Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac
How Rostand Uses Symbols to Represent Unfulfilled Desire
Oct 24, 2008
In “Cyrano de Bergerac,” the central character, Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, is a nobleman serving in the French Army. He is a multitalented, accomplished man. Cyrano is a skilled duelist and has the soul of a poet. However, he is marred by a lack of self-confidence because of his large nose.
This lack of confidence causes him to participate in an elaborate ruse. He is in love with the beautiful Roxane, but he does not think she would like him because of his physical appearance. Instead, he writes poetry for her more attractive suitor, Christian de Neuvillette. A number of symbolic references in the play illustrate how societal pressures and deception take individuals further away from their desires.
The overwhelming symbol in the play is Cyrano's nose and is representative of a number of elements in the play. First of all, it is a symbol of the value society places on physical appearances. This creates an invisible wall for people who let their outward appearance stop them from pursuing the things they want. Cyrano lets his lack of confidence stop him from telling Roxane how he feels about her. Like Cyrano, many individuals let society dictate what is beautiful; therefore, they never fulfill their desires.
The nose also represents the self-fulfilling prophesy of the person who lacks confidence. Because Cyrano doesn't think that Roxane will have him, he enters into the deceptive relationship with Christian, society’s standard of physical beauty. Cyrano writes love letters to Roxane in Christian's name that reveals his innermost thoughts. He successfully woos her with his word, and Christian and Roxane eventually marry. Thus, he loses the love of his life because he can't approach her.
The letters themselves are also symbolic. They represent the inner beauty that people are supposed to look for in other people. This is illustrated when Roxane tells her husband, Christian, that she doesn't love him for his outward appearance but for what is inside of him, his soul. When he goes to war, Roxane tells him that she would love him even if he is ugly. This comment convinces Christian that he should tell her the truth. Cyrano, on the other hand, thinks it's a bad idea. Christian tells him that Roxane will have to love him for the man that he is. Unfortunately, he dies before the truth is revealed.
Though the play only has two readily noticeable symbols, the nose and the letter. Nevertheless, they are strong representations of how society doesn't always connect the outer person with the inner person. The symbols also represent how deceiving self and others does not lead to a happy result. It may not cause a person’s death, but it can kill the heart.
