Is it possible for two polar opposites to be amazingly simmilar? The play Cyrano de Bergereac written by Edmund Rostand can clearly answer this question. It is about two men (Cyrano and Christian) that fall in love with one woman (Roxane). Roxane requests to meet with Cyrano (who lacks in physical appearance) one morining and he becomes very excited thinking she has taken interest in him but it turns out that she loves Christian who she has not formally met yet and asks Cyrano to protect him. Cyrano and Christian meet and learns that Christian is not as smart as he is handsome so they devise a plan to make Roxane the perfect man. Later Christian and Roxane marry and Christian is killed on the battlefield and the plan was not yet revealed to Roxane so she spent the next fifteen years morning his death. Finally Cyrano is under handedly attacked and is dying he reads a farewell letter to Roxane when she realizes he has loved her for over fifteen years.
English: Edmond Rostand, Aged Twenty-nine, at the ...
Cyrano
Roxane FréchéChristian and Cyrano have low self-esteme and tend to be rather arogant; yet Christian is ignorant like a child while Cyrano is as wise as Confucious.
Christian does not think very higly of himself in the mental field; whereas Cyrano feels physically inadeuete. For example, Christian avoided talking to Roxane in the begining "because [he] [had] no wit" (Rostand 357). Christian is not very good with word usage and he acts as thought he should know nothing, because he is a soldier. The fact that he is a soldier should not mean that he is a man with out the ability to properly use elegant language. Also, Cyrano has his unsecurities about his nose "a rock, a peak, a cape" (Rostand 364). The way Cyrano comments on his physical appearance so loudly is an indicator of his insecureness. He tries to divert attention from his nose to other parts of his body thorough his dress buy making everything big and grand. Christian and Cyranos lack of self-esteme will become a burden because they can not see past their own weaknesses to see their talents.
Cyrano and Christian can become amazingly arrogant. For example, Cyrano posses this quality through "advis[ing] [everyone] to sit quietly in their seats.
Otherwise [his] cane [would] rumlple their ribbons" (Rostand 389). Cyrano declaired himself better than everyone through his comment and then enforcing it. He must be extremely sure of himself or just crazy to make such a profound comment to a large throng of people like that. In addition, Christian is "sure [he] can speak with out [Cyranos] guideance" to the enchanting Roxane (Rostand 389). Christian may be trying to save himself from drowning in a sea of lies, but he took the wrong way by prematurely removing the life jacket. Christian needs to lear that you can not rudely dismiss the person who has became a lieasion between his and Roxanes hearts.
Arrogance seems to be an unattractive quality that allows them to make enimies that can eventually lead to their demise.
Christian and Cyrano have differances despite their simmilarities Christian being ignorant and Cyrano being wise beyond his time. For example, Christian does not know that "together [they] will win [Roxanes] heart" Cyrano will be pouring out his in every letter he writes (Rostand 383). Chrisian must be blinded by love or a total fool to overlook Cyranos tender writings as a poet who is caught up in his work. Christian will soon meet his demise with Roxane if he continues to be a puppet in this shcrade. However,Cyrano can easily interpret others intentions and quickly make up a diversion like when "[he] fell from the moon" and stallye De Guishe for a quarter of an hour. Cyrano created seven theroies of getting to the moon quickly and with out breaking a sweat. He also creates beautiful poetry at the drop of the hat using the eloquent language to a full extent. For Christian this is a negative quality that is hard to ment but is possible, then Cyrano has a quality that everyman desires and helps him when he is in a tight spot.
Christian and Cyranos simmilarities of low self-esteme and their arrogance are generally bad for them, while Christian is also ignorant Cyrano is wise and therefore having a quality to be proud of but it is not totally realized. For example their low self-esteme is what started the whole plan to give Roxane the perfect man.
Their arrogance continued it along its way, because they could not admit that they were wrong. Christians ignorance did not help him realize that Cyranos wise mind was writing about his love for Roxane. Therefore, two polar opposites can be astonishingly simmiliar.
The balcony scene from Act 3 of Cyrano. Left to ri...
Roxane 20
Souvenir libretto printed for the world premiere o...