Cyrano de bergerac

An Introduction

Edmond rostandBorn in France in 1868, as the country was transitioning from a monarchy to

a republican government.

Raised in Marseilles in an artistic family (father a poet, uncle a

composer) but pressured by his father to study law in Paris, where he also began to write plays and poems.

Visited French troupes fighting in WWI, and died six weeks after the war

ended, at the age of fifty.

The playFirst produced in 1896.

Although Rostand was a popular playwright, Cyrano de Bergerac was expected to fail.He used a form popular with French playwrights one hundred years earlier; modern

Parisians were expected to be bored.Contrary to expectation, a full hour after the final curtain fell, the audience was still

applauding thunderously.

Literary traditions

Realism and Naturalism

• Major literary movements during Rostand’s time

• A response to industrialization and scientific advances

• Emphasis on objective documentation of everyday life

• Rejects idealization and glamor

• Depicts working class life and societal problems

• Belief in social and psychological objectivity; theater should explain scientific laws of human behavior

Romanticism

• A literary movement from before Rostand’s time

• A revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature

• Validates strong emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience

• Emphasis on idealism and heroism

• Prevalence of romantic heroes, beautiful maidens, sword fights, and the power of poetry and art

Terms to knowSWASHBUCKLER

Colorful swordfighter; heroic and idealistic, he rescues damsels in distress, fights dastardly

villains, displays outstanding courage, resourcefulness, chivalry and a distinctive sense of

honor and justice

PANACHE

Flair, individual sense of style, verve, or pizzazz

HEROIC COMEDY

Centered on a noble character who undergoes a test involving a romantic relationship

ALEXANDRINE VERSE

French line of poetic meter; each line has 12 syllables, divided into two parts by a caesura

(audible pause)

The real cyranoSavinien Cyrano de Bergerac (1619 – 1655)

Accomplished swordsman and member of the French GuardsWrote plays, pamphlets and other works

Had an unusually large noseInjured in the battle of Arras

Severely injured at age 35 when a plank fell on his headDied at age 36 (either from the plank injury or syphillus)

The fictional cyrano

The real Cyrano was born and died in Paris, while the fictional Cyrano is from Gascony, a region with Basque influence and the

cultural stereotype of passion

Historical setting:France, 1645

The Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648)

• fought primarily in what is now Germany

• involved most European countries

• began as Protestant/Catholic feud, but became a conflict over the balance of power

• Resulted in: extensive destruction of entire regions denuded by foraging armies; episodes of famine and disease; bankruptcy for most of the combatant powers

Historical setting:France, 1645