| Barber of Seville | |
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 A scene from a 19th-century version of The Barber of Seville. It portrays Figaro dressed in the costume and mask of Harlequin. | |
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Other Names |
Figaro, Emmanuel de Verte-Allure |
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First Appearance |
The Barber of Seville (1773) |
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Created by |
Pierre Beaumarchais |
Origin[]
Statue of Figaro (1873) by Jean Barnabé Amy
Figaro, barber of Seville, was the ex-servant of a Spanish count, called simply The Count, who fallen in love at first sight with a girl called Rosine. To ensure that she really loves him and not just his money, the Count disguises himself as a poor college student named Lindor, and attempts to woo her. His plans are foiled by Rosine's guardian, Doctor Bartholo. The doctor keeps her locked up in his house and intends to marry her himself.
Figaro was currently working as a barber and therefore has access to house of Doctor Bartholo. After being promised money, and afraid the Count will seek revenge on him if he refuses, Figaro devises a variety of ways for the Count and Rosine to meet and talk, first as Lindor, then as Alonzo, a fellow student of the same music master, Bazile. The story culminates in the marriage of the Count and Rosine.
According to the information Figaro gives at various points throughout the plays, his life story appears to be thus: he was the illegitimate son of Dr. Bartholo and his maid Marceline, and presumably therefore given his mother's family name, was born Emmanuel de Verte-Allure. He was kidnapped as a baby and raised by gypsies, who are probably the ones that renamed him Figaro.
After he grew "disgusted with their ways" he left to become a surgeon, and apparently took up a short-term job in the household of Count Almaviva during this time to support himself. Though the Count referred to him as a "rather bad servant," he was pleased enough with Figaro to write him a recommendation to the Bureau in Madrid, where he was given a job as an assistant veterinary surgeon, much to his disappointment.
While working there, he began dabbling in a literary career, apparently with great success. He was fired from the Bureau but stayed on in Madrid for a time trying to work as a publisher and playwright. He angered the censors with several of his works, and was briefly imprisoned. Eventually he gave up writing, and set himself up as a barber surgeon.
After "pensively proceeding through the two Castilles, la Mancha, Extremadura, the Sierra Morena, and Andalusia" he set up shop in Seville, where he became reacquainted with Count Almaviva, and after assisting him with some romantic troubles, was hired as the Count's personal valet. He evidently retains this position for the remainder of his life.
It is after he returns to work for the Count that he marries Suzanne, though at what point he met her is unclear. Given that Suzanne's uncle Antonio works for the Count, it seems likely she was hired on his recommendation when the Countess moved into the palace and a maid was needed for her, in which case she and Figaro would have met after the events of The Barber of Seville.
In The Barber of Seville, Rosine claims that Figaro has a daughter, but because this is never mentioned again by any other characters or in the other plays, and because it comes up during a lie Rosine tells to conceal her relationship with the Count, it is probable that she made this up. In The Guilty Mother, the children of the Count and Countess are named, but no offspring from Figaro or Suzanne are referenced, which suggests they remain childless.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of the Barber of Seville from before January 1, 1931 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Stage Appearances[]
- The Barber of Seville (1773) French play by Pierre Beaumarchais
- The Barber of Seville (1782) comic opera by Giovanni Paisiello
- The Barber of Seville (1816) opera by Gioachino Rossini
- The Marriage of Figaro (1778) a comedy in five acts by Pierre Beaumarchais
- The Guilty Mother (1793) a play by Pierre Beaumarchais
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- The Barber of Seville (1904 film)
Notes[]
- In the Rabbit of Seville, a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released on December 16, 1950, a local amphitheater bustles with spectators to view a rendition of The Barber of Seville. Amidst the tranquil setting, Bugs Bunny is chased by hunter Elmer Fudd, traversing from the distant hills to the theater's backstage. Bugs raises the curtain, revealing Elmer to the audience. Exploiting the theatrical milieu to his advantage, Bugs assumes various guises from the opera to outwit Elmer, from a temptress to a snake charmer and, in particular, a barber. This short will enter the public domain on January 1, 2046.
- There is also The Barber of Seville, a 1944 Walter Lantz cartoon directed by Shamus Culhane starring Woody Woodpecker which will enter the public domain on January 1, 2040