Cyrano de Bergerac Lecture Notes l Literary Periods/Classification l Characters l Historical Background –Cyrano de Bergerac –Edmond Rostand l Theme and Irony l Literary Terms

Victorian/Neoclassicism l straight laced l no frills l cold l dreary l tradition l society urban l conformist l constraint l intellect/reason l clear/logical

Medieval/Romanticism l brave hero, noble l adventure; exuberance l idealized women & love l chivalry l experiment l individual l rural l imagination l mysterious/super- natural l independent l spontaneity;wild;free

Characters l Cyrano- one of the best swordsmen in France; courageous, intellectual, talented, noble, enormous nose, loves Roxane

Characters l Christian- handsome soldier, honest, inarticulate, loves Roxane l Comte de Guiche- villain, wants Roxane as mistress, powerful, arrogant l Ragueneau- tavern keeper; pastry cook loves gallant gestures, the bravado of the soldier, sensitivity of poet, “utility character” l Le Bret- close friend of Cyrano’s

Characters l The Cadets and Carbon- friends and fellow soldiers in the Carbon de Castel-Jaloux (Gascony guard) with Cyrano l Ligniere- poet, heavy drinker l Vicomte de Valvert- a precieuse who comments on Cyrano’s big nose; duels with him in Act I and stabbed l Monfluery- an actor threatened by Cyrano; one of Roxane’s suitors l Bellerose and Jodelet- manager and comedian in the theater

Characters l Cuigy and Brissaille- friends of Cyrano l Meddler- says Cyrano’s nose is “miniscule” when he gets in trouble l Musketeer- flirts with Lise and ends up running off with her l Cut-purse- a pick pocket who is caught by Christian and tells him about the plot against Ligniere

Characters l Capuchin- delivers the letter from Comte de Guiche to Roxane and marries Roxane and Christian (monk or priest) l Roxane- a beautiful girl, cousin to Cyrano, orphan, in love with Christian’s beauty and Cyrano’s mind, a precieuse (attitude prevalent in 17th century, what a person appeared to be was more important than what they really were)

Cyrano, Christian, & Roxane

Characters l Duenna - nurse or servant to Roxane l Lise- wife of Ragueneau, she has more business sense and less love of poetry than her husband l The Orange Girl- sells refreshments in the play l Mother Margerite, Sister Martha,& Sister Claire- Mother Superior and the nuns where Roxane goes to live

Historical Background l CYRANO DE BERGERAC (Savinien de Bergerac: ) l REAL PERSON – French soldier – dramatist; poet novelist l BORN IN PERIGORD OR PARIS l EDUCATED – by country priest as youth – College Beauvias until 19

History continued... l MILITARY – joined royal guards commanded by Carbon de Castel-Jalous – wounded 1639 at Mouzon, recovered – joined Prince de Conti’s regiment – wounded at Arras – gave up military to study literature and philosophy

History continued... l NOSE – large, ugly – so sensitive about it, challenged anyone looked – killed at least 10 men in duels – nose became even more disfigured by cuts

History continued... l WROTE – Le Pendant Joue (The Tricked Pendant): satire influenced Moliere’s play TheTricks of Scarpin Moliere stole two scenes –The Death Of Agrippa influenced playwright Corneille –The Comic History of the Stars & Empires of the Moon fantastic fictions (seminal science fiction) influenced Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels

Cyrano Side View

History continued... l Real friend Le Bret wrote he was unselfish, chaste, sober l A Renaissance man: dashing, courageous, gallant, and intellectual l An ultimate idealist: true to himself merely for the sake of being true to himself; he never loses sight of reality or expects his quixotic behavior to be rewarded in any worldly way

History continued... l EDMOND ROSTAND ( ) –Born in Marseilles, France –Education in law - interest in poetry – At 22, married poet Rosemond Gerard and presented his first book - a volume of poems - to her. – First play Les Romanesques (about two young lovers) – La Princesse Lointaine written for famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt- most critics didn’t like it because a minor character was Christ

History continued... –1859 Cyrano de Bergerac - set late 1640’s, 50’s l Theme - “the making of a style out of despair” conflict between what appears to be and what is –L’Arglon l about Napoleon’s heir - too French for foreign audiences because foreigners did not revere Napoleon as much as the French –Rostand moved to country for ten years to write –Chantecler - received some acclaim –Rostand elected to French Academy at 33 - youngest member –Rostand was never robust - died Dec. 2, 1918

History continued... l THEME and IRONY –closely tied together since play deals with the conflict between appearance and truth: APPEARANCE IS NOT ALWAYS TRUTH, AND TRUTH IS NOT ALWAYS CLOTHED IN APPROPRIATE APPEARANCES - universal, eternal theme –despair present, but handled lightly

History continued... –STYLE –PANACHE l literally: white plume l symbolically: –swashbuckling –superiority –courage –pride –swagger =enemies –one’s very soul –VIRTUOSO l written to exploit the talents of a particular actor (Constant Coquelin in Cyrano) –ROMANTIC l treatment of theme which may be sentimental, idealistic rather than realistic. l Free exuberance is a characteristic.

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