Cyrano de Bergerac


Cyrano de Bergerac is a play which exemplifies almost all of the main ideals of romanticism. Three different aspects will be concentrated on in this writing.

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.

The overall feeling which one procures after reading Cyrano de Bergerac is a kind of nostalgic sadness. Because the first half of the play is very up-beat, very elated in style, the rather grim ending is that much more bitter.

As the play opens, there is much merrymaking and festivity in preparation for the play. The sheer happiness of all of the colorful characters is transferred to the reader almost instantly. The mood is portrayed very well as being light and bubbly, an overall good feeling. The next major shift comes when Cyrano enters and, after riding himself of Montfleury, puts on the spectacle wherein he demonstrates not only his impeccable verbal dexterity, but also his fencing abilities - and both at the same time. This whole scene causes a strong reaction from the audience, and in turn, the reader. Cyrano is proclaiming his independence and his superiority, but in a way which is neither bragging nor vanity. The reader feels strongly for Cyrano to "go for it!" and is proud and respectful toward him because of his "magnelephant" actions.

Cyrano's actions and the resulting emotional response from the reader, then, portray him as an individual. During this age of romanticism, this was considered to be the "chic" thing to do. Here we have the feeling of the fashionability of Cyrano's actions. He is a moral leader which the people look up to.

As the play progresses, we are shown various incidents in the play which elicit emotional responses from the reader: the longing Cyrano has for Roxane; his belief that he can never have her because of his appearance; a comical intervention as Christian gets a nose up on Cyrano; Cyrano and Christian working together to court Roxane; the author of the letters to Roxane being unknown to her; the passionate speech which Cyrano delivers to Roxane from behind the shrub; the existence of the cadets in such grim conditions; the death of Christian; the final resolution of Cyrano's love for Roxane and his death.

These emotions are what define the play and make it great.

A second characteristic of romanticism is individualism. Throughout the play, it is regarded as noble in spirit to be individualistic, and Cyrano demonstrates to this effect repeatedly. His "white plumes of freedom" are perhaps the most vivid example of this independent spirit. He openly and willingly defies the standards set forth by traditional culture in refusing to dress and act like he is expected to. It is this essence of individualism which gives Cyrano's character such exuberancy, such liveliness, and which makes it fit the romantic movement so perfectly.

The most important thing about the individuality portrayed in this play is the emotional response it evokes. This response, because of the play's romantic nature, was designed as an example of romantic thought and feeling.

Yet another major characteristic of the romantic revolution was intellectual achievement and "deep thought". Unfortunately, there were those who were perhaps a bit lacking upstairs, and they had to settle for only an outward appearance of intellect. They would disguise their intellectual ineptitude by perhaps using big words, or by discussing the same old rhetoric and making it sound a bit nobler than it actually was. In act two, in the pastry shop, after Cyrano has defeated 100 men, there appear on the scene a bunch of would-be poets who are prime examples of this pseudo intellect.

They come in and rub elbows with Cyrano, as if he actually had anything to do with them before he became famous. This pseudo intellect, however distasteful, is indicative of the behavior of the people during the time. In accordance with the ideals of the romantic revolution, the nobility of spirit and individuality must be preserved, and intellect, whether you had it or not, was part of this, because part of being individual was coming up with some of your own ideas, possessing uniqueness of thought. Once again, this evokes a certain emotional response from the person who interprets this pseudo intellectualism, and the feeling the reader has about it is an integral part in the establishment of an identity with the characters.

In conclusion, it has been shown that the primary vehicle for the expression of an authors ideas and concepts about a character is the emotional response which is depicted by the characters actions. In romantic works, because of the importance that emotion played in the romantic revolution, the appeal to emotions is the distinct and definitive factor of a good romantic play.

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