Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais lived one of the most fascinating lives of the eighteenth century, with a varied and highly successful career. Born in Paris on 24 January, 1732 into a family of former Huguenots of very modest standing, Pierre-Augustin would climb the social ladder through a range of ventures. It is no exaggeration to call him the “supreme all-rounder of his age” (Howarth, 2). His father was a watchmaker and the young Caron became his father’s apprentice at the age of fourteen after leaving school. He was variously a watchmaker, a musician, an inventor, a spy and arms dealer, a diplomat and a revolutionary, as well as being a playwright, publisher and editor. It is fair to say that “Beaumarchais’s life is a novel” (Pomeau, 6).
His watch-making skills led
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Citation: Treuherz, Nick. "Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 November 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=314, accessed 23 April 2024.]
