Scene 1: Count Almaviva, who has seen Rosina on an earlier visit to Seville, has returned to attempt a meeting with her. After making his way to Dr. Bartolo’s house where he has learned Rosina lives as Bartolo’s ward, the Count, accompanied by a band of musicians, serenades her. After the band has left, Figaro, the local barber and confidant to Dr. Bartolo, appears. The Count, who is intrigued by Figaro’s high opinion of himself and general cleverness, decides that he might be of use to their mutual advantage. Figaro describes Bartolo to Almaviva as insanely jealous of Rosina and informs him that she is kept under heavy surveillance. Nevertheless, Rosina has heard the serenade and drops a note into the street. Figaro suggests that the Count impersonate a colonel from a passing regiment and gain admittance to the house and Rosina.

Scene 2: While writing letters, Rosina wonders at her uneventful life at Dr. Bartolo’s. She knows he is overly protective of her and promises herself to effect a change. Bartolo, who has determined that Rosina should make a proper marriage to none other than himself, enlists the help of Don Basilio, Rosina’s voice teacher. As the two men leave to begin preparations for a marriage contract, Figaro arrives and is handed a letter to Count Almaviva whom she has addressed as “Lindoro”, the fictitious name the Count had used in his earlier serenade to her. Bartolo returns to accuse her of writing notes and the Count, now disguised as a drunken colonel, staggers into the room. An officer is called to arrest him but the good officer, when hearing of Almaviva’s true rank and identity, arrests no one.

Almaviva, now dressed as a music teacher sent to Rosina in place of Basilio, her regular teacher, arrives to coach her. Bartolo is immediately suspicious and orders Figaro to shave him in the same room during the lesson. Basilio arrives for his scheduled lesson but is bribed to feign illness. During the lesson, Rosina, who discovers her replacement teacher to be none other than “Lindoro”, arranges to elope with him at midnight. Bartolo has secured the services of a Notary. However, when the Notary arrives, he is intercepted by Figaro and the Count who change the contractual agreement to read in favor of Count Almaviva, thus eliminating the name of Dr. Bartolo. In the end, the Count and Rosina (who by now has happily learned of her lover’s true identity) are united and Bartolo is resigned to his inevitable loss.