Inner Beauty In Cyrano De Bergerac

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Paris is the city of lights, romance, and love. Set during the Franco-Spanish War, Rostand’s comedic play defines love through the conflict between inner and outer beauty. Symbolizing inner beauty, Cyrano is pinned against Christian’s outer beauty. When Cyrano is finally able to overcome the barrier of outer appearance, he is able to take with him his pride and declare his love.
From the very beginning, Cyrano’s nose is associated with his most prominent fault; insecurity. Although he is constantly mocked for his nose, Cyrano displays wit, integrity, and intellect - throwing a bag of gold onto the stage to pay for stopping the play, denying himself a generous meal for a single grape because of his pride, and composing a poem midst sword fighting
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The sober atmosphere conjured with Fall imagery develops Cyrano’s death with him reaping all that he had sowed the past fifteen years. In an attempt to take Roxane’s “ideal man” to the grave, Cyrano reads aloud “Christian’s” last letter. Only when it gets too dark to see does Roxane finally realize Cyrano was the “soul” she loved all along. The ironic situation amplifies the tragedy of Cyrano De Bergerac - Christian dies with the guilt of lying, Roxane must go through the grief of her lover twice, and Cyrano attempts to die still pinned by his insecurity. Cyrano’s fight with his weaknesses symbolizes his acceptance of death. By bringing his philosophical enemies into a fight, Cyrano is able to face head on what he was so ultimately afraid of; rejection. Cyrano’s last lines exposes his contentment with the knowledge that he was able to overcome his cowardice and accept Roxane's love. Representing society, Roxane must go through grief again right after learning the “soul’s” true identity. Up until this point, Roxane was perfect; intelligent, beautiful, and brave. Yet, in this moment, society is conveyed as imperfect; there are times when one realizes inner beauty to late and suffers for their ignorance. Cyrano personifies his pride to proclaim that he had gained it back and will take it with him in death. Claiming his stainless plume, pride, and lifelong masquerade, Cyrano overcomes outward beauty while stressing the play’s value of inner

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