One of the greatest comedies in French theatre history, Beaumarchais' Le Mariage de Figaro is a dynamic text of humour and social satire which still works well on stage today, and was the inspiration for Mozart's opera.Although ostensibly set in Spain, the play satirises certain abuses and attitudes prevalent in France during the turbulent years just before the French Revolution.The play's treatment of moral themes and its strong, resourceful female characters make it as vital work of literature and theatre, as relevant today as when it was written two centuries ago. This edition features the full French text, and includes a comprehensive introduction, bibliography and commentary notes with contextual information on eighteenth century French theatre and cultural history.The editor Malcolm Cook discusses the play's controversial original reception, and detailed notes explain the social and political allusions as well as the wordplays and jokes indulged in by one of history's most provocative and thought-provoking dramatists.