Beaumarchais, << boh mahr SHEH, >> Pierre Augustin Caron de (1732-1799), a French dramatist, won fame for his comedies The Barber of Seville (1775) and The Marriage of Figaro. The Marriage of Figaro was finished in 1781 but banned until 1784 because of its daring attack on the insolence and privileges of the French ruling class. The comedies are noted for their witty dialogue, exciting action, and the irreverent, sparkling personality of Figaro, who is Beaumarchais’ most famous character. Giaochino Rossini wrote an opera based on The Barber of Seville. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote one based on The Marriage of Figaro.
Beaumarchais was born on Jan. 24, 1732, in Paris. He was a watchmaker, served in the French court, undertook secret diplomatic missions, and sent aid to the colonists during the Revolutionary War in America (1775-1783). He died on May 18, 1799.
