Book Cover of The Follies of a Day; OR, The Marriage of Figaro (English)

The Follies of a Day; OR, The Marriage of Figaro (English)

by Pierre Beaumarchais

The story begins with a simple love triangle in which a Spanish count has fallen in love with a girl called Rosine. He disguises himself to ensure that she will love him back for his character, not his wealth. But this is all foiled when Rosine's guardian, Doctor Bartholo, who wants her hand in marriage, confines her to the house. The Count runs into an ex-servant of his (now a barber), Figaro, and pressures him into setting up a meeting between the Count and Rosine. He succeeds and the lovers are married to end the first part of the trilogy. The Marriage was written as a sequel to The Barber. In his preface to the play, Beaumarchais says that Louis François, Prince of Conti, had requested it. The play's denunciation of aristocratic privilege has been characterised as foreshadowing the French Revolution. The revolutionary leader Georges Danton said that the play "killed off the nobility"; in exile, Napoleon Bonaparte called it "the Revolution already put into action." The Marriage of Figaro is a comedy in five acts, written in 1778 by Pierre Beaumarchais. This play is the second in the Figaro trilogy, preceded by The Barber of Seville and followed by The Guilty Mother.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

French

Published In

1784

Authors

Pierre Beaumarchais image

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was a French polymath. At various times in his life, he was a watchmaker, inventor, playwright, musician, diplomat, spy, publisher, horticulturist, arms dealer, s...

Books by Pierre Beaumarchais

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

A Poor Wise Man Cover image

A Poor Wise Man by Mary Roberts Rinehart

A Poor Wise Man is a timeless classic that takes readers on a captivating journey through the challenges of life, the pursuit of justice, and the powe...

Belfry Pigeon Cover image

Belfry Pigeon by Nathaniel Parker Willis

The story follows the unfolding romance of the protagonist, a young man named Harry, and his beloved, Isabel. Set in a quaint New England town, the na...

Her Hair Cover image

Her Hair by James Whitcomb Riley

This classic poem by James Whitcomb Riley explores the powerful and evocative memories associated with a woman's hair. The speaker reflects on the phy...

Monsieur De Pourceaugnac Cover image

Monsieur De Pourceaugnac by Moliere

Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is a classic French farce by Molière, renowned for its witty dialogue and over-the-top characters. The play follows the haple...

Monsieur Beaucaire Cover image

Monsieur Beaucaire by Booth Tarkington

Monsieur Beaucaire is a charming and witty novel that tells the story of a French nobleman, disguised as a barber, who finds himself entangled in the...

Bishop's Apron Cover image

Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset Maugham

In "Bishop's Apron", W. Somerset Maugham crafts a witty and biting social commentary on the aspirations, hypocrisies, and complexities of the Victoria...

Mademoiselle De Belle Isle Cover image

Mademoiselle De Belle Isle by Alexandre Dumas

Mademoiselle de Belle Isle is a captivating tale set in the decadent world of 18th-century French aristocracy. The story revolves around Mademoiselle...

Father Goriot Cover image

Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac

Set in the opulent yet unforgiving Parisian society of the early 19th century, *Father Goriot* explores the complex dynamics of love, family, and soci...

Virgin Soil Volume 2 Cover image

Virgin Soil Volume 2 by Ivan Turgenev

Virgin Soil, the final novel by Ivan Turgenev, explores the tumultuous social changes sweeping through Russia in the wake of serf emancipation. The s...

Frey and his Wife Cover image

Frey and his Wife by Maurice Henry Hewlett

Frey and His Wife transports readers to the ancient world of Norse mythology, where Gunnar, a man wrongly accused of murder, flees across the rugged m...

Reviews for The Follies of a Day; OR, The Marriage of Figaro (English)

No reviews posted or approved, yet...