The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and The Guilty Mother were the first plays to use a set of recurring characters who develop over time. They chronicle the slide of the ancien regime into revolution and Figaro was seen as a threat to the establishment. The impertinent, bustling servant was appropriated by Mozart and Rossini for their own purposes, and Beaumarchais became eighteenth-century France's only truly international theatre star. - ;The Barber of Seville * The Marriage o...

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. And The Marriage of Figaro - condemned by Louis XVI for its daring satire of nobil...

Eighteenth century French author Pierre Beaumarchais is best known today for his Figaro plays. Beaumarchais had an action-filled career as a watchmaker, musician, secret agent, businessman, diplomat, and a financer of revolutions. His literary career was as turbulent as his personal life. After a series of lawsuits in Paris, the accounts of his trials made his reputation as a sarcastic, effective, and recognized writer. First performed in 1773, “The Barber of Seville” is the story of a Spa...

The play unfolds over the course of a single day in Count Almaviva’s estate. Figaro, a clever and resourceful valet, is about to marry Suzanne, but their plans are threatened by the Count's attempts to seduce her. Figaro, Suzanne, and the Countess team up to expose and outsmart the Count, ultimately revealing his hypocrisy. The plot is a mix of deception, hidden identities, and humorous misunderstandings, as each character attempts to manipulate or thwart the others.At its core, The Marria...

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.

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732-1799) was an exceptional French writer of prose comedy during the eighteenth century. He is best known for his theatrical works of the three Figaro plays. Beaumarchais had an action-filled career as a watchmaker, musician, secret agent, businessman, diplomat and a financer of revolutions. His literary career was as turbulent as his personal life. After a series of lawsuits in Paris, the accounts of his trials made his reputation as a sarcastic, e...

Packed with thoughts, reflections, witticisms, and lines from his extensive body of work, '100 Quotes by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais' is a superb read for fans of this accomplished writer.Ideal for dipping in and out of, readers of this collection will find themselves surprised as to how many of his sayings have found their way into modern parlance.A welcome addition to any coffee table.

A trilogy of classic plays by Pierre Augustin Caron De Beaumarchais, including The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and The Guilty MotherForerunner to the renowned operas, The Figaro Plays by Pierre Augustin Caron De Beaumarchais are a celebration of how intelligence and wit can bring any servant level with their aristocratic masters. Considered scandalous in their time, the plays went on to be adapted b...

This is Thomas Holcroft's English translation, obtained by attending Pierre Beaumarchais' French play nine times in Paris during its original official staging in 1784. Beaumarchais' play was the basis for Mozart's 1796 opera, and is a satire about lovers' misdoings and French society. Because of its rebellious themes, presented during the troubling times leading up to the French Revolution, Beaumarchais had a very difficult time getting his play past the censors. Once staged, the play was ...

Known as the 'Age of Enlightenment,' the 1700s was a time that provoked significant leaps in philosophical thought.Most importantly, the thinkers of the time espoused the virtues of happiness, the evidence provided by the senses, and the distance between organised religion and the state.'500 Quotations from the Great Philosophers of the 18th Century' offers a fascinating insight into the philosophical revolution that was taking place at the time.A superb book for di...

'600 Quotations from the Great 18th Century Writers' is a collection of inspiring thoughts and reflections from six of the greatest literary minds of all time.During this time, society was experiencing a cultural upheaval, with more emphasis being placed on happiness and the pursuit of knowledge.While these quotes might be over 200 years old, they bear as much relevance today as they did when they were first coined.A superb read for dipping in and out of.

'600 Quotations from the Great Writers of the 17th Century' features the wit and wisdom of some of the 17th century's greatest-ever writers, including Miguel de Cervantes, novelist and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, French playwright Jean Racine, and English playwright William Shakespeare, one of the most quoted people in the world.This carefully curated compilation is motivating, insightful, and entertaining and will delight those who are looking for an extra dose of inspir...