Cyrano de Bergerac

Cyrano de Bergerac: An Heroic Comedy in Five Acts by Edmond Rostand was originally published in 1898. Rostand was a popular poet and playwright in France during his lifetime. Cyrano de Bergerac is a five-act verse drama—a tragic romance, set in France in the mid-1600s. It was far more popular than all of Rostand’s other works and has been performed and adapted countless times since its initial successful run.

Cyrano de Bergerac explores themes of Unrequited Love, Artistry Versus Commercialism, and The Nature of Beauty and the Mind. Important symbols include the moon and the “fool.” Overall, Rostand is in love with language and wordplay, with the character of Cyrano being not only an excellent swordsman with a large nose but also exceptionally witty and well-read. This guide cites the 2004 Brian Hooker translation published by Bantam.

Plot Summary

In France, 1640, a diverse crowd gathers at the Hotel de Bourgogne to see the play La Clorise. Lignière talks with Christian, who has recently come to take up a position as a soldier with the Cadets. Christian is enamored with a beautiful woman named Roxane. She enters the theater with Guiche, who wants her to marry his friend Valvert, but she is taken with Christian’s good looks.

When the actor Montfleury begins the play, Cyrano demands that he stop, due to his poor acting skills. Cyrano gives away all his money to close the performance for the night. A man from the crowd, only called The Meddler, argues with Cyrano, but Cyrano’s superior fencing skills and quick wit scare him off. Then Valvert offers a weak insult about Cyrano’s large nose. Cyrano replies with a long list of superior insults in different categories. They fence while Cyrano recites a ballade (a formal poem) that he composes on the spot. Valvert’s friends carry off the wounded man.

Roxane’s duenna (a type of governess) tells Cyrano that Roxane wants to speak with him privately the next day. Cyrano sends a reply that they should meet at the pastry shop of Ragueneau, believing that Roxane might return his feelings.

Cyrano writes a letter to Roxane while waiting for her to arrive. When Roxane arrives, she confesses that she is in love, and Cyrano at first believes he is the one she loves. However, she reveals that she is in love with Christian, based only on his beauty. Cyrano agrees to befriend Christian.

When Christian arrives, he repeatedly insults Cyrano’s nose. Cyrano ignores these insults and tells Christian that Roxane is in love with him. Cyrano offers the love letter he wrote to Roxane as a way for Christian to court the intellectual woman. Christian begrudgingly agrees, noting that he is not good with words around women.

Roxanne and her duenna plan to attend a seminar, and they run into Cyrano on the way. Roxane tells Cyrano that she loves Christian’s letters (written by Cyrano).

Guiche tells Roxane that the cadets are going to be sent to the front. She fears for Christian’s life and asks Guiche to not send the company. He says he will send a priest to marry her to him in exchange for not sending the Cadets to the front.

Cyrano tries to give Christian lines to say to Roxane, but Christian believes he is ready to talk to her on his own. Christian is only able to say simple phrases, and Roxane sends him away. Then, Christian asks for Cyrano’s help. Cyrano arranges them under Roxane’s balcony so he can whisper lines for Christian to say to Roxane. When Roxane becomes suspicious about the delay in completing phrases, Cyrano stands in Christian’s place in the darkness under the balcony and offers extemporaneous poetry about love. Christian interjects that he wants a kiss and, after more poetic phrases by Cyrano, Roxane agrees.

Christian goes up into Roxane’s house, and the priest that Guiche sent arrives. Roxane lies and tells the priest that he is to marry her and Christian and sends Cyrano to delay Guiche until the marriage is complete. Cyrano intercepts Guiche and distracts him long enough for Roxane and Christian to be married. When Guiche learns of Roxane’s deception, he enthusiastically vows to send the Cadets to the front at once.

At the front, Cyrano sends daily letters to Roxane. Shortly before an impending attack by the Spanish. this action, Roxane and Ragueneau arrive with food for the men. Roxane tells Christian she came because of his letters, saying she loves his mind more than his good looks now. Christian encourages Cyrano to confess his love for Roxane and allow her to pick between the two men.

However, Christian is mortally wounded in the beginning of the Spanish attack before Cyrano confesses, and Cyrano refuses to share the secret. He tells Christian, right before he dies, that the confession was made and Roxane chose Christian. Roxane faints when Cyrano gives her the final letter he wrote under Christian’s name.

In 1655, Roxane lives in a convent and Cyrano visits her regularly. The nuns, Guiche, and Le Bret note how Cyrano is impoverished and not eating. He has made enemies due to his satire, and Guiche warns Le Bret that some men are planning to murder Cyrano and make it look like an accident. Ragueneau takes Le Bret aside while Guiche talks to Roxane and confirms that someone has dropped a log on Cyrano’s head, pretending it is an accident.

While the men go off to Cyrano’s house, Cyrano comes to the convent for his weekly visit. He begins to tell Roxane the court news and asks to read Christian’s final letter, which Roxane has carried with her all these years. Eventually, Cyrano faints from his injury. Le Bret and Ragueneau return, telling Roxane about the violent attack on Cyrano. She realizes that Cyrano was the author of the letters and tells him she loves him. He continues to try to deny the truth and stands up to fight imagined specters of vices, like vanity, with his sword, wanting to die in battle. Eventually, he succumbs to his injuries, dying in the arms of Ragueneau and Le Bret while Roxane kisses his head.