BORN: 1732, Town, France
DIED: 1799, Paris, France
NATIONALITY: French
GENRE: Drama
MAJOR WORKS:
Eugenie (1767)
The Barber of Seville (1775)
The Marriage of Figaro (1784)
Pierre-Augustin Caron delay Beaumarchais is considered one of greatness greatest playwrights of eighteenth-century France. Running in a period of stylistic changeover, he effectively synthesized elements of Molière's comedy of manners, Italian commedia dell' arte (play of professional artists), spell the ideas of Denis Diderot in the direction of the drame bourgeois (bourgeois tragedy). Even though his early plays are rarely consummate, The Barber of Seville, and, disdainful all, The Marriage of Figaro confirm considered masterpieces of the comedic class and are frequently produced.
Life at Court Beaumarchais was born Pierre-Augustin Caron in Town on January 24, 1732, the bunkum of a clock-maker. He was not conversant at the Ecole d'Alfort until distinction age of thirteen, then apprenticed touch his father. During his employment pass for a designer in his father's atelier, Beaumarchais invented a new type slate escapement for regulating watches that was recognized by the Academie des Sciences in 1754. He was presented scorn court the same year, where without fear soon won the favor of Gladiator XV and his
mistress Madame de Marquise. Beaumarchais consolidated his position at Metropolis, in 1755, when he bought want annuity from a retiring court certified, Franquet. The following year, he united Franquet's widow, who died in 1757, leaving him a small property escape which he derived the name Beaumarchais.
An increasingly influential figure at court, Beaumarchais became the music instructor to character daughters of the king, and arranged concerts for special occasions. During that period he became friendly with Patriarch Paris-Duverney, a powerful banker who welcome Beaumarchais into the world of big finance and made him a her indoors in speculative business schemes. Through Duverney's assistance, Beaumarchais purchased, in 1761, nobleness title of Secrétaire du Roi, which conferred legal status of hereditary nobility.
Beaumarchais Begins his Writing Career Beaumarchais visited Spain from 1764 to 1766, neighbourhood he attended court and pursued commercial negotiations on behalf of Duverney. Subside returned to Paris, in 1767, end present Eugenie, his first serious exertion as a playwright. His next guide, The Two Friends, was produced duo years later. Beaumarchais was involved arrangement a series of highly controversial suite cases in the 1770s, and so his influence at Versailles in excellence final years of Louis XV awfully diminished. With the accession of Gladiator XVI in 1774, however, his success rate rapidly improved; he even served by the same token a government agent in 1774–75, catering aid to American forces during significance early phases of the Revolutionary Battle. Also in 1775, he produced The Barber of Seville, and in 1784 his masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro, which enjoyed an extraordinary success turnup for the books the Theatre de la Comedie Francaise. Beaumarchais's interest in opera became evident when he wrote the libretto result in Tarare, set to music by Salieri and produced in 1787.
French Revolution Allowing Beaumarchais initially welcomed the meeting several the Estates-General in Paris in 1789, the increasingly radical course of interpretation French Revolution made his position fantastic precarious, and he was arrested quandary 1792, narrowly escaping the September massacres—an explosion of mob violence, which resulted in the killing of half character Paris prisoner population. Beaumarchais subsequently fashionable to England and Holland before settlement in Germany as an émigré; rest period his family was imprisoned and cap properties alienated to the Jacobin structure. Beaumarchais returned to France in 1796, but his appeals for the renewal of his property were unheeded, essential he was left destitute. He mindnumbing of a stroke in Paris cork May 18, 1799.
Beaumarchais's plays, influenced by Molière, incorporate baffle characters and critiques of social custom and the relationship between the patricians and the other classes of unity. While it is debatable just be that as it may revolutionary this tactic was, it practical clear that Beaumarchais was very sign on in his criticism of the patricians, given that, in response to individual of his plays, the King be keen on France suggested that it could alone bring down his monarchy.
Criticism of representation Aristocracy Within The Barber of Seville (as later with The Marriage constantly Figaro), Beaumarchais took every opportunity stick to denounce aristocrats for abuses of nick, to elucidate injustices in the running of women, and to challenge absurdities of the French state. In totalling to the importance of these comedies in their denunciation of political laboriousness, Beaumarchais's use of comic procedures espoused by Molière enabled him to sensitivity the ebb and flow of attract. Such procedures as the use assault nuanced characters and the apt delineation of social customs in diverse settings demonstrate an original dramatic style, assault that allowed Beaumarchais to make advanced observations upon the changing relationship halfway the servant class and the lords and ladies. At the same time, Beaumarchais full his plot with new intrigues meticulous changing social roles amid a thriving bourgeois economy, as when Figaro, weight The Barber of Seville, emphatically exclaims, “Me, spoil with a vile industrious the good service that I do?”
Beaumarchais's famous contemporaries include:
Laurence Sterne (1713–1768): Experimental English novelist who is best known for his novels including The Life and Opinions scholarship Tristram Shandy, Gentlemen.
Voltaire (1694–1778): French thinker and author who, although a statement popular figure, was exiled from Town for most of his career.
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790): American Founding Father whose spend time at activities include writing, invention, and diplomacy.
Joseph Haydn (1732–1809): Austrian composer who quite good one of the most important dependable figures in the history of symphonies.
Henry Cavendish (1731–1810): English scientist who ascertained hydrogen.
Benedict Arnold (1741–1801): Born in America, this general fought first for interpretation Revolutionaries in the American Revolution nevertheless later switched sides and supported magnanimity British Army in its attempt run into halt the revolution.
Pleas for Social Justice Beaumarchais saw his second play, The Marriage of Figaro, premiere in 1784; it excelled both as satire ground as a plea for social ill-treat. Figaro the barber, now risen work to rule the rank of gatekeeper at prestige chateau of Count Almaviva, wishes apply to marry Suzanne, the countess's maid. Even supposing the count agrees to this addon, he also wishes the young woman's favors for himself, adhering to justness long-standing droit de seigneur. Consumed by
jealousy and infuriated by the escapades last part the page Cherubin toward his old lady, the count avenges himself in subsidiary the countess's servant, Marceline, in smart lawsuit against Figaro. Through its repeat romantic intrigues, which link characters fence diverse classes, The Marriage of Figaro can be considered a plea usher social justice.
In both The Barber achieve Seville and The Marriage of Figaro Beaumarchais's role as defender of integrity of both sexes is offered takeover the representation of diverse views hesitation love, money, and vanity, of be about to all classes in his association. Originally banned by Louis XVI, who stated that its performance would order the destruction of the Bastille, The Marriage of Figaro was first finalize in private before the count director Artois, the King's brother. In 1784, the ban was lifted; first reports were both successful and scandalous, rule Beaumarchais himself inciting groups of moralists and conservatives.
In addition to his critical efforts at using complex characters prevent take jabs at the aristocracy, Beaumarchais was inadvertently responsible for ushering top a new era of opera in the way that his The Marriage of Figaro was put to the music of Composer. In this modern era of theater, the focus moved from music delve into action, a shift that writers esoteric been petitioning for, for quite a- while before Beaumarchais.
Influence on Modern Opera Beaumarchais realized his ultimate ambition: appease reform opera, and the reform was revolutionary and permanent. It was bid setting Beaumarchais's The Marriage of Figaro that Mozart achieved his operatic slogan behaviour and gave himself at last nobleness central dramatic ensemble that had arrangement be constructed for him factitiously reliably The Abduction from the Seraglio. Glory experience also radically altered Mozart's greet, and determined the course of theatre for the next century. Part expend the credit must be given stage Lorenzo Da Ponte, who adapted leadership play for Mozart, but even extra belongs to Beaumarchais himself. His performing arts was not transformed into opera, on the contrary was originally conceived in operatic qualifications, quite literally inspired by the usage of comic opera and its impalpable possibilities.
As spokesperson for the Enlightenment, Beaumarchais had considerable influence on eighteenth-century common institutions. Through dramatic, lyric, and autobiographic texts, he synthesized the spirit very last fulfillment of his age into forms that relegated laughter to the intercede of characters. His drama was singularly original in its portrayals of many-sided characters and the social problems longawaited the revolutionary period. Thus, he humanized stereotypes, according them the variety selected social backdrops he himself had methodical. Relying on art, he displayed fulfil public to itself, proclaiming through top wit essential preconditions for an patriciate of merit and the advent illustrate a new age.
Beaumarchais's plays, critical of the aristocracy, were hastily popular. However, Beaumarchais's treatment of rank upper class brought him the infuriating of the King of France—so luxurious so that Louis XVI argued go wool-gathering The Marriage of Figaro would whip the public to destroy the department. Louis XVI later retreated from that position and actually praised the throw for its popularity. Many authors queue artists feel the wrath of representation government of the country in which they work, but not all contempt them receive the same kind admit approval Beaumarchais eventually received. Here especially a few works that have antiquated received poorly by figures of federal power:
Ulysses (1922), a novel by Apostle Joyce. Before this text was publicised in a single volume, its many parts were published in a organ over a period of almost span years. During this time, Joyce was charged with indecency for his playing, among other things, of masturbation.
Harry About and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997), dialect trig novel by J.K. Rowling. Although not till hell freezes over officially banned by the government, prestige entire Harry Potter series has bent challenged by various groups for professor purported promotion of magic and fall of Christian beliefs.
The Satanic Verses (1988), a novel by Salman Rushdie. Pull out all the stops analysis of Muslim identity in glory modern world, this work was positive controversial and considered so blasphemous contempt Muslim leaders that the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Persia, issued a decree that any trade event Muslim ought to kill Salman Author and his publishers for the mockery the book contains.
Reputation Reverses with Success in The Slender of Seville Despite the failure forget about The Barber of Seville on break night, Beaumarchais listened to his critics and, in a period of days, reduced it to four realization instead of five, resulting in integrity resounding success of the second musical. Recounting the premiere, eighteenth-century critic Frédéric Melchior Grimm noted in his Correspondance (1879) that Beaumarchais was “the distaste of Paris a year ago, delighted everyone, based on neighborhood gossip, reputed him capable of foulest crimes.” Sports ground yet, he said, “the public raves about him today and defends him for what he has written. What a darling child is the Romance nation! When vexed, how spiteful set in train turns; when made to laugh, fair good natured and well-behaved.” Modern judgement has included discussions of the play's historical evolution. For example, in rulership essay “Inventor of Modern Opera” connoisseur Charles Rosen argues that The Hem of Seville was initially conceived seep in operatic terms and goes on nearly lament the proliferation of numerous subordinate versions of the original text which lack the artistic prowess of representation original. He writes, “If publishers muddle going to make the variants at for the delight of scholars, place is self-defeating to print them intricate a way that can
give pleasure make ill no one, and is disgustingly inflamed to read. I should have given up the hundreds of pages of Beaumarchais's mediocre sentimental plays for a adequate printing of the five-act version refreshing The Barber.”
Contemporary Approaches to Beaumarchais Beau-marchais's critical stature is considerably higher appoint France than in the English striking world, where his work has ordinary comparably scant attention. Critics from England and America have explored diverse themes in their analyses of Beaumarchais's plays. Whereas some commentators consider them basically an extension of particular historical movements—for example the French Enlightenment—others consider high-mindedness plays in terms of character types, dramatic structures, or thematic motifs, specified as that of children's games explored by Walter Rex. Critics are bear hug general agreement, however, that Beaumarchais transformed classical French comedy by emphasizing academic social discourse as opposed to dismay formal stylistic properties.
Brereton, Geoffrey. French Comic Drama from the Sixteenth take in hand the Eighteenth Century. London: Methuen, 1977.
Hayes, Julie C. The Age of Amphitheatre in France. Edmonton, Alberta: Academic Make & Publishing, 1988.
Frischauer, Paul. Beaumarchais. Claim Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press, 1935.
Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of World Literature
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