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Attachment theory vignettes
Attachment theory vignettes
Definition of sexuality in literature
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From the beginning of fiction, authors have constantly exploited the one topic that is sure to secure an audience: love. From the tragic romance of Tristan and Isolde to the satirical misadventures in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, literature seems obsessed with deciphering the mysteries of affection. The concept most debated is the question of where the line falls between lust and love and what occurs when the two are combined, and few portray it more clearly than Edmund Rostand in his French drama Cyrano de Bergerac. The influence of fickle physical attraction and deep romantic love on each other are explored by the interactions of the four main characters: De Guiche, Christian, Roxane, and Cyrano.
Physical attraction is not simply desire, but
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At first glance the relationship of Cyrano and Roxane could appear insincere as well. After all, he is the ideal romantic hero and she the perfect fair maiden, and the “love at first sight” that often occurs between such is rarely genuine. But in the scene at Roxane’s balcony, he casts off the physical with the words, “Up until now, I spoke uncertainly. I’ve been so intoxicated by your beauty… but tonight…I am able to find speech for the first time!” (76). From then one, the love between them is soul-deep. For how could Cyrano, a just man, judge others based solely on appearance when his own is so abhorrent to him? It is witnessing this love that finally matures Christian, as he develops into a much less shallow character by the fourth act. Upon hearing Roxane’s feelings (108), he realizes the connection between her and Cyrano and proclaims, “I’m tired of being my own rival… I want to be loved for myself or not at all!” (110). In his most courageous gesture, he relinquishes Roxane to Cyrano, the person he knows understands her better than he himself ever …show more content…
Initially she is blinded by the looks that “so many other women have loved [him] for” (108), but her love of “flowing words and sharp wit” (49) soon conquers. When her conversation with Christian goes disastrously (73), she immediately shuns him due to his apparent loss of eloquence. Throughout the play Roxane remains fixed on the superficial, be it a beautiful face or beautiful words (both of which she later admits were the initial reasons she fell for Christian). The true change in her character only begins to occur during the balcony scene, when Cyrano says of wit and elegant language, “They are a crime when it comes to love! It is hateful to turn honest loving into a game!” (77). Even when she seems to let go of the physical and “love [him] only for his soul” (108), she does not recognize Cyrano as her love for fifteen years. It is only with fifteen years’ maturity that she discovers the truth, but by then it is too late. Cyrano is
The plot in both the movie and the book are similar. In both, Cyrano is trying to help Roxanne and Christian fall in love with each other, even though he loves Roxanne. Cyrano writes letters to Roxanne telling her how much he loves her, pretending to be Christian. He loves Roxanne, but feels that he is ugly and could never get her to love him back because of his huge nose.
Superficial passion revolves around outward beauty, but true love is always found in the heart. In Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand conveys this truth beautifully. This play follows Cyrano in his quest for love from Roxanne, believing she could not love him due to his oversized nose. Little do they know that she does not truly love the handsome Christian, but rather Cyrano, the master of words.
First and foremost is the appeal to emotions. All of the other facets of romanticism can be related to the emotional appeal in Cyrano de Bergerac. Because strong emotional appeal is perhaps the most important method used by the author to create identity with the reader, especially in romantic works, the actions which elicit the emotional responses must, then, show a great deal about the character. The character's motives and philosophies can be determined through his actions. Because Cyrano de Bergerac was written in the romantic style, certain intellectual and emotional principles exist throughout the play, which will now be observed in depth.
In the plays female sexuality is not expressed variously through courtship, pregnancy, childbearing, and remarriage, as it is in the period. Instead it is narrowly defined and contained by the conventions of Petrarchan love and cuckoldry. The first idealizes women as a catalyst to male virtue, insisting on their absolute purity. The second fears and mistrusts them for their (usually fantasized) infidelity, an infidelity that requires their actual or temporary elimination from the world of men, which then re-forms [sic] itself around the certainty of men’s shared victimization (Neely 127).
If you pay attention to the last scene of each end, it would always end up with Cyrano saying something. The point of view in this play is omniscient which is multiple perspectives. Because this is a play, it is obvious that there will be different point of views. Most of the figurative language is said by Cyrano because of the type of person he is. “ ‘ I’ll be as silent as a tomb. ‘ “ (p. 111). When Roxane didn’t want Cyrano to tell Christian of what he has to do, this is what Cyrano said. This quote is a simile. “ ‘An old acquaintance. We’ve met on the battlefield, among other places. I knew we’d meet again some day, but this time wasn’t the time for it. ‘ ” (p. 195). This quote is a metaphor. Cyrano was about to die, but because he did not want Roxane to worry, he said
Love is something that is so beautiful it brings people together, but at the same time it can be the most destructive thing and it can tear people apart. Edmond Rostand's play, Cyrano de Bergerac, is a tale of a love triangle between Cyrano, Christian, and Roxane. In the play, Cyrano helps Christian make a false identity about himself for Roxane to fall in love for. Christian had the looks while Cyrano had the personality, together they could make the perfect man. Throughout the play, you see similarities and differences between Christian and Cyrano’s personality, looks, and who they love.
In the beginning these two worlds are kept apart until Cyrano devises a way to bridge the two together. He discovers that the woman he loves, Roxanne is in love with a man named Christian. When he tells Christian that Roxanne has feelings for him, he reveals to Cyrano that he may have good looks, but a terrible way with words. Cyrano replies with "strange.... Now it seems I, if I gave my mind to it, I might perhaps make love well."..... "Borrow it then! - Your young manhood - lend me that, and we two make one hero of romance." (p. 84-85)
Control of ones tongue, or wit, and the ability to use it well is an incredibly necessary trait of an honorable individual. The cowardice of Count de Guiche demonstrates that the lack of bravery, on or off the battlefield, leaves a man without honor or respect. And finally, unconditional and extravagant love must be practiced by those men of honor, as shown by Cyrano’s love of Roxane. True honor cannot be won, nor can be bought, honor is something that can only be given by those who see these traits within a
From the beginning, one can only imagine the outcome of Apollo’s seduction of Creusa. To make matters worse she has a child. There is an uncanny feeling of darkness and silence as she is made to keep her lips sealed. It appears that she gave up her son from fear of her parents. Like many young girls today she made a drastic decision in order to conceal her pregnancy. Apollo in this play is given human attributes. He is depicted as a barbarian who truly lacks the goodness of a god. Indeed a critical problem has developed with Apollo’s seduction of Creusa.
Roxane is an intellectual woman who is in love with the letters she receives. She thinks that they are from her love Christian but doesn’t know that they were written by Cyrano.
Cyrano’s happiness was not viewed by him with either a favor or a goal. I cannot believe that Cyrano cared about his own happiness whatsoever. Really, that apathy would probably be the only way that he could emotionally accept his dangerously selfless undertakings. Case in point, his giving of Roxanne to the incredibly undeserving Christian. No real happiness in that action. Roxanne and Christian’s, maybe, but certainly not his own, and he loved Roxanne. Had Cyrano actually wanted to be happy, the pangs of grief that he would feel as he gave her away would certainly have ripped him apart. But if Cyrano convinced himself that he did not care about his own happiness, then it would at least take the edge off of those bitter emotions that surely plagued his soul whenever he saw his love’s face. This triggered diffidence, with all the sacrifice that Cyrano made, may have been the only defense mechanism that he had.
Cyrano has created a mental stage where women are kept on the outside and men are free to go within. Because he lacks confidence around women, he has no choice but to express his feelings by writing letters and does not have any kind of physical contact with women. When Cyrano is complaining to Le bret that he can never have Roxane he says, “With this nose of mine that marches on… Whom should i love? Why-of course-it must be the most beautiful woman in the world”(48). If a man does not have any confidence in himself, then any attemp...
The portrayal of the two female characters of the novel, Portia and Calphurnia, captures the prevailing stereotypical perceptions of women. Caesar's wife, Calphurnia, demonstrates women's predisposition towards fearfulness and superstition when she pleads with Caesar to remain at home after dreaming that a statue made in the likeness was Cesar pouring forth blood. Calphurnia establishes the sentiment that fear is a feminine trait with her entreaty to Caesar asking him to use her anxiety as an alibi, saying, "Do not go forth today. Call it my fear." (2.2.50). Caesar agrees to this arrangement temporarily with a veiled acknowledgment of the reality- a rhetorical question relating to the fact that he is "afeard to tell th...
Ever been to Paris, France in the year 1640? No? Well neither have I, but I have been residing in the United States in modern times. I related more to this version of Cyrano de Bergerac because the settings are familiar. In the original version there is a sword fight at a theater. Well for one, most people nowadays have the mind set that sword fights are for the aristocrats and Romeo and Juliet. Roxanne has fist fights and many events happen in a bar. I?ve seen fist fights and I have been in a bar and grill which is why I can relate to Roxanne. Another modern twist to Roxanne is the occupations of the characters. The fire figh...
In Cyrano’s words he uses many metaphors, for example Cyrano says, “No! I love Cleopatra--do I look like a Caesar? I adore Berenice--have I the appearance of a Titus?” PG.51, he says that Roxane is Cleopatra and Berenice and that he can never be the Caesar to her Cleopatra and the Titus of her Berenice because of his appearance. Once again the idea of outer appearance comes up as a barrier for Cyrano to get closer to Roxane. Cyrano continuously addresses how his ugliness and Roxane’s beauty do not match up, but he does not understand that Roxane doesn’t see beauty the same way he does, she sees the heart of a person as the most beautiful not the outside. At first Roxane loved Christian for his looks but eventually she conveyed to him how she loved his “soul”, but in reality his “soul” was actually Cyrano the whole time. Another example of Cyrano’s metaphors is, “My heart always timidly hides itself behind my mind.”PG.128, he is expressing how he can never show his true feelings because his mind is telling him