Act 5

1. Act 5 Marrion, Ethan, Kiara, Jessica, Carmyn

2. Essay QUESTION How does Roxanne feel now that she is aware that Cyrano wrote the love letters, not Christian? Why?

3. ANSWER • Roxane realizes that because it is Cyrano’s poetry and not Christian’s, she is in love with Cyrano. She is upset because Cyrano is about to die and she feels bad for not knowing that it was him all along.

4. SUMMARY • It is now 15 years later, in 1655. • Cyrano visits the Convent of The Ladies in Paris every week to visit Roxane. • De Guiche and Roxane are talking. • De Guiche asks Roxane if she is still in love with Christian • De Guiche asks Roxane if she has forgiven him and she has. • She always keeps Christian’s love letter near her heart. • Le Bret comes in and tells them that Cyrano is ill. • de Guichetells Le Bret that some nobles are planning to kill Cyrano. • Ragueneau comes to tell Le Bret that some people dropped a log on Cyrano’s head and broke his skull. • Cyrano is about to die.

5. Summary cont. • Cyrano visits Roxane. • He’s pale and sickly and says he has to leave before nightfall. • Cyrano asks Roxane if he can read Christian’s letter. • He reads it aloud, and Roxane realizes that his voice is familiar. • Roxane realizes it’s been Cyrano all along. • Cyrano starts to hallucinate. • He pulls out a sword and starts to fight the air. • He falls to his knees and dies in Roxane’s arms.

6. Emerging Themes/MOTIFS/SYMBOLS Courage: Cyrano wanted to die on the sword of a hero, like a courageous man would, but instead dies of a falling log. Dueling: Cyrano wanted to die on the sword of a hero.In the end, he dies fighting not against a mortal hero but against “falsehood, prejudice, vanity, cowardice, and compromise.” Values/Principles: It was more honorable to die due to duel, and Cyrano wanted to die at the end of a sword. Appearance/Beauty: Roxane realizes that over the last 15 years, she has actually only loved Christian for his handsomeness, because his words were Cyrano’s. Eventually, she decides she loves Cyrano (despite his lack of beauty). Language: Roxane realizes she loves Cyrano because he is good with words. Deception: Roxane finds out that all the letters have been Cyrano’s, not Christian’s.

7. Character Development • Cyrano: Cyrano continues to be a man with emerging values and principles: he admits to Roxane, after 15 years, that he wrote the letters, not Christian. Cyrano dies because lackeys dropped a log on him, but he feels better knowing that Roxane knows how he feels. • Roxane: Roxane realizes she loves Cyrano because of his way with words, and she only loved Christian for his good looks. • De Guiche: De Guichechnges his ways near the end of the play because Cyrano is so kind and heroic while de Guiche was originally heartless and selfish. • Christian: Christian is no longer perfect in Roxane’s eyes because he only has outer beauty, not inner.

8. PASSAGE ANALYSIS “My ancient enemies – Falsehood!...There! There! Prejudice – Compromise – Cowardice – (Thrusting) What’s that? No! Surrender? No! Never – never!...! Ah, you too, Vanity! I knew you would overthrow me in the end – No! I fight on! I fight on! I fight on!” Cyrano is in hysterics, attempting to die the way he wanted to – a heroic, courageous battle. He is sword fighting with problems he was never fully able to overcome during his life. He says that he knew vanity would overthrow him in the end, because he originally thought Roxane would pick Christian over him because Christian has good looks. But, by Roxane figuring out who actually wrote the letters, Cyrano “fights on”. All of the problems he is dueling are problems he faced throughout his life; Such as fears, people plagiarizing his writing, people judging him before they know him by his nose and ugliness.

9. In the play, Cyrano was killed by a lackey dropping a log on his head. He died while battling the enemies inside of him and dueling the air. In the additional text, it says that Cyrano de Bergerac (famous playwright and duelist) was injured by a sword cut to the throat. Connections

10. Imagination: Cyrano battles his problems and is looking into the “eyes of death” or the grim reaper. Nature: Lackeys dropped a log on him. Symbolism and Myth: Cyrano’s white plume, unstained and pure, represents his honor, integrity, and courage. Emotion, Lyric Poetry, & the Self: Roxane’s emotions changed completely when she found out the letters/poetry was from Cyrano, not Christian. She is upset with herself because she has devoted the last 15 years of her life to the wrong man. The Romantic Hero: Cyrano wanted to die from a battle. Romanticism