Cyrano de Bergerac Critical Essay
Was there ever something that you have always wished was included in your personality or appearance? Something that would make you different from what you were born with? You’re not alone. Cyrano de Bergerac and Christian de Neuvillette felt the same way, in fact, they envied each other. Cyrano was ugly, and Christian was handsome. Cyrano could express himself quite eloquently, but Christian was the exact opposite. They both had qualities they both wanted and both wanted to impress Roxanne, so they decided to team up. Both Christian and Cyrano had qualities desirable to the other.
There are two main differences between Cyrano and Christian. The one that you probably notice the most is the way that Cyrano can put words together and make phrases that sound so beautiful. This ability is what really impresses Roxanne, so that’s why Christian agrees to teaming up with Cyrano. You can definitely tell he was born to be a poet. Christian, on the other hand, is always sputtering for words, especially around a woman that he is trying to impress. Since he desperately wants to impress Roxanne, he once said “Ah, if only I could express myself gracefully!” (Rostand 96). Once, when he was talking to Roxanne, the only words he could get out were “I love you” (Rostand 113). Eventually, Roxanne got agitated and told him to come back when he can “bring back his vanished eloquence” (Rostand 115).
The second difference that you would most likely notice is that Cyrano has an unusually large nose. This makes him not very attractive, which is one of the reasons that he is a little nervous about telling Roxanne how much he loves her. He once said “If only I had a handsome face!” (Rostand 96). Christian, on the other end of the spectrum, is fleetingly handsome, which makes many women attracted to him, including Roxanne. Cyrano once said “It’s true: You really are a handsome devil!” (Rostand 95) after Christian had insulted him several times about his nose. You can easily guess what characteristic Cyrano would like to have.
Another difference between them is simply the matter of shyness. Cyrano is certainly not shy. He once stopped a play because he didn’t like the actor and said “Haven’t I ordered you off the stage for a month, you wretched scoundrel?” (Rostand 30) in front of the whole audience that had gathered to watch the play. Christian is very shy at the beginning of the play, especially when he talks to women, for instance, Roxanne. His shyness is the only reason he hadn’t talked to her before Cyrano gave him his offer. Knowing that Cyrano gave him the right words to say made him a little more confident when speaking with Roxanne.
There is one thing that is definitely the same about them. Not a fraction of a doubt is there that they are both in love with Roxanne. Both of them wish that they could tell Roxanne how they feel about her, but they each feel that they aren’t good enough. Cyrano feels that he is ugly and that she would never even think of him as more than a friend. Christian isn’t worried so much about his looks; he’s more worried about saying something stupid. He just doesn’t know how to express himself when he is around women. Christian is very clumsy with his words. They both decide to work together, because they both have something that the other one wants. If they knew that Roxanne had fallen in love with part of them that seemed to be enough.
There are many differences between them both, some good, some bad. One thing that they will never be able to change by helping each other is their love for Roxanne. When Cyrano wished for a “handsome face” (Rostand 96), he didn’t really have to because he was “handsome” on the inside. On the other hand, if Christian can get over shyness, he could express himself much better. Both of their faults didn’t need each other to fix them. If they had thought of that before, they wouldn’t have to go through all that trouble. After all, people are born the way they are for a reason.
Back to Best Works
