Who is Figaro in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro?

In Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Le nozze di Figaro (1786), Figaro is a central character who serves as the Count Almaviva’s valet.12

Having previously appeared as the Count’s loyal factotum in The Barber of Seville, Figaro is now betrothed to the Countess’s maid, Susanna. The plot of the opera centers on Figaro’s efforts to protect his future wife from the Count, who intends to seduce her.12

Characterized as adroit, irrepressible, and insubordinate, Figaro becomes a symbol of resistance against aristocratic corruption and the abuse of power. Throughout the opera, he engages in various intrigues and deceptions to outsmart his master, ultimately securing his marriage after the Count is forced to admit his dishonorable intentions and grant his permission.213