Cyrano de Bergerac Literary Devices and Global Issues PDF

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Summary

Identify the main principles and issues presented in "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand and connect them to issues in real life. Also identify literary devices in the book, their literary meaning, and their importance to the text....

Description

ACT 1 Literary Devices: 

Allusion to Thalia- Thalia is a patron of comedy and the Great Mother of Cybelle (a God related to music and dance). Montfleury uses this to tell Cyrano that he is indeed a good actor and by saying otherwise, would be insulting the Great Mother and the gift she gave him. (spoken by Montfleury; pg.25)

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Allusion to Samson- In the Christian bible Samson, a “Hebrew Shimshon, legendary Israelite warrior and judge, or divinely inspired leader, renowned for the prodigious strength that he derived from his uncut hair. He is portrayed in the biblical Book of Judges”; uses the jawbone of a donkey to slay his foes. In the play, a citizen opposing Cyrano compares him to the “brute” Samson, Cyrano kindly accepts this comparison and asks for the citizens’ jawbone, comparing him to the donkey (spoken by Citizen and Cyrano; pg.26). Used to add comic relief or dark humor; emphasizes Cyrano’s witty characteristic.

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Metaphor- Cyrano compares Montfleury to the moon and its phases and threatens Montfleury to “eclipse” before he claps three times or MF will face his sword; smart aleck way of telling MF to leave the premises (pg.27)

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Foreshadowing- we see a sense of foreshadowing when we are told about the 100 men sent by the comte De Guiche to murder Ligniere for writing a satiric work about his corruption and deception.

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Juxtaposition- paradoxical parallel of Cyrano’s characteristics of arrogance, boldness, strength and courage; with vulnerability, self-doubt, and low self-esteem. This builds

Cyrano's character, introducing him as a complex Gascon (pg.48). Could also be foreshadowing using suspense by revealing Cyrano’s feelings slowly and steadily

Global Issue: Insecurity The kind of childhood you had, past traumas, recent experiences of failure or rejection, loneliness, social anxiety, negative beliefs about yourself, perfectionism; are all symptoms of insecurity. In Cyrano’s case it was the fear of rejection. Cyrano’s complexity is shown through the fact that his nose is what drives his fear, but he also uses it as a drive for independence. His love for his friends drives his loyalty, but when it comes to his love for Roxane its hidden. Insecurity is a critical issue that dominoes other critical issues; like depression, eating disorders, drug abuse, and substance disorders. Insecurities develop when someone compares themselves to others and feel less than- Cyrano comparing his outer beauty to Christian’s. They occur when someone experiences a consequence for being different from others in a perceived negative wayothers commenting on Cyrano’s nose.

ACT 2 Literary Devices: 

Allusion to Orpheus and the Bacchantes- Orpheus distraught by the death of his wife resorts to trying to revive her in the Underworld. Whilst doing so, he scorns many women (taking grief to heart), however, a cult of women –Bacchantes- rip him apart because of this. Rageuneau relates this to Lise tearing apart his poems to use as paper bags (pg.60).

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Epithets- “The gold locked Phoebus” (sun God). Poems that Ragueneau had written were “butchered to make base packages [paper bags] of pastry” by his wife. The epithet is one

of the lines of said poem used to prominently describe Phoebus. The dialogue between Rageuneau and his wife before and after the epithet shows the relationship between them and implies how Rageuneau aspires to be a real poet one day (pg.61). 

Metaphor- "And if my nature lacks the germ that grows Towering to heaven like the mountain pine, ... I stand, not high it may be--but alone!"

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Verbal Irony- Explaining to LeBret why he rejected DeGuiche's offer of help, Cyrano says, "It is my pleasure to displease. I love Hatred." Once again establishes Cyrano’s will to be independent and free.

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Pun- Referring to the change that seems to have come over Cyrano after being alone with Christian: "Here's our devil...Christianized!"

Global Issue: Inner vs. Outer Beauty At the end of Act II, Cyrano and Christian talk about winning Roxane’s love. Cyrano is the first of the two to realize that they can combine their “powers”—Cyrano’s wit and poetry, Christian’s good looks and charm—in an effort to woo her. Both Christian and Cyrano represent stereotypes. Christian is unpoetic yet has stunning beauty, while Cyrano perfectly fills the role of the intelligent but unattractive intellectual. In our modern society, external beauty is more favorable since everything becomes more convenient, than when you only have internal beauty. People will always see your external beauty the moment they see you and not your intelligent mind. Cyrano feels that he is too unsightly for Roxanne to ever love him back, yet it is mind and heart that create his swooning poetry that Roxanne ends up falling in love with.

ACT 3 Literary Devices:

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Imagery: *stage directions* The purpose of stage directions is to give the readers and audience a visual since of where they (the characters) are.

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Verbal Irony- When Christian makes a fool of himself trying to speak to Roxane without Cyrano's help, Cyrano tells him he was "A great success!" I believe Rostand uses this literary device to add humor and show how much Christian needs Cyrano’s help if he wants Roxanne’s heart.

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Personification- Speaking of the door knocker tied up with a cloth napkin: "They muzzled you because you bark too loud." Adds character to the play.

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Dramatic Irony- Cyrano, pretending to be Christian, tells Roxane: "You have never heard till now My own heart speaking!" Emphasizes the sense of deception throughout the play.

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Metaphor: "If you let fall upon me one hard word, out of that height--you crush me!" Uses the height difference of Roxane and Cyrano/Christian due to the balcony as a way to once again prove Cyrano’s wittiness.

Global Issue: Using Someone Else’s Identity to Achieve Your Goals (Deception) Deception includes the range of means whereby people may be misled. The most evident of these is lying. But it also includes withholding information which the person might find of immediate significance, as well as misleading the person into some alternative belief, or reinforcing such a belief. Many of the characters in the play lie or are deceitful in order to achieve their desires. Christian, worried that Roxane will not love him because he is not as intelligent, allows Cyrano to write letters and woo Roxane for him. Cyrano is also engaging in deceitful behavior to make Roxane fall in love with someone she does not truly know. In today’s society people feel the need to be the best and will do things listed above to get to the top. Even as an IB student, no we do not lie and deceive each other, but even then, there is a sense of

competition. The stress on individualism and competition generates intense pressures to cut corners and produces motives which may impel many to participate in forms of deception they might otherwise resist.

ACT 4 Literary Devices: 

Imagery: *stage directions* The purpose of stage directions is to give the readers and audience a visual since of where they (the characters) are.

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Allusion to Penelope and Helen: As a way to proclaim her love for Christian strong, she alludes to Penelope –who waited for her husband for 20 years- and Helen- who left her husband for another man “mad in love”.

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Simile: “...Small, demure tunes Whose every note is like a little sister...” (pg.157) Demure means reserved, modest, and shy (usually referring to a woman); Cyrano uses this simile in the midst of imagery and personification to set the mood of homesickness rather than starvation.

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Climax: “Your true self has prevailed over your outer appearance!” Rostand raises the tension and foils Cyrano and Christian’s plan of deceiving Roxanne-forever. Once Roxanne says this, Christian realizes that it’s Cyrano’s words that she is in love with, not him.

Global Issue: Violence Almost everything wrong with this world stems from violence. Each year, over 1.6 million people worldwide lose their lives to violence. Violence is among the leading causes of death for

people aged 15–44 years old worldwide. For every person who dies as a result of violence, many more are injured and suffer from a range of physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health problems. Moreover, violence places a massive burden on national economies, costing countries billions of US dollars each year in health care, law enforcement and lost productivity. In the play, Cyrano, and the other men, use their swords to solve all their problems. In the very first act, a man dies and another is threatened. In act 4, Christian dies due to violence, along with countless others whose names we do not know. Violence leads to hardships for those who fall victim to it or those related to the victims. For example, Roxane.

ACT 5 Literary Devices: 

Personification- Roxane asks Cyrano why he was late. He responds that he was delayed by "an old friend of mine"--meaning Death. Another literary device used to show that Cyrano is about to die. I think Rostand includes this scene and the fact that Cyrano is trying to hide it as long as he can from Roxane, is illustrate how deep and true his love runs for her. He was literally on his death bed but still went to see her for the last time.

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Epiphany- Speaking to Cyrano, Roxane exclaims, "I understand everything now: The letters--/ That was you!" Serves as kind of a second climax. Roxane finally realizes the deception of Christian and Cyrano

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Pathetic Fallacy: “...a beauty in September’s close! My sorrows eased. April's joy dazzled it, But Autumn wins it with her dying calm.” Roxane is deciding which month/ season is her favorite; this pathetic fallacy serves as foreshadowing because Autumn’s “dying calm” gives the readers a hint to Cyrano’s upcoming demise.

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Symbolism- “Ay, see how brave they fall, in their last journey...” Rostand uses symbolism of the leaves to stand for death, Cyrano’s death.

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Monologue: “Why I well believe...I bear away despite you.” This monologue illuminates all the hidden, and not so hidden, feelings and emotions of Cyrano. Shows us how complex of a character Cyrano really is. He knew his battle for Roxane’s love was a “lost cause”, but he still fought it. He recognizes that he uses his sword to make up for his insecurities and when it really comes down to the battle (even though he knew he would lose) he so eagerly hopes to win, the sword is useless.

Global Issue: Grief Losing a partner to death ranks highly on a psychological scale of severely stressful life events. Population-based studies in the US show that unexpected death of a loved one is the most frequently reported potentially traumatic experiences making mental health consequences of unexpected death an important public health concern. Loss of a close relationship through death, especially one that is unexpected, is a stressful life event for both children and adults. Most conjugally bereaved persons suffer real clinical depression, with one or more symptoms, in the first year. While depressed, people stop looking after themselves, stop eating properly, spend their days sitting down and taking no exercise, all of which take their own toll on health. I believe Rostand rushes the plot 15 years because he did not want to show the process of Roxanne and Cyrano’s mourning. However, little things like the fact that Roxanne still talks about Christian and still wears her widows’ veil all suggest that Rostand wishes to show how Roxanne still misses and mourns her husband- minus the mental and physical disorders that come with it....