The Marriage of Figaro

The Marriage of Figaro Imagery

Hannibal and Count Hiding

When Basil comes into the room unexpectedly in Act 1, Hannibal must surrender his position behind the chair and hide behind the countess' gown that is lying on top of it. Then, the count hides behind the chair, where Hannibal just was. The image of two men both hiding from another is an absurd and humorous image.

Hannibal dressed as a woman

Hannibal is dressed up as a woman at several points in the play. First, the countess and Susan dress him up as Susan in preparation to dupe the count that evening, and Susan even comments on the fact that, in her clothes, he is even prettier than she is. Then later, when he has returned to the castle instead of entering the army as the count ordered, Hannibal dresses up as a shepherdess and tries to hide himself amongst Agnes and some other young girls. Hannibal's crossdressing is often played for laughs and is a way for him to hide from the easily angered count.

Hannibal's Escape

While we do not see this exact image, Hannibal's escape out of the countess' window is described in detail. Still dressed in stockings and women's clothes, he must jump from the window into a flower bed below, a rather ridiculous image of courtly humiliation and adolescent mischief.

The Garden Prank

Another central image in the play is that of the countess and Susan dressed as one another in the garden. The two women adopt the other's clothes in order to prank the count, but end up also confusing and misleading Hannibal and Figaro as well.