The Anti-Social Plays of Cyrano de Bergerac and Night of the Iguana
Cyrano is clearly a better example of an anti-social play than Night of the Iguana: Not only is this shown by the main characters and their relationship to each other, but more important, it is shown in the themes of these two plays.
Shannon is unmistakably an ideal character for an anti-social play: While Cyrano may be alienated from society, it is, in many ways, through his own choice. For instance, he could have a position at court with his skill with poetry, but instead he chooses to follow his own conscience: "What would you have me do? ... like a creeping vine on a tall tree, crawl upward? ... No thank you!" Cyrano wants to make himself "in all things admirable," and he is: the bravest fighter, the exemplary poet, the quintessential lover, an individualistic moralist (he eats meat on Fridays, but expects to go to Heaven), the finest writer, and the greatest thinker. Shannon, in contrast, is none of these things. A defrocked minister, he is a lover only of teenage girls, and he is neither a poet nor a writer. Shannon is a thinker and a moralist, but these only contribute to his isolation from society: His thoughts on God and morality get him locked out of the church of which he is the pastor.
Cyrano is also in control over his relationships: Ragueneau and Le Bret always follow Cyrano's lead when he condescends to tell them what to do; even Roxane could have been his had he not been hindered by his sense of honor. Shannon, on the other hand, is buffeted this way and that by the stronger characters in Iguana. He seems to have control over his relationship with Maxine, but at the end he acquiesces to her wishes. The only rel...
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...ef that there is nothing to believe in anymore. The emergence of many philosophies (such as existentialism, atheistic satanism, objectivism, nihilism, and hedonism) which focus on despair or selfishness also reflects this. Anti-social plays, of which we have many in modern times, address the concepts of despair that these influential modern philosophies have in common.
What is the way out of the despair that our society feels and the anti-social plays reflect? In a word: humanism. Humanism is a (usually atheistic) philosophy which espouses the well-being of all of the world's people as the highest ethical goal. As a species, we have placed our belief in deities and we have placed our belief in knowledge. Only a belief in ourselves can now save us from the self-destructive downward spiral that the anti-social plays suggest our society has entered.
The plot in both the movie and the book are similar. In both, Cyrano is trying to help Roxanne and Christian fall in love with each other, even though he loves Roxanne. Cyrano writes letters to Roxanne telling her how much he loves her, pretending to be Christian. He loves Roxanne, but feels that he is ugly and could never get her to love him back because of his huge nose.
This is partially demonstrated through the internal conflict in Cyrano. In the first act, he, with his incomparable wit and combat expertise, appears to be undefeatable, until confessing his affection for his beautiful cousin to his closest companion in scene five. Cyrano then refuses to admit his admiration to Roxanne because he dreads the thought
As the play opens, there is much merrymaking and festivity in preparation for the play. The sheer happiness of all of the colorful characters is transferred to the reader almost instantly. The mood is portrayed very well as being light and bubbly, an overall good feeling. The next major shift comes when Cyrano enters and, after riding himself of Montfleury, puts on the spectacle wherein he demonstrates not only his impeccable verbal dexterity, but also his fencing abilities - and both at the same time. This whole scene causes a strong reaction from the audience, and in turn, the re...
The theme of this play is inner beauty and outer beauty. In the beginning of Cyrano de Bergerac, it seems like the theme focuses heavily on outer beauty. As you continue to read on, the play actually puts more emphasis in inner beauty. Symbolism is very important in this play. The letters written by Cyrano symbolizes Cyrano’s inner beauty because what you write comes from your soul which is shaped by your personality. Cyrano’s nose symbolizes his ugliness and his insecurity. Because Cyrano knows Roxane would never consider him because of his nose, he decides to help Christian since Cyrano believes he can help Christian win Roxane’s heart. “
Cyrano de Bergerac is a man of many talents but like most people he also has some flaws. Cyrano is known by many people for his large nose, his great
Cyrano De Bergerac is an inspiring play based on a tragic love. The characters are revealed within unique backgrounds, creating life and depth between our imaginations. There are a variety of important characters throughout the play besides Cyrano De Bergerac. The play consists of more important characters than Christian De Neuvillette, although he is the most admirable. Three admirable qualities that Christian possessed are courtesy, modesty and bravery.
Few words can be more humorous, or more upsetting, than a well thought out and witty phrase. The only skill that matches Cyrano’s skill with a sword, is his skill with his tongue. With a wit unmatched by any poet, Cyrano made enemies wherever he went, simply by out-smarting all who came against him. In the first act of the play, Cyrano crashes a performance of the well-known actor Montfluery. After many insults, Cyrano heaps upon them by saying, “I would never venture out in public with a soiled conscience, a tarnished honor, or scruples grimy and dull. I do not adorn myself with gems and ribbons, like you. Instead, I decorate myself with truth, independence, and a clean soul.”
Cyrano is a very intelligent, noble, skillful swordsman who is full of knowledge and creativity to allow him to write his writings. Cyrano shows loving character because he delivers a letter to Roxane every day, of his own feelings and helpful when helping Christian and his struggles with Roxane. Cyrano is also brave and ambitious because he is not afraid of any challenge that awaits him.
Continuing on from Cyrano’s carelessness for his happiness, we may easily make a jump to his sense of self-worth. Any man who would sacrifice his own love, thus, his entire world, for the sake of his rival cannot have a concern for himself.
Some of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters are insiders who become outsiders in both a figurative and a literal sense; these characters struggle to find their place in society. Edmund an unwanted illegitimate son and Iago a foreigner are exceptions and are accepted in their community, but they are driven by their desire for evil, as a result of their second-class status. Although they are well integrated and accepted by respected characters they become obsessed with their hatred and their desire for revenge, hate, and greed, lead them to create mayhem. Both Iago and Edmund would ultimately become outsiders as a result of their own actions.
and - as is evident at the end of the story - this is extremely
... the character Iago. Revenge is also a flaw that most people wish to inflict upon others and have to deal with at one time or another in their lives. It is also one that many people are able to connect to, as they have either been seeking payback or have been avenged. Due to these flaws, a strong connection between today’s society and the well-known character of Iago exists. These humanlike qualities in Iago give to him an appeal to modern-day society. The Othello characters Othello and Iago have many flaws that make them seem even more realistic. Shakespeare incorporated flaws into his characters, allowing for more truth to be seen in them and as a result, there is a wider public appeal. The modern world is still able to connect to Shakespearean literature; (omit) it can be deduced that characters with flaws have more of an influence on society than those without.
?London? is a poem of serious social satire directed against social institutions. According to Blake author Michael Phillips ?it is a poem whose moral realism is so severe that it is raised to the intensity of apocalyptic vision.? Blake becomes more specific in his descriptions of the prevalent evil and moral decay of society as the poem progresses. Blake?s informative nature is clearly evident in ?London? as he ?points the finger? and exposes powerful institutions.
The sonnet, “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802,” shows Wordsworth’s appreciating the beauty of London and demonstrating it as “emotion recollected in tranquility.” It’s characteristic of his love for solitude that it is set in the early morning when there is no bustle and noise.
moral decay of our society. If society is to work toward the esteemed goal of