The Marriage of Figaro Lesson Plan

Why is it significant that the Count goes coursing? How does the Countess react when Susan tells her that that's where he is? What literary devices are being used in this passage?

The Count's hunting outing in the beginning of Act II is significant for a few reasons. First, he goes coursing, a specific type of hunting with dogs that are trained to pursue animals using their sense of sight rather than their sense of smell. Given that deceit is such an important element in the play, the Count's hobby can be taken symbolically: the Count may not be using all of his senses while he hunts his prey. When Susan tells the Countess that the Count has gone coursing, she reacts with...