Count Almaviva

fictional character

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Article History

Count Almaviva, character in two plays, Le Barbier de Séville (1775; The Barber of Seville) and Le Mariage de Figaro (1784; The Marriage of Figaro), by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. Almaviva is introduced in The Barber of Seville as a young count in love with the heroine, Rosine. With the help of the barber Figaro, he cleverly outwits Rosine’s guardian and wins Rosine’s hand in marriage. In The Marriage of Figaro Almaviva is a philandering husband who tries to seduce Figaro’s fiancée Suzanne. He is ultimately reunited with his wife after she and Suzanne conspire to trick him into betraying himself to her.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.