The Women of Beaumarchais in the ‘The Marriage of Figaro’

In Beaumarchais’s comic play The Marriage of Figaro (1778), Figaro, valet to Count Almaviva, is about to marry Suzanne, the countess’s maid. Almaviva’s secret pursuit of Suzanne with the claim of jus primae noctis , a supposed right to bed servants on their wedding night, its subsequent discovery, and Figaro’s outspoken defence instigates a class war for which Beaumarchais’s play is most well known. However, the vigorous women of Beaumarchais — Suzanne, Countess Rosina Almaviva, and Figaro’s mother, Marceline — are equally worthy of celebration. Suzanne devises a plan to publicly humiliate the count and emerges as a central character in her own right. She draws upon Countess Rosina for support, instead of leaning on Figaro, displaying the inherent bonds between women that transcend even class differences. The countess is not only an ally but an active opposer of her husband’s philandering. Figaro’s mother, for her part, rails against powerful men in Act III: ‘Toys of your passions, your victims! It is you who should be punished’ 1 . Crucially, the speech was omitted from Mozart’s opera adaptation of the play, curtailing Marceline’s role in the struggle. The women of Beaumarchais harbour fierce independence and a wit to rival the men. Yet despite their rousing grab for power, the plot concludes with a resumption of domestic life. Countess Rosina is quick to forgive her errant husband, Suzanne marries her beloved Figaro, and Marceline finds a new passion in Doctor Bartholo. The class war — Figaro’s triumph over Almaviva — takes precedence over the women’s battle for equality. The count escapes retribution for his sexual harassment, and the plight of women does not surface as a main theme.

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