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.
Cyrano de Bergerac is a man of many talents but like most people he also has some flaws. Cyrano is known by many people for his large nose, his great
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swordsmanship, and the fact that he is poetic and has pride in himself. Christian had been asking about Cyrano and Le Bret (Cyrano’s good friend) , Cuigy (friend of Cyrano), and Ragueneau (poet/pastry shop owner) answered saying that he is a “poet…swordsman…and a natural philosopher…musician.”(I,ii,106-108) Also, in one of Cyrano’s poems for Roxane, he says,”if kisses could be written down on paper you’d have to read this paper with your lips.” (III.i.57-56) He also had pride in himself because of all these good traits. Cyrano writes beautiful poems, throughout the play you read his beautiful poems, they are poems that would make any girl swoon. Because of all the positive traits in him he has some pride in himself. In the end of Act 1 and beginning of Act 2, he gets into a fight with one hundred men, which he wins and Ragueneau will not stop talking about it. A natural philosopher could also mean that he is intelligent, and obviously, he is if he devised that plan for Roxane and Christian. A Busyboy had been staring at Cyrano’s nose and Cyrano started to question what he was looking at. The Busy boy called over guards and De Guiche and Valvert came. Valvert decided that he was going to say something about Cyrano’s nose and he said “your nose, sir, is…er, well, it’s…very big.”(I.iv.311) Cyrano is not a handsome man. He has an extremely large nose which people constantly make fun of. But, he has learned to get over it. He also insults his nose by himself too. In the scene, they guy had tried to make an insult but his insult was terrible. So Cyrano gave the man a list of possible insults that the man should have said but didn’t. Le Bret and Cyrano were talking about who Cyrano loved and Cyrano said “….She would make a man forget a sea born Venus or Brave Diana striding through the woods.” (I.vi.501-502) Once Cyrano had said the lovely poem about her Le Bret knew automatically who he loved. Le Bret said “I know! There’s only one girl…your cousin…Madeleine Robin.”(I.vi.503-505) Obviously, Le Bret thought Roxane was beautiful considering he got it on his first try. Also, saying someone is as beautiful as the roman goddess Venus (in greek mythology Aphrodite) who in fact is the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, etc. Has to make you a gorgeous woman. Sadly, Cyrano thinks that Roxane would never love him because of his look. So he does not want to tell her in case of the rejection he will get. Cyrano is a strong man and has many talents, he has pride in himself, he is very eloquent, throughout the book you see how Cyrano is always the “brains” of the plan when it comes to Christian and Roxane. Christian is in the guard, he is noble, and he has a very attractive outer appearance.
He pulls off this great look, but once you get t o know him you realize that he is not the most intelligent person. Christian according to Roxane is “proud, brave, and noble.”(II.vi.178) But, Christian says “I’m so stupid, I could die of shame.”(II.x.464) Christian is brave considering he is a part of the army and he does go to war. He is noble in the way that he is willing to give up Roxane for Cyrano since Roxane only loves Christian for his looks. He tells Cyrano to tell Roxane of the plan that they had made because Roxane had told Christian that if he was ugly she would still love him. That meant that she did not just love him for his looks anymore. He is not the brightest considering that he thought he could make Roxane swoon without the help of Cyrano. He tries and fails dramatically, she does not want to talk him so Cyrano has to come to the rescue and fix it all for Christian. Christian is called “handsome”(II.x.464) by Roxane when she is describing him to Cyrano. Also, Cyrano says, “…the boy is handsome, damn him!.” (II.x.459) When he and Christian are alone after Christian was insulting his nose while Cyrano was telling the cadets his story of the fight. Roxane fell for Christian just for his looks, he is handsome and his looks and Roxane’s beauty would go well together if you were just looking at looks. The Cadets were together listening to Cyrano’s fighting story, but every time Cyrano would say something Christian would interrupt and make fun of Cyrano’s nose. Eventually, Cyrano gets annoyed with it and tells all the Cadets to leave but Christian. But, instead of killing Christian he embraces him into a hug and goes on to tell him that he is handsome and basically perfect for Roxane.Christian says that he “loves her so”(I.ii.66) when he is talking to Lingière. Then he goes on to describe what he thinks she is like saying, “I’m sure she is clever, one of those
précieuses who talks the latest language when I hear it I just clam up. Fighting is more my line. She always sits at the end there, on the right” He says that he loves her, he sort of loves her from afar which in a way is pretty romantic because he tells us where she sits when she comes to see the plays. But, at the same time he has this whole idea of what she is like. He basically, has come up with this false identity for her. He also hopes in a way that she isn't a “precieuses” because she will be very eloquent and he doesn’t like the new language since after all he is a simple man. Christian is one of those types of people that is all looks no brains, and he really only has looks going for him. He knows that if he speaks to Roxane she will not love him anymore, so he decided to love her from afar. He is noble in the way that he lets Roxane go and tells Cyrano to tell her. In the end, Christian knows that Roxane belongs with Cyrano not him and he willing to accept that. He is also brave because he is in the military. The play Cyrano de Bergerac, was written by Edmond Rostand, you see similarities and differences between Christian and Cyrano’s personality, looks, and who they love. Christian prefers to love Roxane from afar because of his lack of intelligence, and Cyrano loves Roxane, but he is afraid she will not love him back because of his outer appearance. They both have pride in themselves but, of course, they have insecurities. Christian, in the end, is noble enough to understand that he needs to let Roxane go, because she only loves him for his looks, and he really only loves her for her looks and the idea of her. So he tells Cyrano to tell her that he is the one writing all the poems, not him. Cyrano belongs with Roxane because their personalities mesh well together. Looks do not last forever. You could be the most handsome person on this earth, but you may grow to be a very ugly old man. Also, if you have a terrible personality on top of not being an attractive old man no one will want to be with or near you.
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.
Cyrano is a very intelligent, noble, skillful swordsman who is full of knowledge and creativity to allow him to write his writings. Cyrano shows loving character because he delivers a letter to Roxane every day, of his own feelings and helpful when helping Christian and his struggles with Roxane. Cyrano is also brave and ambitious because he is not afraid of any challenge that awaits him.
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” (Confucius) Cyrano’s insecurity of his nose effects his relationship with Roxane. In Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano De Bergerac, Cyrano’s insecure and eloquent self-perception results in Cyrano’s companionship & loving in his relationship with both Christian & Roxane. Cyrano’s level of eloquence helps him combat the insults of his nose. Cyrano is a poetic, witty, & eloquent man who is insecure & has trouble showing his true feelings for Roxane .Cyrano and Christian work together to win Roxane’s heart, and at the end Cyrano allows love to kill him, even after Roxane discovers & reciprocates his feelings.
In the beginning of the play all aspects of society come together to the theater which involves the poor and the richest people. There’s were Roxane first saw Christian and she was immediately attracted to his looks, she’s just like society is quick to judge looks over personality, completely under minding Cyrano. Roxane tells Cyrano about Christian beauty in Act two Scene five Roxane said “His face shines with wit n intelligence, He’s proud, noble, young, fearless, and handsome.” This shows that she’s completely blinded by his looks! Society will describe Christian just like Roxane but will have different aspects of him. She’s saying that Christian is a bright person judging him by the way he looks. Roxane starts to look for Christian by letting Cyrano know that he is part of his regiment. In Act two Scene five Roxane said “ And it s happens, cousin, that he’s a member of your regiment.” Roxane had just seen Christian once and she already knew who he was and what he did....
Few words can be more humorous, or more upsetting, than a well thought out and witty phrase. The only skill that matches Cyrano’s skill with a sword, is his skill with his tongue. With a wit unmatched by any poet, Cyrano made enemies wherever he went, simply by out-smarting all who came against him. In the first act of the play, Cyrano crashes a performance of the well-known actor Montfluery. After many insults, Cyrano heaps upon them by saying, “I would never venture out in public with a soiled conscience, a tarnished honor, or scruples grimy and dull. I do not adorn myself with gems and ribbons, like you. Instead, I decorate myself with truth, independence, and a clean soul.”
One of Cyrano’s most significant traits as a friend was his loyalty. He would always look out for friends in their time of need, which makes the audience feel sympathetic towards him. Because Cyrano is such a loyal friend, the audience feels angry with Roxane for manipulating him, and taking advantage of his loyalty. An example of Cyrano’s loyalty was when Ragueneau’s wife was having an affair with a musketeer, Cyrano confronted her, “Make sure you do./I like your husband, and I don’t intend/To see him made a fool of./Is that clear?”(II.iv.115-118). He stood up for his dear friend, and did not want him be made a joke of. I believe this is important because it shows that he is not only loyal to his friend, but also caring and has strong moral principles. What Lise was doing was wrong, and the author put this part in to emphasize the reader’s sympathy for Cyrano. Later when Ragueneau’s wife left him, Cyrano did not hesitate to support Ragueneau by talking him out of killing himself and providing him with a proper job. Furthermore, as everyone must be aware of, Cyrano was in love with Roxane. But because he was such a trustworthy friend, he agreed to protect Christian...
The theme of this play is inner beauty and outer beauty. In the beginning of Cyrano de Bergerac, it seems like the theme focuses heavily on outer beauty. As you continue to read on, the play actually puts more emphasis in inner beauty. Symbolism is very important in this play. The letters written by Cyrano symbolizes Cyrano’s inner beauty because what you write comes from your soul which is shaped by your personality. Cyrano’s nose symbolizes his ugliness and his insecurity. Because Cyrano knows Roxane would never consider him because of his nose, he decides to help Christian since Cyrano believes he can help Christian win Roxane’s heart. “
Christian De Neuvillette is introduced as an impulsive baron with charming features. Christian can be interpreted as a naïve, and shortsighted character, although within the play, his character bonds between more than just two negative attributes. The most desirable personality traits that a character would acquire are strenuous to preserve. One of these strenuous traits includes courtesy, which readers would target their attention to. The readers’ concentration targets to characters with high qualities that differ from other characters, in this case Christian fits perfectly into the category. After Christian De Neuvillette proves Cyrano De Bergerac that he has fortitude by insulting Cyrano’s extensive nose, Christian hastily apologizes later when Cyrano acknowledged he was the cousin of Roxane. This may be interpreted as an action of remorse, considering Christian did affront the cousin of Roxane; a woman Christian felt adoration towards. The interpretation is partially correct, although stepping into Christian’s point of view, his loyalty focalizes onto Roxane. Christian’s reaction to when he figured Cyrano was Roxane’s cousin, revealed a sudden change in attitude towards Cyrano, creating a much lighter and respectful tone in his speech: “I am so glad to meet you / Believe me...
Continuing on from Cyrano’s carelessness for his happiness, we may easily make a jump to his sense of self-worth. Any man who would sacrifice his own love, thus, his entire world, for the sake of his rival cannot have a concern for himself.
Cyrano believes that Christian is handsome and he is not. Realizing Christian may have the hots but not the brains, the two of them team up to make the ultimate boyfriend for Roxane. Cyrano writes her letters with his very poetic voice, while Christian is used for the physicalness of being with Roxane. Roxane, however, does not know Cyrano is in on this, and she does not know that Cyrano loves her, and is not able to know until he reads one of “Christian's” letters out loud to Roxane fifteen years later. Cyrano de Bergerac is filled with themes of independence, sacrifice, love, and loyalty. Cyrano is defined as a romantic hero because he has courageousness, boastfulness, and flourishness, which are his happy symbols, but he is also a sad poet and very sensitive. Now, in the book, Cyrano has a problem that he has a gigantic nose. So big, that is used to define so many things. Cyrano’s nose is first, a symbol of his “larger than life” or very energetic and outgoing personality. Cyrano’s nose also represents his devotion for his cousin Roxane. His nose could also possibly be a symbol of his craziness and his nobility. People have renowned Cyrano’s story because of his heroic protagonist qualities and who stayed loyal to their beliefs. Cyrano de Bergerac is a story about fear, beauty, loyalty, friendship, love,
Cyrano is too insecure to tell Roxane that he loves her, instead deceiving her and making her think that Christian is the perfect man. Cyrano allows Christian to use his words as his own, saying, “Would you dare to repeat her the words/I gave you, day by day?” (99). Cyrano gives his original letter to Roxane to Christian, telling him to simply use it as his own. This quote demonstrates how Cyrano ...
The love of the protagonist and his wife in William Shakespeare’s trgedy Othello can not stand up against the repeated assaults of the sinister Iago. Let us in this essay search for and comment on the examples of love found in the play.
It was a statement by Rostand on the superficial society that he lives in. This play started as a classic tale of love and the battle of two opposites, but then it evolved into a beautiful performance with an impactful moral. You could tell just by reading the play that Rostand’s goal was to change the audience’s views on the importance of beauty. It makes sense why Cyrano de Bergerac was such a critically acclaimed and controversial play when it first came out. Christian and Cyrano are both symbols for the values of inner and outer beauty. Roxane represents society. When Roxane chooses Christian, it shows how Rostand’s society values outer beauty while inner beauty hides. In the end, when Roxane figures out it was Cyrano who she loves, it shows how Rostand wishes society would acknowledge inner beauty instead of only focusing on outer beauty. The play was an original statement about Rostand’s opinion on the importance of both inner and outer beauty. He uses beautiful metaphors, similes, and sense imagery to convince the audience that his opinion is right. Which is better to have, inner or outer beauty? Rostand leaves that up to the audience members, but in the very end, he clearly tells them his final
Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night revolves around a love triangle that continually makes twists and turns like a rollercoaster, throwing emotions here and there. The characters love each another, but the common love is absent throughout the play. Then, another character enters the scene and not only confuses everyone, bringing with him chaos that presents many different themes throughout the play. Along, with the emotional turmoil, each character has their own issues and difficulties that they must take care of, but that also affect other characters at same time. Richard Henze refers to the play as a “vindication of romance, a depreciation of romance…a ‘subtle portrayal of the psychology of love,’ a play about ‘unrequital in love’…a moral comedy about the surfeiting of the appetite…” (Henze 4) On the other hand, L. G. Salingar questions all of the remarks about Twelfth Night, asking if the remarks about the play are actually true. Shakespeare touches on the theme of love, but emphases the pain and suffering it causes a person, showing a dark and dismal side to a usually happy thought.
True Love in The Merchant of Venice Among the various themes presented in the Merchant of Venice most important is the nature of true love. The casket plot helps illustrate the theme of the book. Through a variety of suitors the descriptions of the caskets, Shakespeare shows the reader how different people view true love. He also shows what is most important to the suitors and in some cases it is not true love, but material things and outward appearance. The first suitor who tries to win Portia's hand is the Prince of Morocco.