Cyrano De Bergerac Essay, Research Paper

When analyzing the various personae exemplified in the novel Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, it is evident that each character changes throughout the plot. The characters Roxane, a beautiful, intelligent, love-seeking woman, Christian, Roxane s young lover who is terribly afraid of the spoken verse, and Cyrano, the distant cousin of Roxane, who happens to be in love with her, all changed throughout this play, in all cases for the better.

In the introduction of the play, Roxane is quite self-absorbed and is looking for the perfect mate, some one who has talent, is interesting, and most of all, good-looking. Roxane meets Christian, who fits every category except the interesting one. His only interesting qualities come from Cyrano s feeding him lines about how he should feel about Roxane. Roxane chooses to view only the surface of the situation, Christian s beauty. As the play goes on, Roxane finds herself falling in love, not only with Christian s face, but his words also. Towards the end of the play, Roxane, admits to herself and Christian that she is in love with Christian s words and poems and would love him even if he were ugly. Roxane changes from a selfish, materialistic, young woman into a confident, accepting, caring individual.

At the beginning of the play, Christian is helpless and hopeless in his nature. As the play goes on, Christian is coached by Cyrano on what to say to Roxane to show his love for her. Through this coaching, Christian becomes less shy and more open with his feelings. By the time Christian dies, he is unafraid of talking to Roxane and he has learned how to stand up for himself. Christian changes from a hopeless character to one with confidence and a sense of awareness.

In the beginning of the play, Cyrano is seen as a character that possesses a false sense of confidence. This confidence covers up his insecurities. Throughout the play, Cyrano grows as a person and an individual, he feels love for the first time, and he struggles with his own identity. Cyrano learns how to take things lightly because if he takes then to harshly they hurt him in the end. Cyrano changes from a self centered, completely independent, insolent person, to a caring, somewhat dependent, and accepting person.

As is seen in the play Cyrano de Bergerac, each of the three personae of Roxane, Christian, and Cyrano changed for the better. Roxane found that beauty is not all that matters, Christian found that if he talks people will listen, and Cyrano learned that being yourself always works out in the end.