A study guide for students and educators Inside this Guide Synopsis 2 About the Author 4 Vocabulary 4 Historical Context 5 Researched and designed by the Education Department at Interview with Director 6 Sanford Robbins Milwaukee Repertory Theater, this study guide is intended to prepare you for your visit. It contains biographical and historical La Préciosité and La 7 Carte de Tendre information that will deepen your understanding of and appre- ciation for the production. We’ve also included questions and Costume Notes 8 activities for you to explore before and after our performance of Discussion Questions 10 Cyrano de Bergerac Further Activities 11 If you would like to schedule a classroom workshop, or if we can The Audience help in some other way, please contact: 12 Jenny Kostreva at (414) 290-5370 or [email protected] Visiting the Rep 12 Andy North at (414) 290-5393 or [email protected] Study Guide written by Andy North, Program Coordinator With contributions from Christina DeCheck, Sanford Robbins, and Mathew J. Lefebvre Editing by Kristin Crouch, Literary Director and Jenny Kostreva, Education Director CYRANO DE BERGERAC 2 SOME IMPORTANT CHARACTERS TO Synopsis KNOW Act One Act Two CYRANO DE The play opens in 1640 The following morning, Cyrano BERGERAC is a in the Hall of the Hotel de enters the bakery where he is to meet nobleman serving Bourgogne, the first theater Roxane. He composes a love letter to as a soldier in the in Paris. Nobility and com- her while he waits. When she arrives, French army. He is mon folk are gathering to see however, she immediately reveals that famous for his skill a performance by Mont- she has fallen in love with a hand- as a poet and a fleury, a well-known actor. some young soldier named Christian, swordsman. He pos- As soon as the performance who is in the same troop as Cyrano. sesses an abnor- begins it is halted by Cyrano She begs Cyrano to protect him from mally large nose, about which he is de Bergerac, who criticizes harm, and he reluctantly agrees. very sensitive. Montfleury for the man’s overblown acting and drives him As Roxane exits, the cadets from from the stage. The crowd becomes Cyrano’s company enter to celebrate his victory. Among them are Christian angry, but none will duel Cyrano, who is a highly skilled swordsman. and a nobleman named De Guiche, ROXANE is who reveals that it was he who set the Cyrano’s cousin. When a nobleman named Val- ambush for Ligniere. He warns Beautiful and vert approaches and attempts to Cyrano not to make an enemy of him, intelligent, insult Cyrano’s large nose, Cyrano then exits. Roxane has scoffs at the man’s poor attempt many suitors. and rattles off two dozen more Cyrano reports Roxane’s affections to Christian, who is initially overjoyed clever insults aimed at himself. Incensed, Valvert chal- but then almost immediately dis- lenges him to a duel, which mayed. He is a poor speaker and is Cyrano easily wins - even convinced that Roxane will fall out of CRISTIAN is a love with him the instant they meet young, handsome composing a song about the one another. Desperate to express soldier in Cyrano’s fight as it happens. regiment. At the be- his love for Roxane, Cyrano offers to ginning of the play he As Cyrano celebrates his write letters and speeches that Chris- is newly-arrived in victory, a duenna (lady’s tian can use to woo her. France and is trying chaperone) enters and tells to prove his bravery him that his cousin Roxane Act Three to the other soldiers. wishes to see him the fol- The scene opens in Roxane’s lowing morning. He agrees garden. She gushes to Cyrano about instantly, confiding to his friend Le Christian’s intellect; it becomes appar- COUNT DE Bret that he has long been in love ent that Cyrano has been writing let- GUICHE is an with Roxane but has never told her ters for Christian for quite some time officer in charge for fear that she would reject his now. of the regiment ugliness. Ligniere, a drunken poet, to which Cyrano enters and reveals that he is to be The duenna and Christian ambushed that evening by belong. He is ushers Cyrano one hundred men, as re- the nephew of “I feel too strong to into the house as Cardinal venge for a bawdy song he De Guiche en- Richelieu, one of composed about a noble- war with mortals - ters. He has been the most man. Cyrano, exhilarated courting Roxane powerful men in at the prospect of meeting Bring me giants!” and has come to France. Roxane, promises to guide announce that Character sketches by Mathew J. the poet home safely. The he has been Lefebvre two men exit, followed by a mob of given orders to take Cyrano’s regi- spectators. ment to the front lines. Roxane CYRANO DE BERGERAC 3 convinces De Guiche that he Act Four assuring him that Roxane knows could get revenge upon Cyrano the truth and still loves him. He by forbidding the regiment to The setting now changes to gives one last letter to Roxane in go into battle. De Guiche takes the battlefield at the Siege of Christian’s name. this advice as a sign of affection, Arras, several weeks later. and announces that he will re- Cyrano returns to the camp be- De Guiche leads a grieving main behind as well by hiding in fore sunrise. He has been sneak- Roxane to safety while Cyrano a nearby monastery disguised as ing out every day to send Roxane rallies the outnumbered cadets a priest. Both exit. letters in Christian’s name. As for a final charge. the starving cadets awaken, Christian enters and is met Cyrano jokes with them to dis- Act Five by Cyrano, who presents him tract them from their hunger and Fifteen years later, Roxane with his “lines” for the evening. keep their spirits up. has moved into a convent. She is Christian refuses them, saying visited by Cyrano every Satur- that from now on he would like day. Cyrano has fallen into to speak for himself. Cyrano, “What’s that you say? poverty, but refuses to ask for miffed, hides himself nearby to aid and continues to mock the watch. Hopeless? Why, very vain and foolish, making enemies When Roxane appears, well! But a man does not on all sides. Christian can think of nothing to fight merely to win!” Cyrano enters, having been say to her but “I love you.” She ambushed by his enemies on the becomes frustrated and exits. way to the convent and badly Cyrano re-enters in the shadows injured. He is dying, but conceals and, pretending to be Christian, De Guiche enters and warns his injury so as not to alarm Rox- speaks to Roxane on her balcony the company that the Spaniards ane. He sits with her and asks to and re-unites the two lovers. As will attack within the hour. He be allowed to read Christian’s Roxane and Christian embrace, has engineered things so that final letter, which she keeps with Cyrano steps into the light, pre- Cyrano’s regiment will be in the her at all times. As Cyrano reads tending to have just arrived. thick of the fighting, essentially ensuring the deaths of everyone the letter aloud, Roxane realizes A Capuchin (priest) enters to present. that it was his voice speaking to deliver a love letter to Roxane her from the shadows fifteen from De Guiche, stating that he Suddenly, a coach draws up years before, and that the letters is on his way to meet her. Rox- and Roxane steps out. She brings must have been coming from him ane lies and says that it is an food for the starving soldiers, who all along. She declares her love order from De Guiche that she are energized by her appearance for him. and Christian should be married and begin preparing for battle. Cyrano, determined to die immediately, and the Capuchin Roxane thanks Christian for “sword in hand,” raises himself agrees to perform the ceremony. his daily letters and explains that for one final duel, this time While the others enter the she was drawn to the battlefield against death. Delirious, he sees house for the wedding, Cyrano out of love for him. She admits all his “ancient enemies” closing remains behind and guards the that at first she was attracted to in: prejudice, compromise, door, stalling De Guiche when he his outward appearance, but now cowardice, and vanity. He still arrives. Christian and Roxane, loves him for his soul and would refuses to surrender, and dies now married, enter. De Guiche is still love him even if he were ugly. triumphantly in Roxane’s arms. enraged when he realizes he has Christian goes to Cyrano and been tricked and orders the demands that he tell Roxane the regiment to leave immediately truth so that she can choose for the front. between the two of them. Cyrano approaches her, but before he can confess the battle begins and Christian is mortally wounded. Cyrano lies to the dying man, CYRANO DE BERGERAC 4 tolerate. Suffering ill health, Ro- About the Author stand retreated to his family's country estate at Cambon. There Nineteenth-century French poet and was based on Shakespeare’s RO- he persisted in writing plays and and writer, Edmond Rostand, was MEO AND JULIET. His great success poetry; sadly, his subsequent works born into an affluent and cultured came at the age of 29 when Rostand did not grant him the same esteem family in Marseille in 1868.