Author Edmond Rostand Born 1868 Produced his first play at the age of 20 Enjoyed early success with the play Les Romanesques This play became the inspiration for the more modern play The Fantasticks

Author Edmond Rostand Great success came with the wildly successful Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano’s character was used as the inspiration for the film version Cyrano de Bergerac starring Gerard Depardieu It also served as the inspiration for Steve Martin’s popular film, Roxanne Legend has it that the first audience to watch the play applauded a full hour after its conclusion

Background Theater during Rostand’s day was mostly grim and realistic Cyrano was groundbreaking because its hero was anything but realistic, and the play featured swashbuckling at its finest Its Romantic nature was a breath of fresh air Background

The play harkened back to an era in theatre when men were musketeer, women were there to be rescued and wit was just as important to a hero as a how the hero handled his sword Cyrano’s unique blend of honesty, courage, wit and passion brought back to the stage the type of protagonist it had been missing Background

Play; heroic comedy and romance 1897 Play; heroic comedy and romance 1640 Paris Christian and Cyrano are opposites from one another. Both possess what the other lacks. The audience begins to understand that Roxane has fallen in love with Cyrano and his words. Although the audience recognizes this Cyrano can not see past his nose at the truth Literary Focus Date of Publication Genre Setting (time) Setting (place) Foil Dramatic Irony

Cyrano is symbolic of the strength and importance of inner beauty Christian is symbolic of outer beauty The letters Cyrano writes are symbolic of Christian’s failure to express himself adequately and Cyrano’s failure to express himself in action Literary Focus Symbols

Cyrano’s nose is the most prominent symbol in the play. Literary Focus It is representative of society’s inability to look past out beauty to see beauty within It is representative of a barrier to his love Roxane: he doesn’t have the confidence to pursue her and he is reminded of his physical shortcoming every time he opens his eyes Literary Focus Symbols

Literary Focus Themes and Conflicts Inner vs. Outer Beauty Moral code and principles Honor and Integrity Pursuit of Love Bravery and Virtue Loyalty and Sacrifice Friendship Search for Self-Confidence and Self-Acceptance

Overview

The play centers around a swordsman named Cyrano de Bergerac who is as deadly with his tongue as he is with his sword Despite his great skill with words and metal, he is handicapped with a grotesquely large and ugly nose Overview

His nose is the main reason for Cyrano’s only real weakness: the lack of confidence he feels when it comes to matters of the heart Cyrano is deeply in love with a woman named Roxanne, but because he is so ugly he thinks he is beneath her Roxanne, in turn, tells Cyrano she is in love with one of Cyrano’s cadets, Baron Christian de Neuvillette Overview

Overview Cyrano tells Christian of Roxanne’s love, but Christian then become distraught because he feels he lacks the poetry and eloquence to woo a woman of Roxanne’s caliber Cyrano’s bright idea is what spurs on the rest of the action: Cyrano will write Roxanne pretending to be Christian.

Cyrano de Bergerac The protagonist Talented with words and steel Member of the Cadets of Gascyne (royal guards) Confident in almost all things except for love because of his ugly, long nose

Roxane Beautiful and Intellectual Appreciate Cyrano’s vast wit and loves poetry Initially falls in love with Christian because of his good looks

Christian Falls in love with Roxane While he possesses the beauty Cyrano lacks, he does not have any of his inherent wit and charm He is an honorable person and wants Roxane to be happy

Comte de Guiche The play’s antagonist In love with Roxane and has a dislike of Cyrano Tries to have Cyrano killed on several occasions throughout the play