Fate seems to be present in many plays such as “The Barber of Seville” by Pierre Beaumarchais. Count Almaviva has fallen in love with Rosine. He serenades her to no avail but does not give up. It seems that fate has almost brought these two together. Barthalo is greedy and wants Rosine for himself. Therefore, he decides to lock her in his house, keeping watch over her. The Count loving Rosine, decides to disguise himself so he can enter the house. Fate is quite evident as the Count happened to meet Figaro. That is too much of a coincidence to occur normally. Even though it is determined that the Count loves Rosine, he wants to make sure that she feels the same way. He wants to make sure that they’re both happy despite fate. Bartholo seems to want to fight the decision that Rosine and the Count are destined. However, Bartholo ends up losing as the love between Rosine and the Count is too great.

The ending of the play is quite confusing. However, it ends in the happiness of the Count and Rosine. Both of them get married as Bartholo tries to stop them. However, he is too late and the marriage contract is signed. Fate seems to have a key role in this play. The Count was destined to be with Rosine. He did anything he could to be with her and in the end, they were together. Despite the play being a comedy, fate is still apparent and can be seen throughout the play.

Because tragedies and comedies have different styles and purposes, the presence of fate in these two types of works is very different. In tragedies, such as Antigone, fate is a major theme that is presented almost immediatly and present almost constantly. The characters in a tragedy often know their fate, or are at least given signs of their fate, from the beginning. However, in comedies, such as Beaumarchais’s The Barber of Seville, the presence of fate is not as strong, although it is still there.

The characters of The Barber of Seville do not know very muck about their fates. In fact, what they believe to be their fate in the beginning of the comedy is very different from the way it turns out in the end. In fact, the Count wouldn’t even believe that his fate with Rosine is even possible. At first, he believed that she was already married to Bartholo. It wasnt until the fourth scene that Figarone informs him this was a rumor to “”set off suitors, as yet she is only his ward.” The idea of their love is proposed right away and the audience understands that their fate is most likely to be together, but it takes time for the characters to recognize this, if they do at all.

As the play goes on, the story does lead to a single fate, but the path to it is much less direct than it is in a tragedy. In a tragedy, the fate of the characters is proposed, the characters take actions that lead them to their fate, then their fate comes true. In comedies, not everything leads right to the fate. There are often obstacles that make the audience wonder if things will work out as they expected. For example, when Figaro steals the key so that he and the Count can get to Rosine and she can marry the Count, things seem be leading towards their fate. However, Bartholo discovers that they have the key and plans to stop them, creating an obstacle that leads them away from their fate. While the expected fate does eventually come true, unexpected events such as this one occur to make the story more exciting.

A predetermined fate may be an important aspect of many different types of works, but it can be used and approached in different ways. In comedies, the fate tends to be less known and the path to it tends to be less direct.

In tragedy, fate is portrayed as an oppressive mistress, one who inexorably leads the characters to certain death and unhappiness regardless of free will and good intention. Fate, even in general terms is perceived by people as a set of prophecies or commandments of the universe that inevitably fulfill themselves often to the detriment of a person’s free will and desires. However, comedy presents a different, lighter view of fate as a kind mistress, one who does not force a given outcome on the characters. Rather, fate causes certain key events to happen by way of chance and serendipity and then the characters are allowed to devise plans and make decisions that decide exactly how the story ends.

The opening scene of The Barber of Seville emphasizes the role of fate, or more accurately, chance and good fortune. The character of Figaro is most influenced by fate. He describes how his hopes of being a writer in Madrid were crushed and his life has led him to Seville, where he now works as a barber. While this may appear to be bad luck or tragic fate, Figaro is not disheartened or broken up like a tragic character. Instead, he earns his living as a barber and continues to compose, which is what he is doing when the audience first sees him. In a stroke of pure luck, the Count and Figaro recognize each other. That The Count was Figaro’s former master, that Figaro was a barber with access to Bartolo’s house, that The Count should find himself in a position where he needs help from Figaro and most importantly, that they both should be at the same place at the same time all add up to serendipitous good fortune for the Count as he relies on Figaro’s help to court and eventually marry Rosine, a young noblewoman kept captive by her guardian, Bartholo.

However, as the story progresses, the characters exercise their free will and make plans to ensure a favorable outcome for themselves as opposed to characters in a tragedy who simply accept destiny. It is never completely certain that The Count and Figaro will be able to outwit Bartholo. In fact, Bartholo is a powerful man in the story, particularly advantaged because of his position as Rosine’s guardian, and the outcome may very well have turned out in his favor. However, the Count and Figaro make their plans without any fear of fate and eventually they achieve their goal. It is arguable that The Count and Rosine were destined to be married. However, the action in The Barber of Seville is spontaneous and not dictated by fate. The turn of events is, in certain places, assisted by fate but ultimately there is hope and freedom of will that contribute to the lightness of comedy.

In The Barber of Seville, fate is once again inevitable but it is set in a more lighthearted tone. The fate of Rosine and the Count have been set from the very beginning, even before they have met. Her guardian, Barthalo, is so in love with Rosine that he tries to keep her locked up in the house and away from society as much as possible. Yet even so, it takes one meeting of the Count for him to fall in love with Rosine. Once that happens, it is just a journey for the Count to save and marry his future wife. Fate once again arranges for the relationship between the barber, Figaro, and the Count. It just so happens that the Count has once helped Figaro who is one of the only people who have common entrance to Barthalo’s house. Even at the end when there were several misunderstandings, everything aided Rosine and the Count to fulfill their fate. Barthalo’s attempt to deceive Rosine, therefore calling for the notary to come right away during that night only turns around and backfires on his own plan. The befriendment of Bazile on Barthalo’s part is a mistake of his; due to his sneaky and dishonest personality he therefore finds Barthalo a trustworthy friend. But for Bazile, money talks loudest and the Count has all the money he needs. It then makes it easy for the Count to repeatedly ‘buy’ Bazile to cooperate. The fate of true love reigns in this comedy, meanwhile Barthalos jealous, sneaky, pig – headed personality leads to his own fate and his ‘downfall’.

Fate plays a huge role in “The Barber of Seville,” by Pierre Beaumarchais. At the start of the play the Count sees Rosine in Spain and immediately falls in love with her. At this point fate had already determined that they will be together. However the Count wants to test fate and make sure that Rosine like him for the right reasons. He dresses up as a soldier then as a music teacher in order to get inside Rosines’s house. Instead of just accepting that fate has them together the Count tries to test fate and almost succeeds in pushing Rosine away from him. Dr. Bartolo, the man whose house Rosine lives under has other ideas than what fate has in store. He believes that it is fate for him to marry Rosine and tries to push the matter by forcing Rosine into a marriage. Here we see two very different approaches, first the Count who fate says will marry Rosine is more calm about it and bides his time to make sure Rosine actually likes him on the the other hand Dr. Bartolo can probably sense that his fate is not to marry Rosine so he tries to fight fate and quickly force Rosine into a marriage with him. However as always fate wins out and Rosine ends up marrying the Count.

Throughout the play, “The Barber of Seville,” by Pierre Beaumarchais there is the recurring theme of fate and destiny. Fate is the developments of events beyond a person’s control. These events are predetermined and are controlled by some supernatural being. We can see that the play is surrounded by this notion of fate and that most of the events take place as a result of chance or coincidence.

From the very beginning of the play we can see the effect of fate in the story.  When the Count saw her in Spain that first time it was fated that he would fall in love with her. However, the antagonist of the play, Dr. Bartholo, had a different idea. In an attempt to alter fate he decided to lock Rosine in his house and planned on taking her to be his wife. Bartholo constantly watches over Rosine and won’t stop until he gets his way. However, the Gods had an alternative plan and did everything in their power to ensure that the marriage did not happen. They made sure that the Count would get his way and set up the coincidental meeting between himself and Figaro, his old servant who “happened” to be the barber of Dr. Bartolo. The Count was in the right place at the right time and he finally got his chance to acquire the love of Rosine. Together they devised a few plans to get Count Almaviva into Dr. Bartholo’s house and to set up a meeting with Rosine. At the end of the play we can see the effect of fate to an even greater extent. The Count finally has some time alone with Rosine and as soon as he reveals to Rosine who he really was the notary “happens” to walk in and marries them off.

From the play we can see the effect to which fate can have on the lives of people. Fate is inevitable and no matter how hard you try to escape it, you will not succeed. Bartholo tried to alter fate, however the power of the gods was too great for him and in the end he sped up the process.

Fate means that there are events that are beyond a person’s control. In the case of the Barber of Seville, The Count, with the help of Figaro, captures fate by the reins and guides his own destiny. In a comedy like the Barber of Seville, fate plays subtle roles, disguised by the hilariously absurd situations in the plot. Fate advances the plot through unforeseeable/convenient situations and introduces absurdities into the play that enhance the comedic aspects.

Fate is practically inserted through various parts of the play in order to advance the story. It appears early when The Count met Figaro outside Bartholo’s home. It is purely through fate and/or coincidence that they met, but their meeting allows the story to progress. Other instances of fate include the weather on the night of the marriage, which helped The Count acquire his woman. On the other hand, the characters were also able to control their own fates, so they controlled their own outcomes. The prime example is The Count’s decision to remove the ladder, which allowed him to marry Rosine directly in Bartholo’s house.

The more important role of fate in comedy is the absurdity that fate brings into the play. When Bazile fatefully enters the room when Rosine is getting her “lessons,” a crazy situation erupts where there is a comedic exchange between the character, and where Bazile is left clueless. The fact that Bazile comes at such a time shows how fate is used in this play, as an opportunity for insanity to occur, producing laughter from the readers and the audience. Another example is at the beginning, Rosine asks for information by song from The Count; if Figaro did not have a guitar at the moment, then the light and humorous lyrics may have never left The Count’s lips.

Comedic plays use fate similarly to tragedies: to advance the plot. However, the main difference between the two is that tragedies use fate to highlight themes, while comedies use fate to enhance the humor.

In Beaumarchais’s Barber of Seville, The Count pursues Rosine through various schemes and disguises. He tries to ensure that she will not love him for the wrong reasons. Fate already decided early on that these two star-crossed lovers would fall in love and no one could interfere. A reminiscent, clichéd theme of enduring love demonstrates how fate manifests in comedies and provides an advantage for the protagonist.

In many ways Figaro embodies fate. As Dr. Bartholo’s barber, he can relay the count’s messages to and fro, devise plans, and revise them as their schemes unfold. The count warmly embraces Figaro, “Ah! Figaro! My friend!” You shall be my guardian angel, my liberator, my guiding spirit” (48). The count continues to list demands, “Just let me tell you this. She is going to be my wife. If you help me conceal my identity…you understand…you know me sufficiently…” (53). The count transforms Figaro into an enforcer of fate. Figaro loyally carries out various tasks and constantly takes the blame for the Count’s mistakes. Fate seems to be on the Count’s side.

Figaro’s role as a doomsayer explicitly elaborates his role in the story and how he represents fate. He tells Rosine about Bartholo’s intentions. Bartholo’s servant Youthful asks something fascinating, “I ask you, Master, is it fair, is it right, is it just?” (60). Bartholo believes justice is irrelevant to consequences because he is in control and he is the master. Yet clearly, fate seems to be rewarding characters deserving of assistance and guidance. Fate offers an advantage to the Count whose notions are pure: “Figaro will come to our aid” (79). Fate seems to be fluid and leans towards to side of those who live passionately and freely as Figaro states, “A man must live as he can” (85).

No matter how many attempts Bartholo manages, they all do not see fruition and fate had already chosen not to support him. Many characters are against his proposal to marry Rosine. Bazile himself tells Bartholo the whole explanation and still he cannot sway Bartholo’s ignorance. Rosine curiously asks in Act Two “isn’t fate unjust?” To which the answer is yes and no. It is “just” to those who reap the benefits and “unjust” for those who suffer as a consequence of lost benefits.