Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmund Rostand
Cyrano is a romantic who believes that, despite his shortcomings, he is the guardian of all that is good. It is not sentimental; rather, it is a timeless example of platonic love. A role is played by hope, despair, war, selfishness, and redemption. I never get tired of it, in part because, if he would just accept it, Roxanne is as deserving of his affection as he is of hers.
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmund Rostand
64 used from $1.53
Free shipping
Amazon.com
- Cyrano de Bergerac Applause Books Series Softcover Written by Edmund Rostand
- This acclaimed adaptation for the stage has garnered such reviews as: Emotional depth Rostand himself would surely have envied
- Burgess' extravagant verse keeps its contours, yet trips off the tongue almost as though it were contemporary speech
One of the most moving love stories I’ve ever read is the one in Cyrano, with its bittersweet, devastating conclusion. The title character is a very amusing and brilliant man who, unfortunately, has an exceptionally ugly nose that makes it difficult for people to take him seriously. His nose is so prominent and repulsive. He has a crush on his attractive cousin Roxane, who has her eye caught by a young man who, like Cyrano, is a French army cadet. Although Christian is a very attractive young man, he is not at all articulate. Christian uses Cyrano’s writing skills to woo Roxane verbally through the use of love letters.
The drama tells the tale of a triangular love triangle. Roxane believes that Christian is courting her, yet the words that seduce her were all written by Cyrano. This is an excessively romantic play from the 19th century. After fifteen years have passed, years in which Roxane has yearned for Christian, Cyrano is about to pass away. Roxane proclaims her love for Cyrano after realizing too late that it was his words that she had adored. Cyrano cannot hear because of his intoxication, but Rostand ends by providing a poignant moment of redemption. Cyrano always took great delight in his panache, which was a white feather. This white feather flourish is still on him. His final phrase, and the final word of Rostand’s play, is “Panache.”
