Cyrano de Bergerac and Immature Love
Uploaded by surfchick on Feb 20, 2005
Cyrano de Bergerac and Immature Love
There is a lot of immature love in Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac.
Immature love is a feeling that you love someone without truly knowing who he or she is and what they are like, you just love them based on looks and/or social status.
When Christian sees Roxane he falls head-over-heels for her. Roxane, at first, pursued Christian based on his looks alone. Roxane was looking for an intelligent man and she found one, but what she didn't know was that she credited the wrong man for the letters she received. Deep inside Christian feels that he is doing the wrong thing, yet his immature love for Roxane over-powers it.
Christian first has feelings for Roxane after seeing her in the theater. Very quickly after laying his eyes on Roxane, Christian wanted to know about her. He asked Ligniere:
Christian: (look up and sees Roxane) There! Quick-up there-In the box! Look!-
Ligniere: Herself?
Christian: Quickly-Her name?
Ligniere: Madeleine Robin, called Roxane...refined...intellectual...
Christian: Ah!-
Ligniere: Unmarried...
Christian: Oh!-
(Act 1, pgs. 13 and 14)
It is obvious that Christian wants to get to know Roxane. Christian is willing to do any thing to impress her, even lie to her and he himself. Cyrano, having known Roxane for all his life, wants to marry Roxane, but he realizes she is in love with Christian. Although Cyrano is deeply in love with Roxane, he would rather be a friend with her than not speak to her at all.
Christian never truly knows about Cyrano's love for Roxane. Cyrano makes many hints of his love for Roxane, but due to Christian's immature knowledge for Cyranos vocabulary, he fails to notice the hints.
At the end of act 2, Christian tries to prove his nobleness by talking about Cyranos nose. Christian, knowing that Cyrano takes comments about his nose offensive and extremely serious continues to challenge Cyrano. Cyrano gets extremely angry, yet he refuses to hurt Christian because of his promise to Roxane to protect Christian.
Cyrano: ...I will defend your little honor.
(Act 2, pg.65)
Cyrano calls for everyone to leave he and Christian alone:
Cyrano: (bellowing) Tonnerre! Out of here!-All of you!
First Cadet: At last-The old lion wakes!
Cyrano: All of you! Leave me here alone with that man!
(Act 2, pg.82)
When Cyrano is alone with Christian he tells Christian why...