Cyrano de Bergerac is a multi-faceted character: honorable, yet poor; physically brave, yet emotionally fearful; poetic and articulate, yet ill-prepared and unattractive. What are your first judgments of Cyrano and why have you come to those conclusions? Is there someone famous you can compare him with? How so?
Who is your favorite character so far? Why?
Write about any of the key ideas in Cyrano: inner versus outer beauty/Idealism/Individualism/The value of language and poetry/Different attitudes toward love. -ms h
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehello. :D
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was clever of Cyrano to question the Meddler about how he was looking at his nose. Cyrano knew that Meddler was looking at his nose, and so he used what someone might have said about Cyrano's nose, to "confuse" the meddler. Cyrano has a sense of humor. When Cyrano talked to Valvert, he had all different sorts of sayings that he made up to make Valvert feel sorry for him. Cyrano is also able to be very spontaneous. ~Emily
ReplyDelete@Kramer- You just answer in the comment box.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your first judgments of Cyrano and why have you come to those conclusions?
So far, I have to say, I really enjoy his character: he's noble, brave, intelligent, and he acknowledges that he may not be handsome, but his cleverness(and good-natured humour)will probably lead him far.
Is there someone famous you can compare him with? How so?
I can think of him as Charlie Brown a little bit. (laughs) He's in love with a girl who may or may not love him back, therefore his love is unrequited. He knows that he's not perfect, and still has lessons to learn throughout his lifetime, just as we all do.
Who is your favorite character so far? Why?
Cyrano is my favourite. Like him, I don't feel very confident about my own looks, and he has a goon-natured sense of humour. I always like characters I can relate to.
Write about any of the key ideas in Cyrano: inner versus outer beauty/Idealism/Individualism/The value of language and poetry/Different attitudes toward love.
As I mentioned above, Cyrano and myself are a little bit alike: We have confidence, but perhaps not with our own looks. I strongly believe that being yourself is important, and that true beauty lies within one's own heart and soul. Just because a certain person may be considered "hot," doesn't mean they'd make the ideal boyfriend or girlfriend. Their attitudes may be ugly. (I'm not referring to everyone, though. :)
So far I do not like Cyrano. I think he is very rude to other people. He was mean to Montfleury and Valvert. I do admire his self confidence though. He is aware that he has a big nose, but he does not let anyone make fun of it. He is very proud to have such a large nose and does not let it affect his personality.
ReplyDelete~Nicole
hi :)
ReplyDeletewell... I think that Cyrano is a confused character. Sometimes he's nice but sometimes he loses his temper and just goes over the top. He was very mean to Montfleury by yelling at him to get off of the stage. Cyrano was also rude to Valvert, although I thought Cyrano's speech to Valvert was very clever. Cyrano's other side is very soft and sweet though. He is in love with Roxanne and so he is very kind to her. Cyrano was also very nice to the refreshment girl by trying to refuse to take food from her for free. Overall, I don't think we know enough about Cyrano yet to tell what we really think of him.
ReplyDeleteamy(:
My favorite character is Cyrano, but at the same time he is my least favorite character. I like how he is confident. He also can be nice. Sometimes he gets annoying because he always is talking about his nose and how big it is. I get the idea! I like how Cyrano acts around Roxanne. He gets flustered and he acts like it's his first crush. It made me laugh to see how big of a change he makes in his personality when he is around people he hates and when he is around people he loves. Overall he is my favorite character.
ReplyDelete~Katie K.~
My first thoughts of Cyrano were that he liked to get attention because he stormed on the stage and interrupted the play. I also found out that he had a fiery temper. I didn't like him much at first, but my thoughts on him changed as we got farther into the play.
ReplyDeleteI think Cyrano's inner beauty is waaaay more beautiful than his outer. He is soooo ugly on the outside but on the inside he has a good personality. Sometimes his temper gets the best of him and makes him seem uglier than he really is. Cyrano is also very independent. He is alone, but he is open to a relationship. I think he is very wise and gives good insight on life.
~Katie K.~
To be honest when we first started this story i was really confused, therefore I thought that it wasn't going to be a very good story. Then Cyrano and his big nose came in! He is very confident about his nose and i like that, you shouldn't have to worry about other people opinions all the time. Its tiring!! Cyrano is a very different kind of person, and i don't mean this in a mean way. What i mean is you don't always have to be "in" or popular, just be yourself!! It should make you happy!!
ReplyDeleteBut i don't like Cyrano he is not my favorite character......... he has good qualities but he needs friends. I couldn't do half the stuff I do today without my friends!!! :)
~Kathleen Meek
I enjoy Cyrano's uniqueness, due to him being different. I always enjoy a character with so many different traits. He's valiant, and obviously courageous, after fighting off all those people at that port. He's also a poet, and not just a warrior. I love how different he is; it's like two different worlds colliding. Honestly, how many people do you see fighting and writing poetry? However, I feel the pen is mightier than the sword.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually surprised to hear that some of you don't like Cyrano. I don't know if you noticed this, but Montfluery is protected by de Guiche, who plans an affair with Roxane, Cyrano's love. Also, Valvert and the Meddler stood up for this man, thus making Cyrano want to fight them. It may not have been the wisest decision, but he stood up for what he believed was just. If one of my friends were being insulted by someone, I'd try my best not to retort back a rude reply and not tackle that person to the ground. All I can do is snap at them, "Don't say that! They're great friends! They're loyal, and apparently everything I need that YOU don't have" and improvise from there.
~Sydney
My first judgement of Cyrano was that he was very conceite and very bold. Cyrano makes me laugh because he is very dramatic and kind of reminds me of a lot of my friends, with his humor and outspokeness. This makes him by far my favorite character! He puts on a very different face around those he considers "less" than him about his appearance, rebutting everyone who criticizes his nse, but secretly despising it. I believe that Cyrano prefers to have everyone think that nothing, even stining insults about his nose, can faze him.
ReplyDelete-'drienne
My favorite character is Cyrano. He's a great person. The audience can laugh at his flamboyant mannerisms as well as appreciate his clever wit. He is brave, noble, and idealistic. He is one hundred percent good: in other words the stereotypical hero. However, he possesses an elephantine nose, which is most unstereotypical of fictional heroes. It kind of makes you think about what we most value in a person.
ReplyDelete-Anthony
My Favorite character in the story as of yet is Christian. I think that it is cool how he stood up to Cyrano. If he only haad that sort of courage around women then he would more than likely be with roxane. I do think it is strange though, Why would Christian put his life in danger by insulting Cyrano? Why after all he has heard, (from the other gaurdmen), about Cyrano would he risk his life? I believe that If he truley loved Roxane, he would not needlsly put his life in danger.
ReplyDeleteIn this instance, I believe that Christian is an idiot.
-Luc the magnificant (Lucas D)
Sorry I do not really mean Christian is an idiot. His brain is just not so good sometimes.
ReplyDeleteHe can be a little bit rash it seems.
-Luc
I think the largest idea in Cyrano is inner beauty versus outer beauty. The biggest example of that is Cyrano himself. He has a very big nose, but that does not mean he is a bad person. He can be mean at times, just like everyone else, but overall I believe he is a good person. Christian is an example of the opposite. He is very good looking on the outside, but that does not mean that he is a good person. He could be very mean, but our first impression is that since he is good looking, he is a good person.
ReplyDelete~Nicole
My favorite character so far is Cyrano.
ReplyDeleteHe is by far the coolest and has the most guts.
Also, he isn't very good looking but he doesn't care. He has a confidence level as great as his nose. And he makes it so that nobody wants to make fun of him. He is powerful and an amazing swordsman. At one point he takes on 100 men all by himself. This is why he is my favorite character.
~Nathan Reding~
So far, I do not have a favorite character. I usually figure that out once I've finished the story. I like how Cyrano's a little defensive about his large nose, yet he wouldn't like to have it any other way. At first, I didn't like Cyrano at all. I thought he was mean, but the more I read i seem to like him more. He's the kind of person who can actually stand up for himself. He is brave at times and at others fearful. It makes him a bit of a confusing character.
ReplyDelete~Kathleen Johnson:)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or is Cyrano a little bipolar? I'm kinda confused. First he's like, "Epic duel!" then he's like, "I'm sad and poor..." I just can't really judge him, because I don't get him. He's not my favorite character so far, because i can understand his character about as much as I can run through a brick wall. I feel sorry for him though. He tries so hard to get Roxane, but can't seem to succeed. I did think it was clever of him to bribe people with pastries. Rather a genius idea he had there. My favorite character so far is Christian. He's shy, so I like him. He made some mistakes, but everyone does that.
ReplyDelete~Sarah D.
Cyrano is an outgoing person, just not in the way we think about someone being outgoing to be today. Today, we belive it is someone who likes to meet new people and is nice to just about everyone. Cyrano does meet new people and is not afraid of what people think of him. Cyrano is by far my favorite charcter but this could change. We really haven't gotten to know any of the charcters to the extent we have of Cyrano.
ReplyDelete~Dan Cunningham~
Cyrano seems like a good guy. Maybe a little self-conscious, causing him to be rude. Underneath the outside layer, he really seems a nice person. In a way I admire his outgoing personality and his boldness. He speaks his mind and could care less what people think of it. Then again, his social status could make him feel more powerful than others and I wonder if he would still act this way if the situation changed. Basically, I like him. And feel bad for his nose because that would kind of suck.
ReplyDelete-Payton
I found that Cyrano was really trying to keep up an image of being the gratest person that ever lived, whether he truly was or not. He put up a great act using the wit of his that was great to make it appear that he was good at everything else. In reality i think he was just like the people who try to create another image for themselves. I don't like him. He may be a "good guy" according to some, but i think he's just a jerky nobleman. I think that it's going to come back to bite him.
ReplyDeleteCyrano is quite a character. Even though he is ugly on the outside his inner beauty shines. He is a kind person, brave, and smart person. His changes in attitude is one of the reasons I don't like him. He at times will think of others and at other times I think he thinks of himself more. He will help Roxane even when he is in love with her, but will stop a play to basically wreck and end the play so that others cannot enjoy it. Cyrano is a character that is hard to interpret.
ReplyDelete~Kathleen Meek
Cyrano reminds me of Mike in twilight:) Cyrano loves Roxanne like Mike loves Bella. But Roxanne loves Christian, not Cyrano. Just the same, Bella loves Edward, not Mike. I feel sorry for Cyrano because Roxanne doesn't love him. But he goes on with life, even agreeing to look after Christian. I think this is a very brave thing to do, and I respect Cyrano for that.
ReplyDeleteAmy
Cyrano seems like a genuine person. Standing up for himself when there isn’t someone willing to stand up for him. He does seem to get angry very quickly. He seems like one of those people where once they start to fight, they could keep going all day, until they get their way. Like many of us, he hides his emotions from everyone else so that he seems like a better person. He doesn’t show his emotion of loving Roxanne to her, because he is afraid of what could happen. Cyrano can be somewhat of an example of what much of our society is like today, willing to stand up for themselves and afraid of letting out their true feelings due to what they think might happen. ~Emily
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how Cyrano already had a letter written up for Christian to give to Roxane. If I were Christian I would be wondering why Cyrano had a letter already wrote out for Roxane. I would be a little suspicious of Cyrano. Would I also trust a guy that just fought with me about his nose? I think that someone will soon become interested in learning more about Cyrano and then discover Cyrano’s love for Roxane. ~Emily
ReplyDeleteSo far, I do not like Cyrano very much. I think that he is quick to judge people and can be rude. He seems to think that everyone is out to get him because of his looks. But, I think that he has probably been through a lot of ridculing through out his life and he is sick of it. Like with the meddler, he seems very forward and he also judges him.Cyrano also is mean to the actor because he is awful. He is not only a victim, he attacks others also.With that said, he does have a soft side for the people that he loves. ~Sarah S.
ReplyDeleteCyrano is awsome and buff and whatnot. His nose is rather large but he stands up for himself and doesnt let anyone make fun of him. He can be a jerk at times though like to the townspeople, mostly the inicent ones. Monfleury (did i spell that right) on the other hand deserved it because he was trying to steal his woman, his love, his Roxane... Anyways this story is entertaining, it keeps me awake:). I like how Cyrano always seems to make an entrance and makes it known to every one that Big C's in the house. I believe that big C should just keep on doing what he's doing and use that big nose as a battering ram to push people he doesnt want to deal with aside.
ReplyDeleteyou guessed it $ALEC$
whos bringing gum on tues.?
ReplyDeleteyeah someone needs to bring gum(:
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that Cyrano is a very outspoken person. This can be good and bad. Its good because he doesn't let anyone make fun of him. If someone comments on his nose or what not he doesn't let them get away with it. On the other hand, he often yells at people for little to no reason. He is often a jerk to people. I can compare Cyrano to Abraham Lincoln because he was very outspoken (and not the best looking) -Fielding
ReplyDeleteCyrano hates when people bring up his nose but he seems fixated on it. In every act, so far, he has brought up the enormity of his nose once if not multiple times. In act one he jokingly makes fun of his nose. Then later in the act he gets really depressed because he believes no one could love someone with such a large nose. For someone who despises the merest mention of his nose, Cyrano seems to make it the topic of conversation quite often.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm on the subject of Cyrano nose: why did Christian deliberately interrupt Cyrano's story with nose references just after he had been told that Cyrano will kill anyone who teases him about his nose? Making fun of a quick tempered man who has just single handedly defeated 100 assassins seems about as logical as poking a sleeping grizzly just to see what happens.
-Anthony
I think that Cryano is a truly loving perdon. He agreed, although it was contrary to his feelings, to help his cousin. I think that it takes real love for someone to take insults like the nose refrences of Christian and to protect the person insulting you.
ReplyDeleteCryano agreed to protect christian even though christian was being a not-so-smart person. I believe that Vryano trulely loves his cousin.
P.S. @Anthony: Did you read my post number 16? It was over the same topic.
:uc The magnificant (Lucas D)
I mean Luc the magnificant
ReplyDeleteAbout the inner vs outer beauty thing. I believe that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. How you treat people, I believe, will impact them more than your looks. So far, I can't tell if Cyrano has a lot of inner beauty. He probably does, I just haven't seen very many examples.
ReplyDeleteAbout the different attitudes on love. I know people have different perspectives on love. Some people I know don't really put very much thought into who they love. The way they show their "love" isn't the best way to, either. I believe that people should love all those around them. There
s little enough love in this world as it is. I also believe that youe first love is your strongest. I basically take after Mother Teresa when it comes to loving others, or at least I try to.
~Sarah D.
In this play there is a strong theme of individualism. Cyrano is a very individual person. He rarely has anyone on his side. He is often ridiculed and has no one to protect him. But he protects himself. Through witty insults and threats, to threats with his sword, he doesn't let anyone ever give him so much as an awkward glance. He differs from everyone else and is the definition of an individual. -Fielding
ReplyDeleteCyrano is not my favorite character. I am not sure if I have a favorite character yet. So far, I do like Roxane. I like how Roxane is a very loving person. She reminds me of a little girl because she seems like a genuinly nice and caring person.~Sarah S.
ReplyDeleteI personally admire Cyrano. He shows that people are not who they always seem to be. He shows two sides to himself. He took on one hundred men to protect a friend, then a few hours later writes a letter to his love. He has great self-control for not wanting to absolutely rip Christian's face off. He shows that, everyone has inner feelings, even if they are one of the toughest people you know, and do not seem bothered much.
ReplyDelete~DAN CUNNINGHAM~
My very least favorite character is Count De Guiche. I hate him mostly because of his plan to try to get Roxane. He is trying to get his best friend, Viscont De Valvert, to marry her. The oly reason he wants him to do this is because he is already married but he wants Roxane. And he wants to be able to have an affair with her, which his friend would let him do. I think that this is horrible and this is why I hate Count De Guiche.
ReplyDelete~Nathan Reding~
I think that Christian and Cyrano's plan to become a "romantic hero" together could go wrong. I think both of their secrets of their love for Roxane will be revealed to the public soon. If Cyrano's secret is revealed, I think Cyrano will be able to defend himself and possibly fool everyone that he doesn't like Roxane. On the other hand, if Christian's secret is revealed, he will not be able to stand up for himself. Cyrano may possibly have to defend Christian.~Emily
ReplyDeleteEven though Roxane kind of shattered Cyrano's dreams, he still has a chance. He agreed to protect who she likes, a man by the name of Christian. Cyrano does not like this man because she likes Christian instead of him. I believe that if he keepps trying to get Roxane one day he will succeed if Christian is killed in war or something so be it Cyrano still gets his girl. I would never want Christian to die because of his flowing locks of hair, but if Big C wants it to be that way it will probably happen at the hand s of himself.
ReplyDelete$ALEC$
After reading act two my views of Cyrano have changed. He still seems like the kind of person who tries and create a false self, but he is also a kinder person. He seems loving when he finds someone he loves and that he can be helpful to those who love as well. I still don't understand why he is in love with his cousin. Is that acceptable in that time, or is cousin meaning something else?
ReplyDelete@Stephen- In this time period, it was acceptable to marry your cousin. Yes, it's a little creepy, but normal for people of that time period. I thought we had a discussion about that in class. Another reason was to keep money within families. Today, it is considering wrong to marry your cousin, but one must admit that's better than marrying your sister or brother.
ReplyDeleteSo far, my least favourite character would be Christian. I really disliked how he made fun of Cyrano, but I can't help but pity him, either. Being tongue-tied around girls (and boys) isn't an enjoyable thing. Still, I feel bad for Cyrano, too. He's saying things he can't around Roxane by using Christian, and vice versa. I wonder how things will turn out in the end. I really, truly hope that Cyrano will live a long life with Roxane. I feel that he's doing more work that Christian, as all he has to do is just sit there and look pretty while reciting some of Cyrano's work, though with his shyness, I just don't think that will work.
K so my first comment didn't post so here it is it's supposed to be way up at the top but I accidentally deleted it.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Cyrano was that he was one of those people who was just awesome at life. Every person has a different thought of someone being awesome at life, but my definition is someone famous like John McClain, Bruce Willis' character in the Die Hard movies. He is awesome at life because his quotes and his actions kick butt. That's how I think of Cyrano. Someone who kicks butt. So obviously my favorite character is Cyrano.
So far in the story, I've learned that Cyrano has inner beauty, but not outer beauty. On the inside he is brave and has to deal with judgements made on his outside. Even though Roxane likes Christian, Cyrano will still protect him,even though he has feelings for her himself. To me, this shows much courage. He has many good traits on the inside, and probably more to read about in the future. People won't see these traits if they judge him by his nose.
ReplyDelete~Kathleen Johnson~
My favorite character so far is Cyrano. I like him because he is a proud person who doesnt let other peoples judgments about his personality or his physical traits get to him. He is a strong person who also doesnt let his emotions get to him. I also like him because he isnt afraid to tell you what he really believes. Lastly, he has a heart, and it shows when he writes his love letter, but is also sort of timid.
ReplyDeleteI am just guessing here, but perhaps Cyrano will come to terms with his physical unattractiveness during the course of the play...? If so, his acknowledgment of himself would be the basis of a possible theme. This theme could be something that goes along the lines of: Only after acceptance of one's self can others accept someone. Also, this acceptance would be a true act of courage and would probably gain the approval of some of his fellow townspeople. It'd make him my favorite character even more (favorite-er? more favorite?)!
ReplyDeleteI was Googling celebrities with big noses in order to write a comment and came across a page for the Big Nose Appreciation Club. It was amazing.
Also, I believe that, after humbling himself a little, Cyrano can possibly win the heart of Roxane simply with his, as Kathleen put it, "inner beauty." Because really, what girl doesn't like a guy who can make her laugh?
-'drienne
To Kramer: I also got the notion Cyrano was just plain awesome at life. Something about him gave off the feeling of awesomeness. I'm jealous of him.
ReplyDeleteThat was from Adrienne.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the story, I liked Christian the best. I thought he was just a guy that was in love with a girl but he was too afraid to tell her. He seemed very shy and modest too. But he's changing and getting more confident, I think. And not necessarily in a good way. He makes fun of Cyrano's nose, which isn't very nice at all. I think that he might actually be a good guy on the inside, he just needs to show that to everyone.
ReplyDeleteAmy(:
Big Nose Appreciation Club?? nicee:)
ReplyDeleteHas anyone noticed that the dates on the posts are wrong? Mine seem to be off by about two hours.
ReplyDeleteLuc the Magnificent, I didn't read your post. I apologize for my redundancy.
-Anthony
yeah its like 3 hours off on mine...
ReplyDeleteI'd say Cyrano's probably my favorite. Everyone has flaws, yes, he's insecure about his nose, but in a way he embraces it. I feel bad for his situation with Roxanne. He got so hopeful and then gets crushed. He deserves better anyways if she's going to overlook him for a pretty face. I'm on team Cyrano, for sure. :)
ReplyDelete-Payton