Cyrano De Bergerac - Edmund Rostand

...warned.

Cyrano is someone made to Love and be Loved; Expansive, majestic, noble, honorable, poetic, tender, proud and free.When berated by a dandy for his lack of fashion, Cyrano puts him (and all others who are too wrapped up in appearances) in their place with a brief, but rousing and eloquent lecture.

"I carry my adornments on my soul....I go caparisoned in gems unseen, Trailing white plumes of freedom, Garlanded ...
...Roxanne. Only through Christian, does Cyrano feel he will EVER have the chance to express all his love to her. Events conspire to prolong this deception. Until poor Christian sees the lengths that Cyrano goes to get his love letters to Roxanne while in the midst of war. At last, he confronts Cryano, "I am tired of being my own rival!" and demands the truth be told and a choice made by Roxanne.

Alas, it is never to be.... ... more

Speak of Romantic Tragedy, and everyone sighs for Romeo and Juliet, but for me it has always been Cyrano! Personally, I am of the opinion that Romeo and Juliet is more of a classic example of Black Comedy, but I digress...This review will reveal details, so be warned.

Cyrano is someone made to Love and be Loved; Expansive, majestic, noble, honorable, poetic, tender, proud and free.When berated by a dandy for his lack of fashion, Cyrano puts him (and all others who are too wrapped up in appearances) in their place with a brief, but rousing and eloquent lecture.

"I carry my adornments on my soul....I go caparisoned in gems unseen, Trailing white plumes of freedom, Garlanded with my good name -no figure of a man, but a soul clothed in armor, hung with deeds for decorations, twirling - thus- a bristling wit...and on the stones of this old town making the sharp Truth ring, like golden spurs!"

He inspires you with the grandness of his soul. He aches to tell Roxanne that he loves her. Yet, as he says to Le Bret, " My old friend, look at me, and tell me how much hope remains for me with this protuberance!" A nose of such extreme proportions that even friends fear making an accidental comment!

The tale twists around the infamous scene of Cyrano's collaboration with Christian, a handsome young man with no gift for words, to create a "Hero of romance" for beloved Roxanne. Only through Christian, does Cyrano feel he will EVER have the chance to express all his love to her. Events conspire to prolong this deception. Until poor Christian sees the lengths that Cyrano goes to get his love letters to Roxanne while in the midst of war. At last, he confronts Cryano, "I am tired of being my own rival!" and demands the truth be told and a choice made by Roxanne.

Alas, it is never to be.... Christian dies in Roxanne's arms with Cyrano's last letter tucked into his pocket, and Roxanne lives out her life in widow's weeds amongst the nuns. Cyrano never tells Roxanne the truth even though he visits her faithfully every week.

In the end, Cyrano's pride, and his sharp tongue earn him one enemy too many, and he is mortally wounded by ignoble methods. He too begins to die in Roxanne's arms and the truth is finally revealed to her. Being fiercely himself to the very end he insists on meeting Death, his final enemy, boldly with a smile on his lips and battle in his eyes.

"I have loved but one man in my life, and I have lost him twice." are Roxanne's final words to us.

Inspirational, with an eloquence of divine proportions, I am deeply moved by this excellent work from Edmond Rostand every time I experience it! Not only will you find some of the most moving words ever penned on the subject of love, but Cyrano is also ripe with humor, droll observations on self and society and impassioned words on honor and individuality. Cyrano is a hero with many facets, all of which shine with his unique inner light.

This is romantic tragedy! Cyrano himself buys into society's obession with appearances, and dooms himself to loving in obscurity. For all his great heart is capable of, he will never to know the joys of love more intimately than his tears upon his letters being touched by the fingers of Roxanne in wonderment, and she believes both the tears and the words written come from someone else entirely.

If that were not enough, when Christian becomes a martyr to Love, Cyrano continues for Years to love Roxanne and hear only endless praise for someone who in reality resented being loved for something he was not. Instead, Cyrano contents himself with the thought that at least he has been allowed to love one person in his life, even if she never knew it.

"Take my happiness, though you may never know I gave it you.." becomes the heart of his entire life, and poor Roxanne is left alone with the knowledge that she was never given the chance to return the love of the one man in her life who loved her with his entire soul. Her final words to us are simple, yet they speak more eloquently of the tragedy that shaped her life than any speech of greater length could hope to do.

This play was written in 1898, and people still persist in judging others by appearance. This alone is a great tragedy, and perhaps the only loss greater than Roxanne's and Cyrano's.
 

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