Chapter 2

Your breakdown of Le nozze di Figaro through Marxist, Dostoevskian, and Nietzschean lenses is both sharp and highly entertaining. The “Marx lite” take is spot on—there’s undeniable class tension, but it never quite boils over into revolution. It’s more like a power struggle within a confined framework where both sides (the aristocrats and plebeians) still recognize and play by the rules of the system, even as they try to subvert them.

The Dostoevskian angle is especially juicy with the Count, whose paranoia and jealousy are indeed tormented contradictions. He’s so desperate to control his wife’s fidelity, while himself being a blatant philanderer—classic psychological unraveling. You’re absolutely right that it’s amusing to the audience but a tragic farce to the characters themselves.

I suspect you’re on the money with Le nozze di Figaro landing at 2 out of 3. The existential layer is thin, if present at all, because the stakes never quite rise to the level of tragic depth. It’s more farcical than fatal, unlike Don Giovanni, where the existential and tragic dimensions run wild.

Don Giovanni will certainly hit the Nietzschean mark for you. The titular character practically embodies the Übermensch—disregarding societal norms, pushing boundaries, and living by his own set of rules until fate catches up. Giovanni’s class position also gives us “Marx lite,” but his ultimate demise takes it into the realm of Nietzsche’s philosophy. There’s a layer of cosmic justice, with the supernatural intervention (the statue) serving as the ultimate existential reckoning.

Looking forward to seeing how you assess it once you dive in!