author
Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
1732–1799
Best known for the witty Figaro plays, this restless Enlightenment figure lived a life almost as dramatic as his comedies. He moved through 18th-century France as a playwright, inventor, court insider, businessman, and political go-between.
3 Audiobooks
The Follies of a Day; or, The Marriage of Figaro A comedy, as it is now performing at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden. From the French of M. de Beaumarchais
by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
Sevillan parturi eli Turha varovaisuus: Komedia neljässä näytöksessä
by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
La Folle Journée ou le Mariage de Figaro
by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
About the author
Born in Paris in 1732, Beaumarchais began life as the son of a watchmaker and first made his name through mechanical skill and ambition. His career quickly grew far beyond that trade: over the years he worked as an inventor, musician, courtier, businessman, publisher, and diplomat as well as a writer.
He is remembered above all for the Figaro plays, especially The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro. Their quick wit, sharp social comedy, and rebellious energy helped make them lasting classics, and they later inspired famous operas by Rossini and Mozart.
His life was full of controversy and adventure, including legal battles and political missions tied to the turbulent world of the late 18th century. He died in Paris in 1799, leaving behind works that still feel lively, funny, and daring.