Pierre Beaumarchais: a brief biography and review of creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Pierre Beaumarchais is an outstanding French playwright and author who gained worldwide fame thanks to his immortal works about the resilient Figaro. It is significant that, despite his extensive activities, he became popular after the release of a trilogy about a brave and cheerful barber, who later retrained as a count's manager.

Early years

Pierre Beaumarchais was born in Paris in 1732 in the family of a watchmaker. The father wanted to teach his son his craft, but the future writer, already at a very young age, showed outstanding musical abilities. In addition to his main occupations as a watch mechanic, Pierre was very actively studying music. Thanks to his perseverance, perseverance, as well as his abilities, he soon gained access to high society. At the same time, for special chic, he took a well-known surname for himself.

After some time, Pierre Beaumarchais became a member of the royal court, as he taught the daughters of Louis XV to play the harp. He married twice. Through these marriages, Beaumarchaisgained influence in aristocratic circles. This social status allowed him to engage in financial transactions, which brought him a large financial fortune. However, later Beaumarchais was brought to trial and even spent several days in prison.

In Spain

Pierre Beaumarchais went to Madrid in 1764 to try his family business. Then he showed outstanding diplomatic skills, very quickly falling into the confidence of the Spanish ministers. Here Pierre showed his qualities as a clever diplomat and intriguer, having achieved the resignation of his opponent. This stay in Spain subsequently affected his work, since the action of the famous trilogy about Figaro takes place in this country.

First success

Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais became interested in dramaturgy and theater, and in 1767 he wrote the play "Eugenie", which was a great success with the public. This drama has direct references to the mentioned family story that happened to Beaumarchais. His sister, who lived in Spain, was deceived by her husband, and the future author stood up for her honor. The viewer can observe something similar in the work under consideration.

The action of the play was moved by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais to London, where an impoverished baron arrives from Ireland with his daughter and brother. Eugene falls in love with a young count, but he decided to break his word to this girl and marry a rich bride. Then the brother of the deceived heroine, with a weapon in his hands, defends the honor of his sister. In this not very intricate plot, you can see references to the realstory that happened to the author.

Failure

Pierre Augustin Beaumarchais at first intended to work in the genre of serious drama. It is in this spirit that his first play is sustained. And here it should be noted that, despite the success with the public, the work was nevertheless typical of the literature of the time in question.

In 1770, his new play "The Merchant of Lyon" was presented on the theater stage. This time the author transferred the action to the sphere of the bourgeoisie and bourgeois relations. This was new for that time, and yet a serious moralizing plot clearly did not work out for the author. The work, which tells about the protagonist threatening bankruptcy, was clearly not to the liking of the public. The play was a crushing failure.

Success

Pierre Augustin de Beaumarchais took his place as the author of comedy plays. In 1773, his new work en titled The Barber of Seville was published, which was a huge success. The story that tells about the adventures of the resilient Figaro, who, with the help of his cunning, dexterity and agility, helps his master Count Almaviva to get a bride for himself, is still popular. The next two parts consolidated the success, although in the final play the author returned to moralizing again. However, the first two compositions are still popular, and several operas were even written based on their plots.

Business and advocacy

Beaumarchais has established himself not only as a brilliant playwright, but also as a businessman. When in the USAthe War of Independence began, he undertook to supply weapons, on which he amassed millions. After some time, Beaumarchais led a rather scandalous court case, which he won against a professional lawyer. however, this did not win him public sympathy.

Very soon, Beaumarchais went bankrupt, as he did not fulfill his obligations on the supply of weapons. He was saved from the trial by fleeing abroad. It is significant that in such cases Beaumarchais wrote memoirs in which he tried to justify his actions. They are interesting because they show the author's commitment to enlightenment views.

In his memoirs, Beaumarchais not only justifies himself, but also attacks the contemporary judicial system, accusing it of arbitrariness and lawlessness. Such pathos was characteristic of many works of the 18th century.

Beaumarchais died on May 18, 1799.