Cyrano De Bergerac Part 1

Cyrano de Bergerac.

by Edmond Rostand.

INTRODUCTION.

A great deal of lore surrounds the premiere of Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac at the Theatre de la Porte-Saint-Martin in Paris on December 28, 1897. That just before the curtain went up, Rostand fell at the feet of leading actor Constant Coquelin and exclaimed: "Forgive me! Oh, forgive me, my friend, for having dragged you into this disastrous adventure!" That he then donned a costume and slipped onstage during the first act, causing surprise and confusion among the actors. That the first act was greeted with bravos, the following ones with standing ovations, and the final scene with forty-two curtain calls, so many that at two o'clock in the morning the exhausted stage manager simply left the curtain open and went home to bed. at the Theatre de la Porte-Saint-Martin in Paris on December 28, 1897. That just before the curtain went up, Rostand fell at the feet of leading actor Constant Coquelin and exclaimed: "Forgive me! Oh, forgive me, my friend, for having dragged you into this disastrous adventure!" That he then donned a costume and slipped onstage during the first act, causing surprise and confusion among the actors. That the first act was greeted with bravos, the following ones with standing ovations, and the final scene with forty-two curtain calls, so many that at two o'clock in the morning the exhausted stage manager simply left the curtain open and went home to bed.

Much of this lore comes from an interview given by Rostand himself, as well as from an account of opening night by his wife, Rosemonde Gerard. Theater people, especially when they are also interested parties, can be relied upon to dramatize a little; it is indeed their prerogative. Still, by any account, Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac was an immense, indeed a phenomenal, success. At twenty-nine-the English critic Sir Max Beerbohm referred to him as "the talented boy-playwright"-Rostand became what we now know as an overnight sensation: Only Victor Hugo, and then only after a long career as a writer and statesman, had known the kind of fame and glory that Rostand achieved in a single night. Paris was in a collective swoon. The most caustic of theater critics-men who were paid to be nasty-hailed was an immense, indeed a phenomenal, success. At twenty-nine-the English critic Sir Max Beerbohm referred to him as "the talented boy-playwright"-Rostand became what we now know as an overnight sensation: Only Victor Hugo, and then only after a long career as a writer and statesman, had known the kind of fame and glory that Rostand achieved in a single night. Paris was in a collective swoon. The most caustic of theater critics-men who were paid to be nasty-hailed Cyrano Cyrano as "the most beautiful dramatic poem to appear for half a century" (Emile f.a.guet in as "the most beautiful dramatic poem to appear for half a century" (Emile f.a.guet in Le Journal des debats) Le Journal des debats) and spoke of December 2 8 as "a date that will live in the annals of the theater" (Francisque Sarcey of and spoke of December 2 8 as "a date that will live in the annals of the theater" (Francisque Sarcey of Le Temps). Le Temps). The 29th started out pretty well, too: On that day the French Minister of Education nominated Rostand for the The 29th started out pretty well, too: On that day the French Minister of Education nominated Rostand for the Legion d'Honneur, Legion d'Honneur, France's highest honor. Two days later, just in time for the New Year's honors list, the decree officially naming him a chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur had found its way onto the desk of Felix Faure, president of the Republic, who, having signed it, booked a loge at the Theatre de la Porte-Saint-Martin for himself and his family. More laurels were to follow. Elected to the Academie des sciences morales et politiques in 1898, Rostand would surely have been elected also to the Academie francaise were its members.h.i.+p not fixed at seventy (someone has to die before a new member can be elected; Rostand had to wait until 1901). France's highest honor. Two days later, just in time for the New Year's honors list, the decree officially naming him a chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur had found its way onto the desk of Felix Faure, president of the Republic, who, having signed it, booked a loge at the Theatre de la Porte-Saint-Martin for himself and his family. More laurels were to follow. Elected to the Academie des sciences morales et politiques in 1898, Rostand would surely have been elected also to the Academie francaise were its members.h.i.+p not fixed at seventy (someone has to die before a new member can be elected; Rostand had to wait until 1901). Cyrano Cyrano was soon being performed in New York (at the Garden Theater in 1898), in Berlin (at the Deutsches Theater in 1898), in London (in French at the Lyceum in 1898 , in English at Wyndham's Theatre in 1900). The play was translated into the major European languages: in 1898 into English (two versions), German, Dutch, Italian, Hungarian, and Polish (two versions); in 1899 into Spanish, Czech, and, once again, into Polish. was soon being performed in New York (at the Garden Theater in 1898), in Berlin (at the Deutsches Theater in 1898), in London (in French at the Lyceum in 1898 , in English at Wyndham's Theatre in 1900). The play was translated into the major European languages: in 1898 into English (two versions), German, Dutch, Italian, Hungarian, and Polish (two versions); in 1899 into Spanish, Czech, and, once again, into Polish.

What accounts for the success of this play, a success that has lasted now for more than a century? This is a question that has vexed literary critics and rather annoyed the intelligentsia, who have been at pains to insist that the popular appeal of Cyrano Cyrano has less to do with the intrinsic artistic merits of the play than with the historical and cultural context in which it was received. For once the euphoria of opening night had died down, other, less sympathetic voices began to be heard. Some, like Jules Romains, saw Rostand as one of a group of "eloquent and vulgar poets" peddling a "degraded form of romantic drama" to the middle cla.s.ses. Rostand and his ilk, according to Romains, "deserve more than scorn: reprobation. They have lowered French taste, perverted the public, compromised our national dignity." Andre Ferdinand Herold saw in has less to do with the intrinsic artistic merits of the play than with the historical and cultural context in which it was received. For once the euphoria of opening night had died down, other, less sympathetic voices began to be heard. Some, like Jules Romains, saw Rostand as one of a group of "eloquent and vulgar poets" peddling a "degraded form of romantic drama" to the middle cla.s.ses. Rostand and his ilk, according to Romains, "deserve more than scorn: reprobation. They have lowered French taste, perverted the public, compromised our national dignity." Andre Ferdinand Herold saw in Cyrano Cyrano a fine exercise in "cacography" (Monsieur Rostand "knows a thousand ways to torture a line") and a "masterpiece of vulgarity" by one who has perfected "the art of writing badly." a fine exercise in "cacography" (Monsieur Rostand "knows a thousand ways to torture a line") and a "masterpiece of vulgarity" by one who has perfected "the art of writing badly."

Critics almost never like popular successes (if the vulgar public were able to identify good theater and literature on its own, critics would be left with nothing to do), but Rostand's case is of more than pa.s.sing interest because the divisiveness surrounding the reception of Cyrano reflects a great cultural unease, a malaise in late-nineteenth-century French society. Cyrano Cyrano became an became an affaire, affaire, as the French say, such that writers, critics, and even ordinary theatergoers had to be either for or against it. "Claudel or Rostand," said the novelist Andre Gide, "you have to choose," meaning: One must either grapple with all the harshness and the complexities of the modem world (Paul Claudel, a contemporary of Rostand's, was a highly original playwright influenced by symbolism), or else remain in the idealized, fanciful place depicted by Rostand and incarnated by his valiant soldier-poet Cyrano. as the French say, such that writers, critics, and even ordinary theatergoers had to be either for or against it. "Claudel or Rostand," said the novelist Andre Gide, "you have to choose," meaning: One must either grapple with all the harshness and the complexities of the modem world (Paul Claudel, a contemporary of Rostand's, was a highly original playwright influenced by symbolism), or else remain in the idealized, fanciful place depicted by Rostand and incarnated by his valiant soldier-poet Cyrano.

The Theatre de la Porte-Saint-Martin's production of Cyrano Cyrano provoked a new round in the old French debate between the ancients and the moderns, a debate that was intricately related to the raging political issue of the day-namely, nationalism. Rostand, rightly or wrongly, was a.s.sociated with what Jehan Rictus, referring to the right-wing royalist movement, called "a form of literary Boulangism." He was perceived by many of his contemporaries as an old guard, highly conservative figure. Rictus surely went too far-Rostand's personal politics were quite liberal; he was a Dreyfusard and a friend of the socialist Leon Blum. But from a literary point of view, it is undeniable that Cyrano breaks no new ground. Rostand, moreover, was not bashful about his dislike for the changing times: "I wrote provoked a new round in the old French debate between the ancients and the moderns, a debate that was intricately related to the raging political issue of the day-namely, nationalism. Rostand, rightly or wrongly, was a.s.sociated with what Jehan Rictus, referring to the right-wing royalist movement, called "a form of literary Boulangism." He was perceived by many of his contemporaries as an old guard, highly conservative figure. Rictus surely went too far-Rostand's personal politics were quite liberal; he was a Dreyfusard and a friend of the socialist Leon Blum. But from a literary point of view, it is undeniable that Cyrano breaks no new ground. Rostand, moreover, was not bashful about his dislike for the changing times: "I wrote Cyrano... Cyrano... with love, with pleasure, and also with the idea of fighting against the tendencies of the times, tendencies which, in truth, irritated me, revolted me." with love, with pleasure, and also with the idea of fighting against the tendencies of the times, tendencies which, in truth, irritated me, revolted me."

While Rostand is not explicit about these "tendencies," it is not hard to guess what he has in mind. The overall cultural mood in France during the 1890s was gloomy, joyless, and resentful. In literature, harsh forms of realism prevailed (especially Emile Zola's doctrine of naturalism), alongside a Wagnerian-influenced decadence (as in the works of Joris Karl Huysmans and Octave Mirbeau, for example); in the theater, the psychological drama of Henrik Ibsen and Maurice Maeterlinck played in theaters that seemed ever more open to experimentation. Against this backdrop, Rostand's play, while it draws upon the melodramatic and vaudeville-style traditions of boulevard theater, represented something very different from what was on offer in Paris. Above all, it came as a welcome release from the often rebarbative, highly cerebral avant-garde art forms, offering by contrast an intellectually undemanding spectacle full of movement and pathos ("a fanfare of red pants," as one critic put it). "What happiness! What happiness!" wrote Francisque Sarcey. "We are at last to be rid of Scandinavian mists and overly minute psychological a.n.a.lyses, and of the deliberate brutalities of realist drama. Here is the joyous sun of Old Gaul which, after a long night, is rising over the horizon. This brings pleasure; it refreshes the blood!"

After Maeterlinck's "static drama," in which a clock chiming const.i.tutes a major event, it must indeed have been refres.h.i.+ng to see Cyrano leap onto the stage and fight a duel while composing a ballad. But there are other reasons for the success of Cyrano. Cyrano. One explanation sometimes advanced appears paradoxical: In spite of its worldwide appeal (performed from Moscow to Tokyo to Reunion Island, the play has been adapted to fit the context of colonial India, translated into Scottish dialect, etc.), One explanation sometimes advanced appears paradoxical: In spite of its worldwide appeal (performed from Moscow to Tokyo to Reunion Island, the play has been adapted to fit the context of colonial India, translated into Scottish dialect, etc.), Cyrano's Cyrano's appeal has a lot to do with its irreducible Frenchness. For Cyrano is a Gascon, and to the French theatergoer this evokes a particularly flattering image of French national ident.i.ty. In the French imagination, the Gascon-the model is d'Artagnon in Alexandre Dumas' appeal has a lot to do with its irreducible Frenchness. For Cyrano is a Gascon, and to the French theatergoer this evokes a particularly flattering image of French national ident.i.ty. In the French imagination, the Gascon-the model is d'Artagnon in Alexandre Dumas' Three Mousqueteers Three Mousqueteers (1844)-is proud, gallant, loyal, honest (the French expression "parole de Gascon" means something like "Scout's honor") and, above all, courageous. This last characteristic, which is related to Gascony's history-war was for centuries a way of life in this fiercely independent province-must have appealed to the French public in 1897 : Still in mourning after a humiliating military defeat in 1870 in the Franco-Prussian War, mired in the sordid revelations of the Dreyfus Affair, the French were primed to welcome this vision of France in a sweeping cape, this story of French bravura, heroism, and panache. (1844)-is proud, gallant, loyal, honest (the French expression "parole de Gascon" means something like "Scout's honor") and, above all, courageous. This last characteristic, which is related to Gascony's history-war was for centuries a way of life in this fiercely independent province-must have appealed to the French public in 1897 : Still in mourning after a humiliating military defeat in 1870 in the Franco-Prussian War, mired in the sordid revelations of the Dreyfus Affair, the French were primed to welcome this vision of France in a sweeping cape, this story of French bravura, heroism, and panache.

Thus Cyrano Cyrano was seen as a tonic for the neurasthenic French spirit ("sickly product of the North," to cite the words used to describe Christian in the play), and Rostand was seen as upholding the endangered values of old France (that President Faure took his family along to the play is indicative of the kind of values the play was thought to impart). Rostand, in fact, belongs if not to "Old Gaul" then at least to a fairly archaic France, different from the thoroughly industrialized and modern country described minutely in the novels of Emile Zola. The contrast between the two authors is stark and instructive (Rostand's first important piece of writing compared Zola, unfavorably, with the precious novelist Honore d'Urfe). While Zola was down in the mines and sewers of Paris, taking notes on the daily life and was seen as a tonic for the neurasthenic French spirit ("sickly product of the North," to cite the words used to describe Christian in the play), and Rostand was seen as upholding the endangered values of old France (that President Faure took his family along to the play is indicative of the kind of values the play was thought to impart). Rostand, in fact, belongs if not to "Old Gaul" then at least to a fairly archaic France, different from the thoroughly industrialized and modern country described minutely in the novels of Emile Zola. The contrast between the two authors is stark and instructive (Rostand's first important piece of writing compared Zola, unfavorably, with the precious novelist Honore d'Urfe). While Zola was down in the mines and sewers of Paris, taking notes on the daily life and murs murs of the French worker as though in a laboratory, Rostand was dreaming up of the French worker as though in a laboratory, Rostand was dreaming up Cyrano Cyrano in his comfortable apartment in the rue Fortuny. In his living room stood a black-lacquered piano, a wedding gift to Rosemonde from the composer Jules Ma.s.senet, who had been the witness at the marriage; in the study hung two Fragonards; on the writing table the Countesse de Genlis, an ancestor of Rosemonde, had written love letters to the Duke of Orleans, etc., etc. Aspects of in his comfortable apartment in the rue Fortuny. In his living room stood a black-lacquered piano, a wedding gift to Rosemonde from the composer Jules Ma.s.senet, who had been the witness at the marriage; in the study hung two Fragonards; on the writing table the Countesse de Genlis, an ancestor of Rosemonde, had written love letters to the Duke of Orleans, etc., etc. Aspects of Cyrano Cyrano bear the imprint of this a.s.sociation with the aristocracy. There is, for example, the obvious point that the subject of the play is a n.o.bleman. There is the fact that Rostand chose to write in rhymed alexandrines (lines of twelve syllables that obey fairly rigid laws of prosody), an anachronism, to say the least, in an era that long ago had seen this tradition challenged by Charles Baudelaire (with his "prose poems") and Stephane Mallarme. The seventeenth-century setting of the play seems a deliberate avoidance and implicitly a rejection of everything contemporary, suggesting Rostand's nostalgia for a time when relations were more strictly and more hierarchically organized. The evils that Rostand chooses to fight are not the complicated social ills of alcoholism, unemployment, and dest.i.tution; in bear the imprint of this a.s.sociation with the aristocracy. There is, for example, the obvious point that the subject of the play is a n.o.bleman. There is the fact that Rostand chose to write in rhymed alexandrines (lines of twelve syllables that obey fairly rigid laws of prosody), an anachronism, to say the least, in an era that long ago had seen this tradition challenged by Charles Baudelaire (with his "prose poems") and Stephane Mallarme. The seventeenth-century setting of the play seems a deliberate avoidance and implicitly a rejection of everything contemporary, suggesting Rostand's nostalgia for a time when relations were more strictly and more hierarchically organized. The evils that Rostand chooses to fight are not the complicated social ills of alcoholism, unemployment, and dest.i.tution; in Cyrano Cyrano enemies are easily identifiable (the bullies who threaten Ligniere; the Prince of Spain in the siege of Arras; the inherent corruptness of the patronage system), and the absolutism of the response is accordingly simple. enemies are easily identifiable (the bullies who threaten Ligniere; the Prince of Spain in the siege of Arras; the inherent corruptness of the patronage system), and the absolutism of the response is accordingly simple.

There is some truth to the argument that Cyrano de Cyrano de Bergerac succeeded because it permitted a demoralized population to believe once again in the ideals of valor, courage, and sacrifice that recent experience had so severely challenged. At the same time, there is something inherently unsatisfying about such a line of reasoning. It seems a peculiarly negative way of a.s.sessing the worth and impact of a work of art, interesting enough from an extratextual perspective, but neglectful of the intrinsic merits of the play, which might also help explain the thralldom of spectators at the turn of the century and beyond. For a great deal of the aesthetic appeal of this play stems from within: from the ingenuity of its characterization (I refer to Cyrano, obviously, but also to Ragueneau, Cyrano's alter ego, in a sense), from the drama as well as the sheer unexpectedness of its plot (no one was expecting a play about a man with a big nose), from its thrilling dynamism (Rostand is superb at handling large-scale crowd scenes with lots of action; see the opening act). Moreover, in broad terms, Bergerac succeeded because it permitted a demoralized population to believe once again in the ideals of valor, courage, and sacrifice that recent experience had so severely challenged. At the same time, there is something inherently unsatisfying about such a line of reasoning. It seems a peculiarly negative way of a.s.sessing the worth and impact of a work of art, interesting enough from an extratextual perspective, but neglectful of the intrinsic merits of the play, which might also help explain the thralldom of spectators at the turn of the century and beyond. For a great deal of the aesthetic appeal of this play stems from within: from the ingenuity of its characterization (I refer to Cyrano, obviously, but also to Ragueneau, Cyrano's alter ego, in a sense), from the drama as well as the sheer unexpectedness of its plot (no one was expecting a play about a man with a big nose), from its thrilling dynamism (Rostand is superb at handling large-scale crowd scenes with lots of action; see the opening act). Moreover, in broad terms, Cyrano Cyrano succeeds because it stages so well the tension between the earthly and the ethereal, between the base and the sublime, and because theatergoers recognize in it an intelligent balance of irony, realism, and fantasy. To go a step further, succeeds because it stages so well the tension between the earthly and the ethereal, between the base and the sublime, and because theatergoers recognize in it an intelligent balance of irony, realism, and fantasy. To go a step further, Cyrano Cyrano stages the triumph of the ethereal over the earthly, of the sublime over the base. To put this in the language of the play, stages the triumph of the ethereal over the earthly, of the sublime over the base. To put this in the language of the play, Cyrano Cyrano is a staging of panache, without doubt the single most important word in the play and one we will examine here in some detail. is a staging of panache, without doubt the single most important word in the play and one we will examine here in some detail.

But first things first. As the t.i.tle of the play suggests, Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac is very much about Cyrano, and Cyrano is a likable character. There is hardly a juicier role in the dramatic repertory: Cyrano is almost always on stage, and it is almost always Cyrano who does the talking (to such an extent that even when Christian is speaking, it is often in a sense still Cyrano). Rostand fully exploits the dramatic potential of a character whose physical and verbal a.s.suredness "dominates the situation," to use a phrase Rostand applied to panache. If Cyrano's centrality to the play corresponds to Rostand's dramatic vision, it stems partly also from the circ.u.mstances of composition of the play. The part of Cyrano was written for one of the leading actors of the time, Constant Coquelin, whom Rostand had met through Sarah Bernhardt. Rostand got into the habit of showing Coquelin completed sections of the play as he went along. Some of the speeches scripted for other characters so pleased the star of the Paris stage that he claimed them for himself. The famous scene (act two, scene vii) in which Cyrano presents the cadets of Gascony, for example, was originally scripted for Carbon de Castel-Jaloux. (During rehearsals, when the actor playing Le Bret complained that he had very few lines, Coquelin responded: "But you have a fine role. I talk to you all the time.") is very much about Cyrano, and Cyrano is a likable character. There is hardly a juicier role in the dramatic repertory: Cyrano is almost always on stage, and it is almost always Cyrano who does the talking (to such an extent that even when Christian is speaking, it is often in a sense still Cyrano). Rostand fully exploits the dramatic potential of a character whose physical and verbal a.s.suredness "dominates the situation," to use a phrase Rostand applied to panache. If Cyrano's centrality to the play corresponds to Rostand's dramatic vision, it stems partly also from the circ.u.mstances of composition of the play. The part of Cyrano was written for one of the leading actors of the time, Constant Coquelin, whom Rostand had met through Sarah Bernhardt. Rostand got into the habit of showing Coquelin completed sections of the play as he went along. Some of the speeches scripted for other characters so pleased the star of the Paris stage that he claimed them for himself. The famous scene (act two, scene vii) in which Cyrano presents the cadets of Gascony, for example, was originally scripted for Carbon de Castel-Jaloux. (During rehearsals, when the actor playing Le Bret complained that he had very few lines, Coquelin responded: "But you have a fine role. I talk to you all the time.") Theater that stages a hero allows for more immediate and arguably more gratifying forms of identification than the theater of ideas. Like the cadets in Carbon de Castel-Jaloux's company, the spectators of this play watch and listen to see what Cyrano will do and say next. Now everything Cyrano does and says is governed by what we could call an ethics of panache. Panache is Rostand's word, or at least a word he made his own; before him, no one had used it in quite the same sense. In its simplest and literal sense, panache refers to the feathered plume of a helmet or other type of military headgear. This is the meaning of the word as it appears in act four, scene iv, where Cyrano speaks of Henri IV, who urged his soldiers during the battle of Ivry to "rally around my white plume; you will always find it on the path of honor and glory" (cited in the Bair translation of Cyrano; Cyrano; see "For Further Reading"). But when Cyrano uses the word again at the end of the play-poignantly, it is his and the play's last word-it has acquired a metaphorical dimension, and suggests at once a commitment to valor, a certain elegance, self-esteem verging on pride, and also a certain... see "For Further Reading"). But when Cyrano uses the word again at the end of the play-poignantly, it is his and the play's last word-it has acquired a metaphorical dimension, and suggests at once a commitment to valor, a certain elegance, self-esteem verging on pride, and also a certain... je ne sais quoi. je ne sais quoi. Such vagueness is disappointing but also inevitable: Rostand himself warned against limiting the meaning of the word to a dictionary definition, as though to do so would be to imprison a sentiment the essence of which is to insist on absolute freedom from convention. Such vagueness is disappointing but also inevitable: Rostand himself warned against limiting the meaning of the word to a dictionary definition, as though to do so would be to imprison a sentiment the essence of which is to insist on absolute freedom from convention.

In his speech to the Academie francaise in 1903, Rostand described panache, rather mystically, as "nothing more than a grace." "It is not greatness," he said, "but something added on to greatness, and which moves above it." Panache is not just physical courage in the face of danger; it includes a verbal a.s.sertiveness in the face of possible death. "To joke in the face of danger is the supreme form of polite-ness," Rostand said. Hence panache is "the wit of bravura"-not bravura alone (which might be perfectly stupid), but the expression in language of that bravura and indeed language as as an expression of bravura: "It is courage that so dominates a particular situation, that it finds just what to say." an expression of bravura: "It is courage that so dominates a particular situation, that it finds just what to say."

Panache thus describes the remarkable alliance of physical courage and verbal acuity that Cyrano so dramatically displays in act one, scene iv, where he engages in a duel while simultaneously composing a ballad. There is fundamentally here no difference between the sword and the word. n.o.bility of action and elegance in language-this is the rather aristocratic ideal that Rostand wishes to resurrect. (To the extent that it is related to linguistic brilliance, panache, we might note in pa.s.sing, is a literary-artistic ideal; Cyrano is in part a portrait of the artist, the one who struggles against the vulgarity of the world and the baseness of language, and who redeems it through a winning phrase.) A code of ethics, dictating behavior and speech in given situations, panache is akin to the concept of honor in Golden Age Spain. Like honor, panache represents a law of conduct that must remain inviolate, "unblemished and unbent," and that not only explains the life of sacrifice that Cyrano has lived, but redeems that life. In a period of fin-de-siecle decadence, the audience at the Theatre de la Porte-Saint-Martin might well have found seductive this new and rather das.h.i.+ng version of morality. There is evidence that Rostand envisioned Cyrano as a figure to be emulated. Invited back to his Paris secondary school, the Lycee Stanislas, he encouraged the pupils (in rhymed verse, of course) to aspire to the ideal of panache ("empanachez-vous!"). ("empanachez-vous!"). Cyrano's sacrifices, his refusal to be morally tainted or compromised (see his famous "No thank you!" speech in act two, scene viii; pp. 68-69) make for great theater but also seem to belong to a credo, or seek to impart a lesson. And Rostand indeed conceived of the theater as a privileged s.p.a.ce in which the spirit of the people might be lifted up, morally elevated through a collective communion in common values. In his reception speech to the Academie francaise, Rostand said: "It is good that once in a while a people should once again hear the sound of its own enthusiasm.... It is really only now in the theater that souls, side by side, can feel like they have wings." Cyrano's sacrifices, his refusal to be morally tainted or compromised (see his famous "No thank you!" speech in act two, scene viii; pp. 68-69) make for great theater but also seem to belong to a credo, or seek to impart a lesson. And Rostand indeed conceived of the theater as a privileged s.p.a.ce in which the spirit of the people might be lifted up, morally elevated through a collective communion in common values. In his reception speech to the Academie francaise, Rostand said: "It is good that once in a while a people should once again hear the sound of its own enthusiasm.... It is really only now in the theater that souls, side by side, can feel like they have wings."

Panache is supposed to be that common value around which we can all rally. It defines Cyrano, who, to the exclusion of all else, is equal parts courage and wit. Yet as stirring as are Cyrano's performances, in deed as in word, it is worthwhile examining the play to see just what panache-the clamor of language and the bl.u.s.ter of sword-play-might serve to occlude. What precisely must be sacrificed if the ideal of panache is to be always honored? In Cyrano's case, what is sacrificed is nothing less than his s.e.xuality. That Rostand wants us to understand this seems evident from the blaring symbolism of the last line of the play, which contains a rhetorically remarkable use of the word panache: "Mon panache," "Mon panache," in French: You don't need to be a Freudian to get the point. in French: You don't need to be a Freudian to get the point.

CYRANO: ... Spite of your worst, something will still be left me to take whither I go... and to-night when I enter G.o.d's house, in saluting, broadly will I sweep the azure threshold with what despite of all I carry forth unblemished and unbent... [He starts forward, with lifted sword] [He starts forward, with lifted sword] ... and that is ... ... and that is ... [The sword falls from his hands, he staggers, drops in the arms of Le Bret and Ragueneau.] [The sword falls from his hands, he staggers, drops in the arms of Le Bret and Ragueneau.]ROXANE: ... That is? ...CYRANO: ... My plume!

And the point is this: The ideal in Cyrano Cyrano-panache, sacrifice, wit, elegance-is shadowed at every moment by its opposite-the material, the down-to-earth, the body and its functions. For if Cyrano Cyrano carries us aloft toward the difficult ideal of panache, much of the rest of the play is concerned with more earthy matters. At bottom-and this goes a long way to explaining the enduring appeal of the play- carries us aloft toward the difficult ideal of panache, much of the rest of the play is concerned with more earthy matters. At bottom-and this goes a long way to explaining the enduring appeal of the play-Cyrano is a reflection on two abiding and related preoccupations: food and s.e.x. French preoccupations, or at least things the French like to think they know a lot about (it would be difficult to contest them on the former). In is a reflection on two abiding and related preoccupations: food and s.e.x. French preoccupations, or at least things the French like to think they know a lot about (it would be difficult to contest them on the former). In Cyrano, Cyrano, which the astute critic Patrick Besnier has called "an apology for and a gigantic reverie about food," references to a markedly French cuisine abound (see especially act two, scene i, and act four, scene vi) : The Frenchness of the dishes here is somewhat lost in the present translation. Ragueneau is as French as Tartarin de Tarascon; he is a sort of national treasure whose role, among other things, involves a.s.suring the high quality of French culinary productions ("You, sir, be so good as to lengthen this gravy,-it is too thick!" etc. [act two, scene i]). which the astute critic Patrick Besnier has called "an apology for and a gigantic reverie about food," references to a markedly French cuisine abound (see especially act two, scene i, and act four, scene vi) : The Frenchness of the dishes here is somewhat lost in the present translation. Ragueneau is as French as Tartarin de Tarascon; he is a sort of national treasure whose role, among other things, involves a.s.suring the high quality of French culinary productions ("You, sir, be so good as to lengthen this gravy,-it is too thick!" etc. [act two, scene i]).

The entirety of the second act ("The Cookshop of Poets") takes place in and around Ragueneau's kitchen, which is more than just a background for the meeting between Cyrano and Roxane. Rostand took every precaution to make sure the setting for act two seemed authentic; in particular, he deemed the fake foodstuffs unconvincing and sent a stagehand to the local butcher to buy the genuine article. Already in the first act the small but important role of the sweetmeat vendor allows Rostand to bring into play the theme of food. Simply by naming aloud the "goodies" she sells at her stand-oranges, milk, raspberry cordial, citron-wine, grapes, lacrima, macaroons-she partic.i.p.ates in one of the great pleasures a.s.sociated with food-talking about it-and antic.i.p.ates the cornucopia of the "Cookshop of Poets" as well as the feast at the siege of Arras. She also makes explicit a connection in Cyrano Cyrano between food and femininity. between food and femininity.

At the end of act one, noting that Cyrano has had nothing to eat, she freely offers him her wares ("Help yourself!"). Cyrano's response is telling; consenting to eat only for fear that to refuse to do so might grieve the sweetmeat vendor, he takes a single grape, a gla.s.s of water, and half a macaroon. His abstemiousness with regard to the pleasures of the table extends symbolically to all pleasures of the flesh; a facet of his idealism, which leads him to prefer contemplation of the stars and the moon over more earthly and earthy delights, we will see as the play progresses that this tendency toward self-denial comes close to a philosophy of life-such that he manages to reach the end of the play and the end of his life without having conquered the object of his desire.

Cyrano's att.i.tude toward the sweetmeat vendor thus foreshadows his att.i.tude toward the body in general (it is not a zone of pleasure) and the fair s.e.x in particular. More comfortable with the gallant word (such as, "despite my Gascon pride") or gesture ("He kisses her hand") ("He kisses her hand") than with the idea of accepting her "dainties," he settles for a mere "trifle," for which silliness he is lambasted by his friend Le Bret. Under the guise of gallantry, Cyrano has found a way to formalize a circ.u.mspection with regard to women, a hesitancy and perhaps a fear that we see at work also in his relation to Roxane. His relation to s.e.x is purely rhetorical. Cyrano himself attributes his unease with women to fear of being laughed at. By his own admission, the distance he imposes between himself and women is a form of self-defense: "My heart always cowers behind the defence of my wit. I set forth to capture a star... and then, for dread of laughter, I stop and pick a flower... of rhetoric" (act three, scene vii; p. 93). It is a system of defense born of his physical deformity, of course, of his "ungainliness" and the rejection to which it exposes him, to the point that one can reasonably suspect that Cyrano dies a virgin. than with the idea of accepting her "dainties," he settles for a mere "trifle," for which silliness he is lambasted by his friend Le Bret. Under the guise of gallantry, Cyrano has found a way to formalize a circ.u.mspection with regard to women, a hesitancy and perhaps a fear that we see at work also in his relation to Roxane. His relation to s.e.x is purely rhetorical. Cyrano himself attributes his unease with women to fear of being laughed at. By his own admission, the distance he imposes between himself and women is a form of self-defense: "My heart always cowers behind the defence of my wit. I set forth to capture a star... and then, for dread of laughter, I stop and pick a flower... of rhetoric" (act three, scene vii; p. 93). It is a system of defense born of his physical deformity, of course, of his "ungainliness" and the rejection to which it exposes him, to the point that one can reasonably suspect that Cyrano dies a virgin.

In addition to the s.e.xual symbolism of the last line (his plume remains intact, "unblemished and unbent"), Cyrano in the death scene makes the following a.s.sertion: "Woman's sweetness I had never known. My mother... thought me unflattering. I had no sister. Later, I shunned Love's cross-road in fear of mocking eyes" (act five, scene vi; p. 158). This key pa.s.sage helps to explain what might seem an implausible element in the plot: Cyrano's choice of the precious, capricious, and rather empty-headed Roxane as his only beloved. For in Roxane, who is his cousin, Cyrano finds both the mother (the good, maternal mother) and the sister that he has never known. It is an arrangement-a pact, I would say-in which Roxane is a knowing and willing partic.i.p.ant. For her "almost brother," as she calls him, Roxane fulfils both the maternal role ("So prettily, so cheeringly maternal!" says Cyrano in the same scene), bandaging his wounds, both real and psychological (act two, scene vi), and the role of a sister-that is, an intimate but nons.e.xual relation, an ideal of sublimated love celebrated in Romanticism (one thinks of William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy).

The pact between the eloquent but ugly Cyrano and the handsome but dumb Christian thus seems designed to safeguard a much earlier pact signed between Cyrano and Roxane. "Eloquence I will lend you! ... And you, to me, shall lend all-conquering physical charm... and between us we will compose a hero of romance!" (act two, scene x; p. 75). An unequal exchange, as Cyrano must know, for while it advances Christian's cause-it is he who gets "Roxane's Kiss" in act three-it leaves Cyrano where he was to start with-that is to say, arrested in an archaic, childhood relation to Roxane.

The s.e.xual politics of Cyrano Cyrano are thus more complicated than they might seem to be at first. Although it seems that in stepping aside Cyrano is sacrificing his own interests in order to further Roxane's happiness, we also get the sense that this pact is not a disagreeable arrangement for Cyrano. In order to avoid conscription into the King's army, it was once customary for those in a position to do so to "buy a man"-that is, to pay someone to go in their stead. Cyrano has managed something similar in the zone of s.e.xual relations. Christian will serve as his s.e.xual surrogate, which shelters him from the possibility of rejection but also more generally absolves him of the messy business of physical entanglements, while at the same time (this is the genius of the pact) allowing him to indulge in the flowery rhetorical exercises on safe ground. "Let us profit a little by this chance of talking softly together without seeing each other," says Cyrano in the balcony scene (p. ooo). Is this not his most ardent desire? To limit the appet.i.tive drive to language alone? No looking, no seeing, just talking. Hence Cyrano ends up literally pus.h.i.+ng Christian into the arms of Roxane: "CYRANO are thus more complicated than they might seem to be at first. Although it seems that in stepping aside Cyrano is sacrificing his own interests in order to further Roxane's happiness, we also get the sense that this pact is not a disagreeable arrangement for Cyrano. In order to avoid conscription into the King's army, it was once customary for those in a position to do so to "buy a man"-that is, to pay someone to go in their stead. Cyrano has managed something similar in the zone of s.e.xual relations. Christian will serve as his s.e.xual surrogate, which shelters him from the possibility of rejection but also more generally absolves him of the messy business of physical entanglements, while at the same time (this is the genius of the pact) allowing him to indulge in the flowery rhetorical exercises on safe ground. "Let us profit a little by this chance of talking softly together without seeing each other," says Cyrano in the balcony scene (p. ooo). Is this not his most ardent desire? To limit the appet.i.tive drive to language alone? No looking, no seeing, just talking. Hence Cyrano ends up literally pus.h.i.+ng Christian into the arms of Roxane: "CYRANO [pus.h.i.+ng [pus.h.i.+ng CHRISTIAN]: Scale the balcony, you donkey!" (act three, scene x; see p. 98). CHRISTIAN]: Scale the balcony, you donkey!" (act three, scene x; see p. 98).

The body (the donkey) is there in Cyrano, Cyrano, but it is oddly stifled, reticent. To call Christian a donkey is a deft way of recalling his stupidity and at the same time drawing attention to his animality but it is oddly stifled, reticent. To call Christian a donkey is a deft way of recalling his stupidity and at the same time drawing attention to his animality ("Monte done, animal!" ("Monte done, animal!" in French): Cyrano is the blithe spirit ("I am a shadow merely..." act three, scene vii; p. 92), while Christian is the l.u.s.ty beast. Both of them in the end get what they want: Christian gets to kiss Roxane, and Cyrano gets to pluck lots of rhetorical flowers while keeping his precious plume unblemished. in French): Cyrano is the blithe spirit ("I am a shadow merely..." act three, scene vii; p. 92), while Christian is the l.u.s.ty beast. Both of them in the end get what they want: Christian gets to kiss Roxane, and Cyrano gets to pluck lots of rhetorical flowers while keeping his precious plume unblemished.

In this reading of the play, Roxane appeals to Cyrano precisely because she is a precieuse precieuse. Cyrano and Roxane share a disdain for ba.n.a.lity, be it in language or in deed. Wit and courage-panache, in a word-are Cyrano's weapons against everything that is ordinary, dull, pedestrian, stupid (for example, Valvert in act one, scene iv); both his sword and his word are sharp, dazzling, and unexpected, as we see in the duel-ballad scene. Preciosity, which emerged in the seventeenth century, thus in the time in which Cyrano Cyrano is set, began as a reaction against the vulgarity of the times, seeking through elegance and refinement (in dress, in language, in manners) to rise above the common and the cliched. Regrettably, it is remembered today (largely on account of Moliere's satire is set, began as a reaction against the vulgarity of the times, seeking through elegance and refinement (in dress, in language, in manners) to rise above the common and the cliched. Regrettably, it is remembered today (largely on account of Moliere's satire Les Precieuses ridicules) Les Precieuses ridicules) more for its excesses and its extravagances than for the philosophy behind the movement or the literary changes that resulted from it. The salon of Madame de Rambouillet, the gathering place for a host of talented writers (Francois de la Rochefoucauld, Madeleine de Scudery, Voiture, Paul Scarron, Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac) who would not have disputed their allegiance to the more for its excesses and its extravagances than for the philosophy behind the movement or the literary changes that resulted from it. The salon of Madame de Rambouillet, the gathering place for a host of talented writers (Francois de la Rochefoucauld, Madeleine de Scudery, Voiture, Paul Scarron, Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac) who would not have disputed their allegiance to the esprit precieux, esprit precieux, significantly influenced literary developments in France, notably by popularizing the pastoral novel and by establis.h.i.+ng the letter as a legitimate literary form (see significantly influenced literary developments in France, notably by popularizing the pastoral novel and by establis.h.i.+ng the letter as a legitimate literary form (see Cyrano, Cyrano, edited by Aziza). In any case, edited by Aziza). In any case, Cyrano Cyrano seems to belong to the tradition of preciosity not so much because Roxane is herself a seems to belong to the tradition of preciosity not so much because Roxane is herself a precieuse precieuse (like Moliere's characters, she is fairly ridiculous) but because Rostand's aesthetic philosophy turns on the precious premise that language counts for more than action. This is especially true in the realm of love. From a s.e.xual point of view, (like Moliere's characters, she is fairly ridiculous) but because Rostand's aesthetic philosophy turns on the precious premise that language counts for more than action. This is especially true in the realm of love. From a s.e.xual point of view, Cyrano Cyrano is a play in which nothing happens. The consummation of Christian and Roxane's marriage is artfully avoided thanks to a theatrical device (Christian is called to war on their wedding night and is killed at Arras minutes after Roxane shows up there), so we may presume that Roxane, like Cyrano, dies a virgin. is a play in which nothing happens. The consummation of Christian and Roxane's marriage is artfully avoided thanks to a theatrical device (Christian is called to war on their wedding night and is killed at Arras minutes after Roxane shows up there), so we may presume that Roxane, like Cyrano, dies a virgin. Cyrano Cyrano thus stages the power of rhetoric as an instrument of seduction, while skillfully avoiding the thus stages the power of rhetoric as an instrument of seduction, while skillfully avoiding the pa.s.sage a l'acte. pa.s.sage a l'acte.

So although Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac seems at first to adhere to traditional gender roles, staging burly Gascon soldiers against dainty precious women, these gender a.s.signments become more complicated as the play progresses and we begin to sense that it is constructed around a hole: One way or another, all the princ.i.p.al characters miss the encounter with their apparent desire. In this heftily physical play (the ant.i.thesis of intellectual theater), the body is engaged in three ways: seems at first to adhere to traditional gender roles, staging burly Gascon soldiers against dainty precious women, these gender a.s.signments become more complicated as the play progresses and we begin to sense that it is constructed around a hole: One way or another, all the princ.i.p.al characters miss the encounter with their apparent desire. In this heftily physical play (the ant.i.thesis of intellectual theater), the body is engaged in three ways: militarily, militarily, which includes dueling as an expression of the Gascon spirit; which includes dueling as an expression of the Gascon spirit; gastronomically, gastronomically, which includes the famine as well as the feast; and, especially, which includes the famine as well as the feast; and, especially, discursively, discursively, as in the way Cyrano's nose engenders language (poetry, puns, jokes), the need to detain de Guiche (act three, scene viii) provokes Cyrano's meditations on traveling to the moon, and the famine at the siege of Arras leads to all kinds of "meaty remarks." The body, like Cyrano, is "everything and nothing" (see the final scene): It is an engine of discourse (and so is "everything," the as in the way Cyrano's nose engenders language (poetry, puns, jokes), the need to detain de Guiche (act three, scene viii) provokes Cyrano's meditations on traveling to the moon, and the famine at the siege of Arras leads to all kinds of "meaty remarks." The body, like Cyrano, is "everything and nothing" (see the final scene): It is an engine of discourse (and so is "everything," the sine qua sine qua non of the play), and is also peculiarly absent, denied (it is "nothing"). It is never truly engaged erotically, except for the famous kiss (act three, "Roxane's Kiss"); even then, as we have pointed out, Christian has to be pushed into it ("Now I feel as if I ought not!"), and the kiss is interrupted almost before it has begun. non of the play), and is also peculiarly absent, denied (it is "nothing"). It is never truly engaged erotically, except for the famous kiss (act three, "Roxane's Kiss"); even then, as we have pointed out, Christian has to be pushed into it ("Now I feel as if I ought not!"), and the kiss is interrupted almost before it has begun.

Is such prudery gallantry carried to its logical conclusion? Or is the true alliance-the explicit one in which no one is duped-that between Christian and Cyrano? "Will you complete me, and let me in exchange complete you?" says Cyrano to Christian, "with rapture" "with rapture" according to the scene indication (act two, scene x; see p. 76). Earlier in the same scene, Cyrano says of Christian: "It is true that he is handsome, the rascal." Which leads us to question Cyrano's motive for entering into the pact with Christian. Repressed h.o.m.os.e.xuality? Possibly. Or more generally a denial of the body (a mere extension of the extreme protectiveness of his nose)? The wonderful thing about Rostand's theater is that he does not ask us to decide. In the end, what we find in according to the scene indication (act two, scene x; see p. 76). Earlier in the same scene, Cyrano says of Christian: "It is true that he is handsome, the rascal." Which leads us to question Cyrano's motive for entering into the pact with Christian. Repressed h.o.m.os.e.xuality? Possibly. Or more generally a denial of the body (a mere extension of the extreme protectiveness of his nose)? The wonderful thing about Rostand's theater is that he does not ask us to decide. In the end, what we find in Cyrano Cyrano is a group of characters whose alliances and pacts suggest unconscious arrangements with their own uncertain s.e.xuality as much as strategic moves in a cla.s.sical game of heteros.e.xual seduction. is a group of characters whose alliances and pacts suggest unconscious arrangements with their own uncertain s.e.xuality as much as strategic moves in a cla.s.sical game of heteros.e.xual seduction.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a work of the imagination; Rostand's admirers and even some of his critics agree that he has a flair for the picturesque detail, for colorful language and dress, for poetic inventiveness. But what of the historical Cyrano? Rostand knew of the real Cyrano-Savinien de Cyrano (1619-1655), later known as de Bergerac-from the testimony of Cyrano's faithful companion Henri Le Bret, whose preface to Cyrano's is a work of the imagination; Rostand's admirers and even some of his critics agree that he has a flair for the picturesque detail, for colorful language and dress, for poetic inventiveness. But what of the historical Cyrano? Rostand knew of the real Cyrano-Savinien de Cyrano (1619-1655), later known as de Bergerac-from the testimony of Cyrano's faithful companion Henri Le Bret, whose preface to Cyrano's Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon (1657) he read carefully, as well as from the portrait of Cyrano by the nineteenth-century writer Theophile Gautier, whose book (1657) he read carefully, as well as from the portrait of Cyrano by the nineteenth-century writer Theophile Gautier, whose book Les Grotesques (The Grotesque Ones) Les Grotesques (The Grotesque Ones) was apparently Rostand's favorite in high school (see Ripert, was apparently Rostand's favorite in high school (see Ripert, Edmond Rostand, Edmond Rostand, p. 78). Cyrano, along with Le Bret, had been a soldier in the regiment of Captain Carbon de Castel-Jaloux. This regiment was composed almost entirely of Gascons, and it was in his early days in the field that he distinguished himself as a duelist (if Le Bret is to be believed, Cyrano fought one a day, quickly acquiring a reputation as "the demon of bravura"). He partic.i.p.ated in the campaigns of Champagne (he was wounded by a bullet during the siege of Mouzon) and Picardy (1640). Like his fictional counterpart, he was present at the siege of Arras, where a blow from a sword wounded him in the throat. Unlike his fictional counterpart, he was a h.o.m.os.e.xual. Having left the army in 1641, he studied under the famous philosopher Pierre Ga.s.sendi and frequented free-thinking literary circles. In addition to the aforementioned p. 78). Cyrano, along with Le Bret, had been a soldier in the regiment of Captain Carbon de Castel-Jaloux. This regiment was composed almost entirely of Gascons, and it was in his early days in the field that he distinguished himself as a duelist (if Le Bret is to be believed, Cyrano fought one a day, quickly acquiring a reputation as "the demon of bravura"). He partic.i.p.ated in the campaigns of Champagne (he was wounded by a bullet during the siege of Mouzon) and Picardy (1640). Like his fictional counterpart, he was present at the siege of Arras, where a blow from a sword wounded him in the throat. Unlike his fictional counterpart, he was a h.o.m.os.e.xual. Having left the army in 1641, he studied under the famous philosopher Pierre Ga.s.sendi and frequented free-thinking literary circles. In addition to the aforementioned States and Empires of the Moon, States and Empires of the Moon, he wrote he wrote Comical History of the States and Empires of the Sun, Comical History of the States and Empires of the Sun, also published posthumously (1662), and a play, also published posthumously (1662), and a play, La Mort d'Agrippine (The Death of Agrippine; La Mort d'Agrippine (The Death of Agrippine; 1654), which was performed at the Hotel de Bourgogne but was closed down on account of some lines suggesting an atheistic worldview ("These G.o.ds that man made, and which did not make man"). His death in 1655 may have been due to an aggravation of an existing illness-he had been suffering from a venereal disease since 1645-or it may have been the result of an incident in which a beam of wood fell on his head (a.s.sa.s.sination has not been ruled out). 1654), which was performed at the Hotel de Bourgogne but was closed down on account of some lines suggesting an atheistic worldview ("These G.o.ds that man made, and which did not make man"). His death in 1655 may have been due to an aggravation of an existing illness-he had been suffering from a venereal disease since 1645-or it may have been the result of an incident in which a beam of wood fell on his head (a.s.sa.s.sination has not been ruled out).

What did Rostand retain from his reading of Le Bret, of Gautier, and of Cyrano himself? A good number of things, many highly serviceable from a dramatic point of view-the quarrel with the actor Monfleury (act one, scene iv), the possibility that Cyrano might have known Moliere (see act five, scene vi), his fanciful ideas for traveling to the moon (act three, scene xiii), the manner of his death, etc. And, of course, one other, very big thing: the nose. It was Gautier who, extrapolating on a pa.s.sage in States and Empires of the Moon, States and Empires of the Moon, insisted on the importance of the nose to Cyrano's physiognomy and to his psychology, and developed something of a philosophy around it: "Without the nose, according to Cyrano, there can be nothing of worth, no finesse, no pa.s.sion, nothing of what truly makes man: The nose is the seat of the soul." In Rostand's play, the "tirade of the nose" in act one (pp. 29-30) is one of the most memorable moments in French theatrical history; many French people can recite at least some of it. It is important to point out, I think, just what an enormous risk Rostand took when he decided to create a play based on a man with a very large nose ("If it wasn't for the nose, he'd be a very handsome fellow," writes Gautier). The risk of farce could never be very far. Ripert mentions that a friend tried to prevail upon Madame Rostand to have her husband excise the nose scene, which would obviously have required on the part of Rostand some major rewriting but which would avoid "covering the play in ridicule" (pp. 75-76). insisted on the importance of the nose to Cyrano's physiognomy and to his psychology, and developed something of a philosophy around it: "Without the nose, according to Cyrano, there can be nothing of worth, no finesse, no pa.s.sion, nothing of what truly makes man: The nose is the seat of the soul." In Rostand's play, the "tirade of the nose" in act one (pp. 29-30) is one of the most memorable moments in French theatrical history; many French people can recite at least some of it. It is important to point out, I think, just what an enormous risk Rostand took when he decided to create a play based on a man with a very large nose ("If it wasn't for the nose, he'd be a very handsome fellow," writes Gautier). The risk of farce could never be very far. Ripert mentions that a friend tried to prevail upon Madame Rostand to have her husband excise the nose scene, which would obviously have required on the part of Rostand some major rewriting but which would avoid "covering the play in ridicule" (pp. 75-76).

And it is important to note also that Rostand based most of the characters in this play on figures from Savinien de Cyrano's life and times: Christian (based on Christophe de Champagne, baron de Neuvillette, who married Madeleine Robineau-Roxane-and who died in the siege of Arras); De Guiche (Antoine de Gramont, Richelieu's nephew); Roxane (Madeleine Robineau, baronne de Neuvillette, Cyrano's cousin); Le Bret (himself); Ragueneau (Cyprien Ragueneau, pastry cook, then actor and poet, and candlesnuffer for Moliere); as well as many of the smaller roles, including Castel-Jaloux, Ligniere, Montfleury, Cuigy, Brissaille, even Mother Margaret of the Convent of the Sisters of the Cross (for details, see Besnier, pp. 427-433). There is in Rostand an almost manic concern for precision, both in terms of historical exact.i.tude, which contributes to the overall verisimilitude of the settings, and in the scenic indications (both concerning the decor and the att.i.tudes and movements of the actors), which are unusually detailed. Rostand cannot be so easily divorced from naturalism, it seems. But it is Rostand's blending of realism and fantasy that so seduces in this play, for he manages both to temper the harshness of naturalism and to avoid the emptiness of pure fantasy.

Cyrano de Bergerac carries the subt.i.tle "Heroic Comedy" and Cyrano, of course, is its hero. The historical Cyrano was perhaps heroic in battle, but his life, which took many turns, ending in penury and possibly with his murder, was less than romantic. His writings went virtually unknown in his lifetime. Rosemonde Gerard, Rostand's wife, has something interesting to say about Cyrano and Rostand's attraction to him: "Cyrano had the touching grace to be a failure-and this is above all what must have seduced the poet, for could there exist anything more paradoxically poetic than to crown with such glory a failure?" (Gerard, carries the subt.i.tle "Heroic Comedy" and Cyrano, of course, is its hero. The historical Cyrano was perhaps heroic in battle, but his life, which took many turns, ending in penury and possibly with his murder, was less than romantic. His writings went virtually unknown in his lifetime. Rosemonde Gerard, Rostand's wife, has something interesting to say about Cyrano and Rostand's attraction to him: "Cyrano had the touching grace to be a failure-and this is above all what must have seduced the poet, for could there exist anything more paradoxically poetic than to crown with such glory a failure?" (Gerard, Edmond Rostand, Edmond Rostand, p. 9). Her judgment of Savinien de Cyrano may seem harsh, but her insight into her husband's empathy for the great losers of the world (she cites a paean to the failed [ p. 9). Her judgment of Savinien de Cyrano may seem harsh, but her insight into her husband's empathy for the great losers of the world (she cites a paean to the failed [les rates] from Rostand's collection of verse Les Musardises: Les Musardises: "I love you and want the world to know it ..." etc.) seems astute. For surely Rostand felt failure even in (perhaps because of) the rush of the unimaginable success he knew. "I love you and want the world to know it ..." etc.) seems astute. For surely Rostand felt failure even in (perhaps because of) the rush of the unimaginable success he knew.

Cyrano, after all, is a play about insecurity and vulnerability; we must a.s.sume that Rostand wrote out his own weaknesses. "We all have a nose, somewhere," quipped the actor Jacques Weber. Crowned in real life with a glory that few have known, he became increasingly unsure of himself and his writing. It cannot be mere coincidence that a writing block struck him precisely when he had to compose an acceptance speech upon his election to the Academie. "I have already written one word of it: after all, is a play about insecurity and vulnerability; we must a.s.sume that Rostand wrote out his own weaknesses. "We all have a nose, somewhere," quipped the actor Jacques Weber. Crowned in real life with a glory that few have known, he became increasingly unsure of himself and his writing. It cannot be mere coincidence that a writing block struck him precisely when he had to compose an acceptance speech upon his election to the Academie. "I have already written one word of it: Gentlemen," Gentlemen," he wrote to a friend. The toast of Paris, he retired in I905 to the provinces, where he wasted away days in idleness, playing in the garden with his two sons, beginning but rarely finis.h.i.+ng new projects. Although he knew further critical successes in the theater, he resembles in this period of his career the Cyrano who (in act one, scene v; p. 36) "was wandering aimlessly; too many roads were open... too many resolves, too complex, allowed of being taken." he wrote to a friend. The toast of Paris, he retired in I905 to the provinces, where he wasted away days in idleness, playing in the garden with his two sons, beginning but rarely finis.h.i.+ng new projects. Although he knew further critical successes in the theater, he resembles in this period of his career the Cyrano who (in act one, scene v; p. 36) "was wandering aimlessly; too many roads were open... too many resolves, too complex, allowed of being taken."

Edmond Rostand died in Paris during the epidemic of Spanish flu in 1918. Of the many a.s.sessments of Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac and its creator, the most judicious is no doubt that of Leon Blum, the socialist thinker and literary critic who was later to become president of the Republic. Perhaps necessarily, it is also the most circ.u.mspect, for to judge Rostand-to imagine that we can easily cla.s.sify him according to the existing protocols of literary criticism-might be simply foolish. "We should not have for Monsieur Rostand a scorn that would be all too unjust and facile," wrote Blum (quoted in de Margerie, and its creator, the most judicious is no doubt that of Leon Blum, the socialist thinker and literary critic who was later to become president of the Republic. Perhaps necessarily, it is also the most circ.u.mspect, for to judge Rostand-to imagine that we can easily cla.s.sify him according to the existing protocols of literary criticism-might be simply foolish. "We should not have for Monsieur Rostand a scorn that would be all too unjust and facile," wrote Blum (quoted in de Margerie, Edmond Rostand, Edmond Ros