5 h 40 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A locked door, a watchful guardian, and a barber who knows everyone’s business: love in Seville needs a clever accomplice.
Count Almaviva waits beneath a window in Seville, hoping to reach Rosine. She wants freedom and a husband of her own choosing, but Doctor Bartholo, her suspicious guardian, plans to marry her himself. The Count hides his rank behind the name Lindor: he wants Rosine to love him, not his title.
Enter Figaro, a barber, errand-runner, and former servant of the Count, ready to sell his talents. In Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais’s comedy, disguises and quick exchanges turn courtship into a contest of wits. From the opening street scene to the Count’s appearance as a rough soldier, each trick challenges Bartholo’s control.
What you’ll discover
- A barber with answers Meet Figaro, whose knowledge of Seville makes him a useful ally in a difficult courtship.
- Love behind a name Follow Almaviva as he conceals his title and seeks affection for himself.
- A woman seeking choice Discover Rosine’s wish to choose her husband while her guardian makes his own plans.
- Disguises at the door Enjoy the Count’s soldier disguise, stolen moments, and brisk exchanges that keep the action moving.
- Sharp questions beneath laughter See how jokes about rank and guardianship expose the selfish use of power.
Who will love it
For anyone who enjoys quick comedy, clever servants and plots built on mistaken identity, and for opera lovers who want the source of the stories.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A count waits under a window
- Figaro arrives and sells his talents
- A guardian who wants a bride
- Disguises, lessons and stolen moments
- What the comedy says about rank and love
- How the play is built and what it became
Who’s who
- Count AlmavivaA young Spanish nobleman in love with Rosine, who hides his title behind the name Lindor because he wants to be loved for himself.
- RosineThe lively young woman in Bartholo's care, who wants freedom and a husband of her own choosing.
- Doctor BartholoRosine's suspicious guardian, who plans to marry her himself and watches her closely.
- FigaroA quick-witted barber of Seville and former servant of the Count, who sells his help and enjoys outwitting people.
- BasileRosine's music teacher, who is a scheming and flattering presence in Bartholo's household.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 5 h 40 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Der Barbier von Sevilla in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Der Barbier von Sevilla
by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais · 1775
A count hides his rank to win Rosine, while Figaro's schemes take on the guardian who wants to marry her himself.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A count waits under a window
The play opens in a street in Seville, in front of the house of Doctor Bartholo. Count Almaviva, a young nobleman of Spain, waits there in the early morning. He hopes to catch sight of Rosine, the young woman he has come to love. He has followed her to the city, and he has not told her who he is.
The Count has a particular wish. He does not want Rosine to love his title and his money. He wants to be loved for himself. So he gives himself a plain name, Lindor, and presents himself as a poor student. This choice sets the play in motion, because from this point he must keep acting a part.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Der Barbier von Sevilla
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Barber of Seville about?
It is a comedy in which a young Spanish count, hiding his rank, tries to win Rosine, who is kept under the control of her guardian Doctor Bartholo. The barber Figaro helps him with schemes and disguises.
Who is Figaro in The Barber of Seville?
Figaro is a barber and general fixer in Seville who once served Count Almaviva. He is clever, talkative and resourceful, and he drives much of the plot by arranging ways for the Count to reach Rosine.
Is The Barber of Seville the same as the opera?
No. Beaumarchais wrote the spoken play. Rossini's opera of the same name is based on it, as is the story of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, which comes from Beaumarchais's sequel.
The author
Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
1732–1799 · French playwright
Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was a French playwright and diplomat. He was born in Paris in 1732 and died there in 1799. He also worked as a watchmaker. His plays include The Barber of Seville, first performed in 1775, and The Marriage of Figaro, first performed in 1784.
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in poetry and plays
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
