Edmond Rostand's Cyrano De Bergerac

In Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, the main character Cyrano is claimed by multiple literary critics to be depicted in a tragic situation or a comedic play. Many critics believe that the historical play is intended to serve comedic purposes because the story ends happily and successful for Cyrano, following the accepted definition of a comedy. Throughout the five act play, many feel that Cyrano is portrayed as unhappy by Rostand, in order to support their claim that the play is a tragedy; however, this argument is countered by the major shift that occurs between the third and fourth acts. In addition, the playwright Rostand hints at multiple arguments supporting the claim that Cyrano de Bergerac is in fact a comedy rather than a tragedy.

In a part much like the balcony scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Cyrano truthfully confesses his love for Roxanne, while pretending to be Christian, which is why some critics deem his efforts to be unsuccessful and proving the play to be tragedy. Although this may seem like a failure on Cyrano’s part, he is still able to successfully express how he feels and professes his love, countering the claim that the play is a tragedy and proving its comic elements. Later in Act III, while attempting to stall De Guiche from ruining Roxanne’s hasty wedding with Christian, Cyrano begins to speak about absurd things to distract the antagonist, introducing a lighter and more humorous feel to the scene. This is another scene debated by many critics, as a contrast of tragic and comic elements are used by Rostand, but the comedic aspects overpower the tragedy. While the love of his life is marrying another man, Cyrano is genuinely happy for their happiness and the success of his love letters in the formation of the pair’s relationship. Despite any unhappiness about their love, he takes a comic spin on protecting them from De Guiche and succeeds in the goal of keeping him out of the house for long enough so that the two could marry peacefully. At the end of the third act, while the cadets are depicted as going off to war, Roxanne asks Cyrano to make Christian write letters to her everyday, which he promises because he can succeed at doing so for the woman he loves, portraying the comic aspects of success in the