Scene from the Marriage of Figaro
Episode 2: Privilege in Old Regime France
Living the French Revolution and Age of Napoleon
Dr Suzanne M Desan
Film Review
Eighteenth century French Enlightenment philosophers were the first to publicly argue that the privileged role of kings and aristocrats should be based on merit rather than birthright. France’s most popular 18th century play, Beaumarchais’s Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais, openly mocked traditional European notions of hereditary power. After government censors outlawed its public production, intellectuals disseminated it widely in private salons. It eventually became so popular that the censors relented in 1784. It immediately became a smash hit.
The plot concerns the traditional right feudal of feudal lords to sleep with their peasants’ brides before their husbands id. The role of Figaro, portrayed as a crafty servant who repeatedly outwits his master, was extremely effective in channeling popular anger about the immoral behavior of French aristocrats.
Belonging to the French aristocracy gave you numerous special privileges. One of the most important was exemption from all taxes. In 1789 (the date of the French revolution), all peasants still signed contracts to provide game, livestock and produce to their feudal lords. In addition, they were charged dues to use their lord’s mills, ovens and wine presses.
Other Factors Driving the French Revolution
The anger driving the French Revolution (which occurred near the end of the Little Ice Age) was also fueled by years of poor harvests and high food prices. Owing to heavy rains and short growing seasons, all European peasants experienced repeated crop failures. Their struggle to find sufficient food to survive was aggravated by a simultaneous population boom.
There was also an extensive urban poor during the late 18th century, half of whom were too poor to be listed on the tax rolls. Global capitalism officially came into existence during the 1700s, creating increasing wealth for urban professionals (bankers, merchants and slave traders). Most of this wealth derived from booming overseas trade in slaves, sugar, coffee, calico and muslin from India, Persian carpets and porcelain and painted cabinets and screens from China.
According to Deson, capitalism itself called into question the old system of privilege as rich urban traders bought (or acquired by marriage) aristocratic titles while nobles married into merchant families to acquire a share of France’s new wealth.*
*If a noble himself engaged in business, they lost the tax-free status enjoyed by the aristocratic class and had to pay tax like commoners.
Film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy.
The Most Revolutionary Act 
This sickens me! And they acted as though their shit didn’t stink, when we ALL know they were funky as hell underneath that mess!!! UGH!!!!!!
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All Europe was run by a tiny (inbred) aristocratic elite, Shelby. And now the World Economic Forum is trying to reduce the world’s 8 billion people to some kind of digital feudalism.
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Dr. B, You don’t mention the parallel with the evolving US during this period, but it’s important to compare events in Europe with those in the Americas. First, Adam Smith’s book, “Wealth of Nations” was published in 1776. Smith has been called the “father of modern capitalism” but the book never uses that term. Instead, Smith, who lived in Scotland, wrote about the various ways the king could increase revenues, since “the late war” had left the UK in lots of debt. (I think he was referring to the Seven Years’ War” (1756-1763 or thereabouts) which occurred simultaneously in North America and is called the “French and Indian War” here. Apparently George Washington, who had formed his own army, after being rejected by Britain to serve in their military, took on the French fur traders and their native American allies in the Ohio River Valley.
In America, the Revolution supposedly ended in 1782 or 3, but it took until 1787 to complete a Constitution and have it ratified by the 13 states. George Washington was elected in 1788 as the first president, but both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were in Europe at the time. Adams was appealing to the UK for financing of the new republic, and Jefferson was in France doing the same thing.
It seems the revolutionary spirit swept the whole world within a similar time period, as people and nations became more mobile and interactive. Centralized banking also played a role, since governments needed financing and soliders for their wars, and traders needed labor and/or slaves to provide the human capital for producing the goods and other accessory materials to support trade and war. A global paradigm shift was at play.
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She covers the American Revolution in a future lecture, Katherine.
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