Why was the character Figaro seen as a challenge to the old social order?

In the context of the play and opera, the character of Figaro is viewed as a challenge to the old social order primarily because he represents the virtue of the lower class in direct contrast to the corruption of the aristocracy.1

As an adroit, irrepressible, and insubordinate figure, Figaro serves as a symbol of resistance against the abuse of power by the nobility. In The Marriage of Figaro, the narrative centers on his efforts to protect his future wife, Suzanne, from the dishonorable intentions of his master, Count Almaviva. By portraying the Count as an unscrupulous villain rather than a romantic hero, the work highlights the moral failings of the privileged class.21

Because these themes directly critiqued aristocratic behavior and social hierarchies, the original plays by Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais faced censorship. While Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera, Le nozze di Figaro, removed much of the explicit political sting from the source material, the music continues to emphasize these social tensions and distinctions.23