Transcript Cyrano de Bergerac

CYRANO DE
BERGERAC
Author: Edmond Rostand
■ Wrote a total of twelve plays during the course of his life.
■ in 1902, he had the distinction of being the youngest
person ever to be inducted into the Academie francaise,
one of the most prestigious councils in France.
The Play: Cyrano de Bergerac
■ Rostand wrote the play in 1897 and is written in the Romantic style; Romanticism was a
literary movement in the mid-1800’s and featured tragic heroes and grand passion.
■ The main character, Cyrano de Bergerac is based on an actual poet/soldier who lived in
the mid-1600’s.
■ The play was a hit and its first show ran for 300 consecutive nights!
■ Cyrano de Bergerac is the story of an incredibly witty,
courageous soldier with a ton of integrity.
■ However, rather than being known for his fantastic character,
his reputation tends to focus on his incredibly large nose.
■ The complication? He’s in love with the most beautiful
woman in Paris.
■ The play is meant to be over-the-top and comedic with its exaggerated characters.
However, you definitely have to pay attention to catch the humor.
■ Allusions to history, literature, and famous people are everywhere! Be on the lookout
for references to:
– history
– Greek mythology
– the Bible