1. Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

2. Pre-Reading Discussion
1. Would you rather have inner beauty or outer beauty? You may only choose one and if you choose inner beauty, then you are pretty ugly and if you choose outer beauty, you are gorgeous, but a pretty, mean and nasty person. Discuss the reasons for your choice.

3. Pre-Reading Discussion
2. Do you have 1 physical quality of trait that you are self-conscious about? What is it and why are you self-conscious about it? How does this affect you and have you ever felt alienated because of this difference?

4. Pre-Reading Discussion
3. What does our society value more highly-inner beauty or outer beauty?

5. Pre-Reading Discussion
4. How does a boy win the heart of a girl? List all of the ways a guy can impress a girl and win her over, include what his personality has to have.

6. Pre-Reading Discussion
5. What are the elements of your ideal mate?

7. VOCABULARY 1 affable : adj. warm and friendly
bellicose : adj. hostile; aggressive
Cynosure : n. something that attracts admiration
droll : adj. humorous; clownish
dubious : adj. doubtful
Enmity : n. hatred
lambast : v. to criticize harshly
obsequious : adj. fawning; servile

8. The Story
Cyrano loves Roxane, but he doesn’t think she could ever love him because of his ugly nose. Roxane is in love with Christian, and he loves her. However, they have never met, and Christian isn’t smooth enough to ask Roxane to be with him (he is handsome but really dumb). Cyrano tells Christian what to say and do in order to help Christian make Roxane love him. Will it work? Will Roxane figure out the tangled web of lies? Will she fall in love with the handsome man or the smart one? You’ll have to read and find out!

9. Cyrano

10. Three Main Characters:
Cyrano de Bergerac: He is a long-nosed, fencing, poetry writing, fighting, loving, man convinced that no one will ever love him because of his ugly features
Christian: dumb as a rock, Gascon (soldier) of Cyrano’s, handsome, loves Roxane and wishes to win her, but fears he can’t because of his lack of expression.
Roxane: “Madeline Robin” She is the most woman around. She is also the smart and cousin to Cyrano. She is loved by Cyrano, Christian, and many others.

11. Friends of Cyrano
Ligniere: mischievous poet, angers DeGuiche with poem ridiculing him
Raguenueu: poet and pastry cook, later works for Roxane
Lise: wife of Raguenuau, leaves him after Act II
Le Bret: officer in Cyrano’s regiment, Cyrano’s confidant, first learns of Cyrano’s love for Roxane
Carbon de Castel Jaloux: captain of Cyrano’s regiment

12. Opponents of Cyrano:
Count de Guiche: ambitious nobleman and military commander, in love with Roxane, hates Cyrano, experiences a change during the play, known as the Duke in Act 5
Viscount de Valvert: follower of DeGuiche, wooer of Roxane, gets insulted by Cyrano
Montfleury: fat, untalented actor, insulted by Cyrano

13. Background
The story takes place in France between 1640 and During this time France was filled with aristocrats (rich people), Gascons (soldiers), townspeople, and there is even a king (Louis XIII).
This was known as the AGE OF ELEGANCE.

14. Requirements for a man to be a true gentleman:
1. create poetry with ease and brilliance
2. excel at swordplay and wordplay
3. man of action and man of culture
4. fight bravely
5. compose music

15. Weapons
Have you ever seen a sword fight in the movies? These are called duels. The weapons are called rapiers (long pointed swords- like a mixture between lance and sword). These duels were only fought by the rich, and they were often to the death. There wasn’t even armor to protect them!

16. The real Cyrano: He lived from 1619-1655.
His name was Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac (and you thought Cyrano de Bergerac was hard enough!).
He was born in Paris and became a writer and a soldier.
He wrote science fantasy.
And…he really did have a big nose.

17. Heroic or Romantic Comedy
The play is a HEROIC OR ROMANTIC COMEDY: a comedy focusing on the exploits of a larger than life hero, the hero is known as a romantic hero.

18. Mr. Edmond Rostand
He was a French playwright (hence the play being written in French). The first show came out about 100 years ago. It was his most popular play, and it is still referenced and used today. It was even made into a ballet (imagine a long-nosed man in a tutu!).

19. Settings
ACT 1: Hotel de Bourgongne, the lobby or auditorium, 1640 ACT 2: Raguaneau’s pastry shop, the next morning ACT 3: the garden of Roxane’s house, the Marais quarter of Paris, a few weeks later ACT 4: the siege of Arras, a month later ACT 5: Convent of Ladies of the Cross, 15 years later

20. Things to read for: Cyrano is a poet.
Make note of all of the line he says in rhyme.

21. Nose Jokes from the movie Roxanne
1. Obvious: "Excuse me, is that your nose, or did a bus park on your face?" 2. Meteorological: "Everybody take cover, she's going to blow!" 3. Fashionable: "You know, you could de-emphasize your nose if you wore something larger, like Wyoming." 4. Personal: "Well, here we are, just the three of us." 5. Punctual: "All right Dellman, your nose was on time, but you were fifteen minutes late." 6. Envious: "Ooh, I wish I were you, to be able to smell your own ear." 7. Naughty: "Pardon me sir, some of the ladies have asked if you wouldn't mind putting that thing away." 8. Philosophical: "You know, it's not the size of a nose that's important, it's what's in it what matters."

22. Jokes Cont’d
9. Humorous: "Laugh and the world laughs with you; sneeze and it's good-bye Seattle."
10. Commercial: "Hi, I'm Earl Scheib, and I can paint that nose fo Thirty-Nine Ninety-Five."
11. Polite: "Ah, would you mind not bobbing your head?  The, ah,orchestra keeps changing tempo."
12. Melodic: (Everybody) "He's got the whole world.. in his nose."
13. Sympathetic: "Ooh, what happened, did your parents lose a bet with God?"
14. Complimentary: "You must love the little birdies to give them this to perch on."
15. Scientific: "Say, does that thing there influence the tides?"

23. Let’s Read
I need volunteers for the following characters:

24. HOMEWORK Finish reading Act I (stop at page 34).
Post your response to on nicenet.org. You will need to post a response to a classmate by Friday.
. You will need to begin studying the VOCABULARY ONE words for a quiz next Tuesday. You need to be able to use the word in a sentence. I will accept note cards for bonus points.

25. Exit Ticket
Write one thing that you learned about today (inner beauty vs. outer beauty, something about yourself from our discussion, background info about Cyrano, Edmond Rostand, etc.)
List one prediction about the play.
Leave the exit ticket in the box on your way out.

26. What has happened so far:
ACT 1
ACT 2
ACT 3
ACT 4

27. ACT 1 Setting: theatre What key events happen?
Cyrano ridicules Montfleury and causes the play to stop
Christian sees Roxane and is told information about de Guiche and Valvert from Ligniere.
Cyrano has a duel with who? Who wins?
What do we learn about Cyrano’s confidence? His flaws?
Who loves Roxane?
Roxane loves who?
Why is Ligniere’s life in danger? Who is after him?

28. ACT II
Setting: Ragueneau’s pastry shop Describe Ragueneau. Who is he? Why is Ragueneau upset at his wife Lise? What do we learn about Lise? What does Cyrano warn her about? Cyrano is waiting for who at the pastry shop? What news does Cyrano think he is going to hear? What news does she actually hear? What vow does Cyrano make?

29. Act II continued
Cyrano’s company of guards beg him to tell them what? A cadet brings in several hats. What does this represent? What advice do the guards give Christian when he first enters? What does Christian do? What do the guards expect to happen? What actually happens? What deal is made between Christian and Cyrano?

30. ACT III
What effect do the letters have on Roxane? Describe the balcony scene between Roxane, Christian, and Cyrano. What happens? Who gets married? How is this short-lived?

31. Quiz Who does Cyrano duel in Act I? What is the setting of Act II?
What does Cyrano promise Roxane?
What deal is made between Cyrano and Christian?
Why is the happy marriage of Roxane and Christian short-lived?

32. Literary Terms
Comedy: a dramatic work that is light and often humorous or satirical in tone and that usually contains a happy resolution of the thematic conflict
Tragedy: a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.

33. Literary Terms Cont’d
Setting: the place and the time period in which the story takes place
Plot: the pattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama
Soliloquy: a dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener

34. Literary Terms Cont’d
Aside: a piece of dialogue intended for the audience and supposedly not heard by the other actors on stage
Drama: a prose or verse composition, sometimes telling a serious story, that is intended for representation by actors impersonating the characters and performing the dialogue and action

35. Types of Conflict
Conflict: a struggle between opposing forces Types: Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man Vs. Himself

36. Irony

39. What is irony?

40. Irony
Dramatic: Audience knows what characters don’t. (Example—a scary movie)
Verbal: What is said is not what is meant (Basically, it is sarcasm)
Situational: Things that happen are different than what is expected (The locksmith comic)

41. Homework
Find two examples of each kind of irony (situational, dramatic, and verbal) in Cyrano.

42. Test- Tuesday, November 10th
What to study:
Power Point (I will upload an updated one to my website)---literary terms and facts about Cyrano.
Your reading guide
Character names and descriptions
Key events from each Act (1-5).

43. Act IV and Act V Activity
I will split you into 4 groups.
You be assigned either Act IV or Act V
Your group will need to read the Act (You can choose to read it aloud by assigning parts or each group member can read it individually)
I recommend that you split up the following requirements between your group members. I will be checking on your progress. You will have a limited amount of time to complete this.

44. Act IV and Act V Activity Cont’d
You will need to provide the following information about your Act:
A flow map with the sequence of events.
A brief skit reenacting the Act. This reenactment should be written in modern language. You may include a certain dialect (redneck, gangster, etc.) to add humor. This will be performed.
You need a visual representation of one key event from your Act.
Create a jingle or rap about one character from the play. This will also be performed by your group.

45. You will need to self-assign roles
Flow Map- 1 person
Modern Day Skit- 2 people
Visual Representation- 1 person
Rap/Jingle- 2 people
WRITE ON THE BACK OF YOUR NOTECARD WHAT YOUR ROLE WILL BE!
You will ALL help to present and be a part each component.

46. Act IV Summary

47. Act V Summary