{{Infobox Play    
| name = The Marriage of Figaro    
| image = Marriage of figaro title page.jpg   
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Title page from the first edition of ''The Marriage of Figaro''
| writer =Beaumarchais    
| chorus =   
| characters = Figaro<br>Count Almaviva<br/>The Countess<br/>Suzanne<br/>Marceline<br/>Cherubin<br/>Antonio<br/>Fanchette<br/>Bartholo
| mute =   
| setting = The Count's palace near Seville
| date of premiere = 1784
| country of Origin = France  
| original language = French
| series =   
| subject =    
| genre = Romantic comedy  
| web =   
| playbill_event =   
| ibdb_id =   
}}   

'''The Marriage of Figaro''' (French: ''La Folle Journée, ou Le Mariage de Figaro''—"folle journée" meaning "crazy day") is a comedy in five acts, written in 1778 by Pierre Beaumarchais. 

The play was first performed officially at the censored for many years. Beaumarchais said in his preface to the play that it was the The Barber of Seville'': the barber Figaro, Count Almaviva, and Rosine, who in this play is now the Countess. Bartholo, the other principal character of ''The Barber of Seville'', has a secondary role. The play was turned into an opera by Mozart, also called ''Italian: ''Le nozze di Figaro'')

Thanks to the great popularity of its predecessor, ''The Barber of Seville'', ''The Marriage of Figaro'' opened to enormous success; it reportedly grossed 100,000 francs in the first twenty showings<ref>''A Sourcebook of Theatrical History'' by Alois Maria Nagle</ref> and the theater was so packed that three people were crushed to death by the opening night crowd.<ref>The Marriage of Figaro/Le Nozze di Figaro (Opera Guide), Published in association with the English National Opera and The Royal Opera, page 11. ISBN 0714537713</ref>
 
== Summary ==

Set three years after the events of ''The Barber of Seville'': Figaro has entered into Count Almaviva's service (he is both the Count's valet and the concierge of his castle), and is engaged to Suzanne, who is the Countess's head primae noctis'' so that he can take advantage of the young bride before the consummation of her marriage. Aided by the unscrupulous Bazile, the Count makes more and more obvious advances towards Suzanne, who in turn reveals everything to Figaro and the Countess, forcing the Count to face this "coalition" which ends up defeating him. Having been made to look ridiculous at an assignation, which was in fact a trap, he throws himself at his wife's feet to beg her forgiveness. Meanwhile, Figaro marries Suzanne.

===First act===

The play begins in a room in the Count's palace—the new bedroom to be shared by Figaro and Suzanne after their wedding, which is set to occur later that day. Suzanne reveals to Figaro her suspicion that the Count gave them this particular room because it is so close to his own, and that the Count has been pressuring her to begin an affair with him. Figaro at once goes to work trying to find a solution to this problem. Then Dr. Bartholo and Marceline pass through, discussing a lawsuit they are to file against Figaro, who owes Marceline a good deal of money and has promised to marry her if he fails to repay the sum; his marriage to Suzanne will potentially void the contract. Bartholo relishes the news that Rosine is unhappy in her marriage, and they discuss the expectation that the Count will take Figaro's side in the lawsuit if Suzanne should submit to his advances. Marceline herself is in love with Figaro, and hopes to discourage Suzanne from this.

After a brief confrontation between Marceline and Suzanne, a young boy named Chérubin comes to inform Suzanne that he's just been fired for being caught hiding in the bedroom of Fanchette. The conversation is interrupted by the entrance of the Count, and since Suzanne and Chérubin don't want to be caught alone in a bedroom together, Chérubin is forced to hide. When the Count enters, he propositions Suzanne, until they are interrupted by Bazile's entrance; again not wanting to be caught alone in a bedroom together, the Count goes to hide. Bazile stands in the doorway and begins to tell Suzanne all the newest gossip, until he mentions a rumor about the Countess that causes the outraged Count to reveal himself. As the Count talks to the respectively delighted and horrified Bazile and Suzanne, he uncovers Chérubin's hiding spot. The Count is afraid that Chérubin will reveal the earlier conversation in which he was propositioning Suzanne, and so decides to send him away at once as a soldier. Figaro then enters with the Countess (still oblivious to her husband's plans) and a troupe of wedding guests, intending to begin the wedding ceremony immediately. The Count is able to convince them to hold it back a few more hours, giving himself more time to enact his plans.

===Second act===

Set in the Countess's bedroom, Suzanne has just broken the news of the Count's action to the Countess, who is now distraught. Figaro comes in and informs them that he has just set in motion a new plan to distract the Count from his intentions toward Suzanne by starting a false rumor that the Countess is having an affair and that her lover will appear at the wedding, which he hopes will motivate the Count to let the wedding happen. Suzanne and the Countess have doubts about the effectiveness of the plot, though, and they decide to tell the Count that Suzanne has agreed to his proposal, and then to embarrass him by sending out Chérubin dressed in Suzanne's gown to meet him. They stop Chérubin from leaving and begin to dress him, but just when Suzanne steps out of the room, the Count comes in. Chérubin hides, half dressed, in a closet, while the Count grows increasingly suspicious, especially after having just heard Figaro's rumor of the Countess's affair. He leaves to get a mallet to break down the closet door, giving Chérubin enough time to escape out the window and Suzanne time to enter the closet; when the Count opens the door, it appears that Suzanne was inside there all along. Just when it seems he calms down, the gardener Antonio runs in screaming that a half-dressed man just jumped from the Countess's window. The Count's fears are settled again once Figaro takes credit to being the jumper, claiming that he started the rumor of the Countess having an affair as a prank and that while he was waiting for Suzanne he became frightened of the Count's wrath, jumping out the window in terror. Just then Marceline, Bartholo and the judge Brid'Oison come to inform Figaro that his trial is starting.

===Third act===

Figaro and the Count exchange a few words, until Suzanne, at the insistence of the Countess, goes to the Count and tells him that she has decided that she will begin an affair with him, and asks he meet her after the wedding. The Countess has actually promised to appear at the assignation in Suzanne's place. The Count is glad to hear that Suzanne has seemingly decided to go along with his advances, but his mood sours again once he hears her talking to Figaro and saying it was only done so they might win the case.

Court is then held, and after a few minor cases, Figaro's trial occurs. Much is made of the fact that Figaro has no middle or last name, and he explains that it is because he was kidnapped as a baby and doesn't know his real name. The Count rules in Marceline's favor, effectively forcing Figaro to marry her, when Marceline suddenly recognizes a birthmark (or scar or tattoo; the text is unclear) on Figaro's arm -- he is her son, and Dr. Bartholo is his father. Just then Suzanne runs in with enough money to repay Marceline, given to her by the Countess. At this, the Count storms off in outrage.

Figaro is thrilled to have rediscovered his parents, but Suzanne's uncle, Antonio, insists that Suzanne cannot marry Figaro now, because he is illegitimate. Figaro and Suzanne convince Marceline and Bartholo to have a double marriage ceremony with them, and they all race off to prepare.

===Fourth act===

Figaro and Suzanne talk before the wedding, and Figaro tells Suzanne that if the Count still thinks she is going to meet him in the garden later, she should just let him stand there waiting all night. Suzanne promises, but the Countess grows upset when she hears this news and begins crying until Suzanne agrees to go through with duping the Count. Together they write a note to him entitled "A New Song on the Breeze" (a reference to the Countess's old habit of communicating with the Count through sheet music dropped from her window) which Suzanne seals with a pin and later smuggles to the Count during her wedding. Later, the wedding is interrupted by Bazile, who had wished to marry Marceline himself; but once he learns that Figaro is her son he is so horrified that he abandons his plans. Later, Figaro witnesses the Count opening the letter from Suzanne, but thinks nothing of it. After the ceremony, he notices Fanchette looking upset, and discovers that the cause is her having lost the pin that was used to seal the letter, which the Count had told her to give back to Suzanne. Figaro nearly faints at the news, believing Suzanne's secret communication means that she has been unfaithful and, restraining tears, he announces to Marceline that he is going to seek vengeance on both the Count and Suzanne.

'''Der tolle Tag oder Figaros Hochzeit''' (manchmal, seltener auch gelistet als '''Der tolle Tag oder Die Hochzeit des Figaro''', im französischen Original ''La folle journée ou Le mariage de Figaro'') aus dem Jahre 1778 ist ein Theaterstück in fünf Akten von Beaumarchais, das als Vorlage für die Oper „Zensur am 27. April 1784 uraufgeführt werden. Zuvor war es lediglich in Privatveranstaltungen zu sehen.

Beaumarchais verwendete in diesem Stück die Hauptcharaktere des Barbier von Sevilla, als dessen Fortsetzung es auch gilt. Das Stück schildert den Tag der Hochzeit zwischen Figaro, dem Bedienten des Grafen Almaviva, und Susanne, der Zofe der Gräfin.

== Historischer Kontext ==
Das Stück spielt in der Zeit vor der Französischen Revolution, während die gesamte Gesellschaft des „Ancien Régime“ vor grundlegenden Veränderungen steht.
Es widerspiegelt die Konfrontation von Vertretern der drei Schichten des Adels, der Bourgeoisie und der Arbeiterschicht.

== Handlung ==
=== Zusammenfassung ===
Das Stück beginnt am Morgen des Hochzeitstages von Figaro, dem Kammerdiener des Grafen Almaviva, der die Zofe Susanne heiraten möchte. Es endet am Abend desselben Tages. Figaro ahnt nicht, dass auch der Graf die schöne Susanne begehrt, und er sich diese mit dem Recht der ersten Nacht, das seine Gemahlin längst abgeschafft hat, auch zu Willen machen möchte. Von nun an bestimmen allerlei ''Liebeswirren'' das Stück. Der Graf setzt alles daran, Susanne zu erobern, und wird bei seinen Intrigen von dem Arzt Bartholo und der Wirtschafterin Marceline unterstützt, die allerdings dabei auch ihre ganz eigenen Ziele verfolgen. So drängt die ältliche Marceline Figaro, ihr gegenüber ein altes Heiratsversprechen einzulösen, und der etwas naive Page Cherubino flirtet mit allen weiblichen Wesen in seiner Nähe, sogar mit der Gräfin, seiner Patin, selbst. Zahlreiche Intrigen Figaros und angewendete kluge Listen seitens der Frauen führen schließlich zum Ziel. Am Ende ist der Graf der Blamierte und bittet seine Gemahlin um Vergebung.

=== Erweiterte Handlungsbeschreibung ===
Figaro misst im Schloss den Raum aus, den er nach der Hochzeit mit seiner Braut Susanne bewohnen will, um die Möbel zu stellen. Figaro hält es für einen Vorteil, dass das Zimmer neben den gräflichen Gemächern liegt. Susanne klärt ihn darüber auf, dass Graf Almaviva ihr gegenüber seine eigenen Pläne verfolgen könnte und dem Brautpaar deshalb gerade diesen Raum angewiesen hat. Figaro will die Absichten des adeligen Verführers vereiteln. Dr. Bartolo wurde von der Haushälterin Marceline engagiert, um Klage gegen Figaro vorzubringen, der ihr zuvor die Ehe versprochen habe, um eine Schuld abzulösen. Cherubino bittet Susanne um Fürsprache beim Grafen, weil er das Schloss nicht verlassen will. Als der Graf und Basilio erscheinen, versteckt er sich, und Susanne täuscht eine Ohnmacht vor; in dem Durcheinander versteckt sich Cherubino unter einem Kleid. Der von Susanna bisher abgewiesene Graf entdeckt ihn, und er wird nur durch den Auftritt der Landleute von einer Bestrafung des eifersüchtigen Schlossherrn verschont. Der Graf zwingt Cherubino, sich auf den Weg zur Armee zu machen, und Figaro, der auch auf ihn eifersüchtig ist, gibt ihm gute Ratschläge mit auf den Weg.

Susanne steckt Cherubino in Frauenkleider und frisiert seine Haare, damit er so die Hochzeit abwarten kann. Cherubino flieht vor dem Grafen in das Nachbarzimmer, in das der Graf ebenfalls hinein will, nachdem er jemanden darin gehört hat. Die Gräfin sagt, es sei nur Susanne, und der Graf schließt alle Türen ab, um mit der Gräfin auf einem anderen Weg ins Nachbarzimmer zu gelangen. Susanne befreit Cherubino, der aus dem Fenster springt, und sie betritt den Raum, aus dem er geflohen ist. Der Graf denkt, Cherubino habe sich versteckt, findet aber zu seinem Erstaunen nur Susanne vor. In der Zwischenzeit versucht Figaro, der die Zudringlichkeiten des Grafen fürchtet, ihn durch einen anonymen Brief vom Erscheinen auf seiner Hochzeit abzuhalten, aber von der Gräfin befragt, gesteht er, dass er der Verfasser ist. Als der Gärtner Antonio einen Brief bringt, von dem er sagt, er sei von einem fliehenden Mann fallen gelassen worden, behauptet Figaro, dass er bei Susanne gewesen sei. Das Dokument erweist sich jedoch als Cherubinos Ernennung zum Offizier, und Figaro gelangt aus der Klemme, indem er es dem Grafen präsentiert, damit dieser sein noch fehlendes Siegel anbringt. Marceline bringt ihre Klage über Figaro vor. Die Hochzeit wird verschoben, damit der Graf den Vorwurf untersuchen kann.

Der Graf ist aufgrund der vorangegangenen Ereignisse verwirrt, und auf Bitte der Gräfin stimmt Susanne zu, ihn im Garten zu treffen. Zuvor jedoch tauscht sie mit der Gräfin die Kleidung. Susanne flüstert Figaro zu, dass sein Rechtsstreit gewonnen sei. Der Graf ist verärgert. Es stellt sich heraus, dass Figaro der uneheliche Sohn von Marceline und Bartolo ist, so dass er die Haushälterin gar nicht heiraten kann. Die Gräfin bleibt alleine zurück, als das Mädchen ankommt und berichtet, dass alles gut verlaufe. Die Gräfin diktiert einen Liebesbrief, den Susanne absenden soll. Der Graf soll die Nadel zurücksenden, die den Brief zusammenhält, um den Empfang zu bestätigen. Der Graf entdeckt seinen früheren Pagen, braust auf, wird aber durch Susannes Brief beruhigt.