Cyrano de Bergeracby Edmond Rostand

Pre-Reading Discussion

1. Would you rather have inner beauty or outer beauty? You may only choose one and if you choose inner beauty, then you are pretty ugly and if you choose outer beauty, you are gorgeous, but a pretty, mean and nasty person. Discuss the reasons for your choice.

Pre-Reading Discussion

2. Do you have 1 physical quality of trait that you are self-conscious about? What is it and why are you self-conscious about it? How does this affect you and have you ever felt alienated because of this difference?

Pre-Reading Discussion

3. What does our society value more highly-inner beauty or outer beauty?

Pre-Reading Discussion

4. How does a boy win the heart of a girl? List all of the ways a guy can impress a girl and win her over, include what his personality has to have.

Pre-Reading Discussion

5. What are the elements of your ideal mate?

VOCABULARY 1

• affable : adj. warm and friendly• bellicose : adj. hostile; aggressive• Cynosure : n. something that attracts admiration• droll : adj. humorous; clownish• dubious : adj. doubtful• Enmity : n. hatred• lambast : v. to criticize harshly• obsequious : adj. fawning; servile

The Story

Cyrano loves Roxane, but he doesn’t think she could ever love him because of his ugly nose. Roxane is in love with Christian, and he loves her. However, they have never met, and Christian isn’t smooth enough to ask Roxane to be with him (he is handsome but really dumb). Cyrano tells Christian what to say and do in order to help Christian make Roxane love him. Will it work? Will Roxane figure out the tangled web of lies? Will she fall in love with the handsome man or the smart one? You’ll have to read and find out!

Cyrano

Three Main Characters:

• Cyrano de Bergerac: He is a long-nosed, fencing, poetry writing, fighting, loving, man convinced that no one will ever love him because of his ugly features

• Christian: dumb as a rock, Gascon (soldier) of Cyrano’s, handsome, loves Roxane and wishes to win her, but fears he can’t because of his lack of expression.

• Roxane: “Madeline Robin” She is the most woman around. She is also the smart and cousin to Cyrano. She is loved by Cyrano, Christian, and many others.

Friends of Cyrano• Ligniere: mischievous poet, angers DeGuiche with

poem ridiculing him• Raguenueu: poet and pastry cook, later works for

Roxane• Lise: wife of Raguenuau, leaves him after Act II• Le Bret: officer in Cyrano’s regiment, Cyrano’s

confidant, first learns of Cyrano’s love for Roxane• Carbon de Castel Jaloux: captain of Cyrano’s

regiment

Opponents of Cyrano:

• Count de Guiche: ambitious nobleman and military commander, in love with Roxane, hates Cyrano, experiences a change during the play, known as the Duke in Act 5

• Viscount de Valvert: follower of DeGuiche, wooer of Roxane, gets insulted by Cyrano

• Montfleury: fat, untalented actor, insulted by Cyrano

Background

• The story takes place in France between 1640 and 1655. During this time France was filled with aristocrats (rich people), Gascons (soldiers), townspeople, and there is even a king (Louis XIII).

• This was known as the AGE OF ELEGANCE.

Requirements for a man to be a true gentleman:

• 1. create poetry with ease and brilliance• 2. excel at swordplay and wordplay• 3. man of action and man of culture• 4. fight bravely• 5. compose music

Weapons

• Have you ever seen a sword fight in the movies? These are called duels. The weapons are called rapiers (long pointed swords- like a mixture between lance and sword). These duels were only fought by the rich, and they were often to the death. There wasn’t even armor to protect them!

The real Cyrano:

• He lived from 1619-1655.• His name was Hercule Savinien Cyrano de

Bergerac (and you thought Cyrano de Bergerac was hard enough!).

• He was born in Paris and became a writer and a soldier.

• He wrote science fantasy.• And…he really did have a big nose.

Heroic or Romantic Comedy

• The play is a HEROIC OR ROMANTIC COMEDY: a comedy focusing on the exploits of a larger than life hero, the hero is known as a romantic hero.

Mr. Edmond Rostand

• He was a French playwright (hence the play being written in French). The first show came out about 100 years ago. It was his most popular play, and it is still referenced and used today. It was even made into a ballet (imagine a long-nosed man in a tutu!).

Settings

ACT 1: Hotel de Bourgongne, the lobby or auditorium, 1640

ACT 2: Raguaneau’s pastry shop, the next morning

ACT 3: the garden of Roxane’s house, the Marais quarter of Paris, a few weeks later

ACT 4: the siege of Arras, a month laterACT 5: Convent of Ladies of the Cross, 15 years

later

Things to read for:

• Cyrano is a poet.• Make note of all of the line he says in rhyme.

Nose Jokes from the movie Roxanne1. Obvious: "Excuse me, is that your nose, or did a bus park on your face?"2. Meteorological: "Everybody take cover, she's going to blow!"3. Fashionable: "You know, you could de-emphasize your nose if you wore

something larger, like Wyoming."4. Personal: "Well, here we are, just the three of us."5. Punctual: "All right Dellman, your nose was on time, but you were fifteen

minutes late."6. Envious: "Ooh, I wish I were you, to be able to smell your own ear."7. Naughty: "Pardon me sir, some of the ladies have asked if you wouldn't

mind putting that thing away."8. Philosophical: "You know, it's not the size of a nose that's important, it's

what's in it what matters."

Jokes Cont’d9. Humorous: "Laugh and the world laughs with you; sneeze and it's good-

bye Seattle."10. Commercial: "Hi, I'm Earl Scheib, and I can paint that nose fo Thirty-Nine

Ninety-Five."11. Polite: "Ah, would you mind not bobbing your head? The, ah,orchestra

keeps changing tempo."12. Melodic: (Everybody) "He's got the whole world.. in his nose."13. Sympathetic: "Ooh, what happened, did your parents lose a bet with

God?"14. Complimentary: "You must love the little birdies to give them this to

perch on."15. Scientific: "Say, does that thing there influence the tides?"

Let’s Read

• I need volunteers for the following characters:

HOMEWORK• Finish reading Act I (stop at page 34).• Post your response to on nicenet.org. You will

need to post a response to a classmate by Friday.

• . You will need to begin studying the VOCABULARY ONE words for a quiz next Tuesday. You need to be able to use the word in a sentence. I will accept note cards for bonus points.

Exit Ticket

• Write one thing that you learned about today (inner beauty vs. outer beauty, something about yourself from our discussion, background info about Cyrano, Edmond Rostand, etc.)

• List one prediction about the play.• Leave the exit ticket in the box on your way

out.

What has happened so far:

• ACT 1• ACT 2• ACT 3• ACT 4

ACT 1• Setting: theatre• What key events happen?– Cyrano ridicules Montfleury and causes the play to stop– Christian sees Roxane and is told information about de

Guiche and Valvert from Ligniere.– Cyrano has a duel with who? Who wins?– What do we learn about Cyrano’s confidence? His flaws?– Who loves Roxane?– Roxane loves who?– Why is Ligniere’s life in danger? Who is after him?

ACT II

Setting: Ragueneau’s pastry shopDescribe Ragueneau. Who is he? Why is Ragueneau upset at his wife Lise?What do we learn about Lise? What does Cyrano warn her

about?Cyrano is waiting for who at the pastry shop?What news does Cyrano think he is going to hear?What news does she actually hear?What vow does Cyrano make?

Act II continued

Cyrano’s company of guards beg him to tell them what?A cadet brings in several hats. What does this represent?What advice do the guards give Christian when he first enters?What does Christian do?What do the guards expect to happen?What actually happens?What deal is made between Christian and Cyrano?

ACT III

What effect do the letters have on Roxane?Describe the balcony scene between Roxane, Christian, and

Cyrano. What happens?Who gets married?How is this short-lived?

Quiz

1. Who does Cyrano duel in Act I?2. What is the setting of Act II?3. What does Cyrano promise Roxane?4. What deal is made between Cyrano and

Christian?5. Why is the happy marriage of Roxane and

Christian short-lived?

Literary Terms

• Comedy: a dramatic work that is light and often humorous or satirical in tone and that usually contains a happy resolution of the thematic conflict

• Tragedy: a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.

Literary Terms Cont’d

• Setting: the place and the time period in which the story takes place

• Plot: the pattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama

• Soliloquy: a dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener

Literary Terms Cont’d

• Aside: a piece of dialogue intended for the audience and supposedly not heard by the other actors on stage

• Drama: a prose or verse composition, sometimes telling a serious story, that is intended for representation by actors impersonating the characters and performing the dialogue and action

Types of Conflict

Conflict: a struggle between opposing forcesTypes:Man vs. ManMan vs. NatureMan Vs. Himself

Irony

What is irony?

Irony• Dramatic: Audience knows what characters

don’t. (Example—a scary movie)• Verbal: What is said is not what is meant

(Basically, it is sarcasm)• Situational: Things that happen are different

than what is expected (The locksmith comic)

Homework

• Find two examples of each kind of irony (situational, dramatic, and verbal) in Cyrano.

Test- Tuesday, November 10th

What to study:• Power Point (I will upload an updated one to

my website)---literary terms and facts about Cyrano.

• Your reading guide• Character names and descriptions• Key events from each Act (1-5).

Act IV and Act V Activity• I will split you into 4 groups.• You be assigned either Act IV or Act V• Your group will need to read the Act (You can

choose to read it aloud by assigning parts or each group member can read it individually)

• I recommend that you split up the following requirements between your group members. I will be checking on your progress. You will have a limited amount of time to complete this.

Act IV and Act V Activity Cont’d• You will need to provide the following

information about your Act:• A flow map with the sequence of events.• A brief skit reenacting the Act. This reenactment should

be written in modern language. You may include a certain dialect (redneck, gangster, etc.) to add humor. This will be performed.• You need a visual representation of one key event from

your Act. • Create a jingle or rap about one character from the

play. This will also be performed by your group.

You will need to self-assign roles

• Flow Map- 1 person• Modern Day Skit- 2 people• Visual Representation- 1 person• Rap/Jingle- 2 people• WRITE ON THE BACK OF YOUR NOTECARD

WHAT YOUR ROLE WILL BE!• You will ALL help to present and be a part

each component.

Act IV Summary

Act V Summary