What aspects of Old Regime society did Beaumarchais (author of Marriage of Figaro) critique, and what do you think his main criticisms were? What made Beaumarchais’ critique so compelling to audiences? (As a reminder, in class we brainstormed some of these together: you might think about masters and their servants, the legal and social role of the aristocracy, public vs. private spaces, gender relations, liberty vs. equality, expertise vs. incompetence…)