2. Author
Edmond Rostand
Born 1868 in France while France was under the rule of Napoleon III
His father wanted him to be a lawyer, but Edmond preferred French literature instead
He eventually did earn a law degree
Produced his first play, Le Gant Rouge (The Red Glove) 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

3. Author Background Cont.
He volunteered to fight with the French army, but was refused.
He was very upset about this and consoled himself by writing patriotic poetry.
During the time that Rostand wrote Cyrano de Bergerac, France was experimenting with scientific research
The country’s morale was very low. The occult flourished, while naturalism declined, and people were just plain sad.
Realism was the popular style of the time
Cyrano emerged as a hopeful character and the people of France were pleased with Rostand for giving them such a different character than the ones that they were used to with the problem plays
Author Background Cont.
Edmond Rostand

4. Author
Edmond Rostand
Great success came with the wildly popular 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

5. Background Information

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

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

8. Literary Focus

9. Literary Focus Date of Publication 1897 Genre
Setting (time)
Setting (place)
Foils
Dramatic Irony
1897
Play; heroic comedy and romance
1640
Paris
Christian and Cyrano are opposites from one another. Both characters 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 cannot see the truth past his nose.

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

11. Cyrano’s nose is the most prominent symbol in the play. Literary Focus
It is representative of society’s inability to look past outer 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

12. 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

13. Overview: a love triangle

14. 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

15. 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 Roxane, but because he is so ugly he thinks he is beneath her
Roxane, in turn, tells Cyrano she is in love with one of Cyrano’s cadets, Baron Christian de Neuvillette
Overview

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

17. Main Characters to Know

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

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

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

21. Comte de Guiche
The play’s antagonist
In love with Roxane and strongly dislikes Cyrano
Tries to have Cyrano killed on several occasions throughout the play