from all the doors and asks to bring the notary as soon as possible. Poor Poor Rosina, terribly nervous, waits for Lindor to appear in the window. Suddenly, the steps of the guardian were heard, Rosina wants to leave and asks the annoying old man to give her peace even at night, but Bartolo begs him to listen. He shows Rosina’s letter to the Count, and the poor man finds out. Bartolo lies that, as soon as Count Almaviva received the letter, he immediately began to boast of them. By Bartolo, it fell into the hands of one woman, whom the Count presented a letter. A woman told about everything in order to get rid of such a dangerous rival. Rosina was to fall prey to the monstrous conspiracy of the Count, Figaro and the young bachelor, the count’s henchman. Rosina is shocked by the fact that Lindor, it turns out, won it not for himself, but for some Count Almaviva. Out of himself from humiliation, Rosina suggests that the doctor immediately marry her and warns him of the impending abduction. Bartolo runs for help, intending to arrange an ambush for the Count near the house to catch him as a robber. Unhappy insulted Rosina remains alone and decides to lead the game with Linder, to see how low a man can fall. Blinds open, Rosina flies in fear. The count is concerned only with the question whether Rosina’s humble plan will seem to immediately marry off too bold. Figaro advises then to call it brutal, and women are very fond of when they are called cruel. Rosina appears, and the Count begs her to share with him the lot of the poor man. Rosina says with indignation that she would consider it a blessing to share his bitter fate, if not for the abuse of her love, and for the meanness of this terrible Count Almaviva, whom she was going to sell. The count immediately explains the girl the essence of the misunderstanding, and she bitterly regrets her credulity. The Count promises her that since she agrees to be his wife, he is not afraid of anything and will teach a vile old man.
They hear the front door open, but instead of the doctor with the guards, Basil is shown with a notary. Immediately signed a marriage contract, for which Basil receives a second purse. Bartolo bursts in with the guard, who immediately becomes embarrassed to learn that the count is before him. But Bartolo refuses to recognize the marriage as valid, referring to the rights of the guardian. He is objected that, having abused rights, he lost them, and resistance to such a venerable union testifies only to the fact that he is afraid of responsibility for the bad management of the affairs of the pupil. The Count promises not to demand anything from him, but consent to marriage, and this has broken the stubbornness of the mean old man. Bartolo blames his own negligence in everything, but Figaro is inclined to call it thoughtlessness. However, when youth and love will agree to deceive the old man,
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