The Play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

Looks can be a very determining factor, and sometimes people's appearances can affect what she or he can or can not do in society and what they do to fit into it. The play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, is a good example of how this idea is put into play. The main character, Cyrano de Bergerac, is portrayed as a hideous person, because of the size of his nose. As someone who does not fit with in society, yet he changes his morals, attitude, and personality to make up for his grotesque appearance. As the play progresses from act to act we the readers realize that Cyrano is this magnificent character. We begin to understand how his ugliness has shaped his life, how the deformity on his face has forced him to learn new skills and to become a better person.

At the beginning of the play, Cyrano is introduced as a brave person, a force to be reckoned with. This can be seen in Act one, Scene four, when Cyrano decides to cancel the play because he had ordered Montfleury off the stage. However when the crowd begins to get angry, Cyrano says "An I issue a collective challenge! Come, I'll write down your names. Skip forward young heroes! You'll all have a turn, I'll give each of you a number. Now who wants to be at the top of the list? You, sir? No? You? No? I'll dispatch the first duelist with all the honors that are his due. All of you who want to die, hold up your hands. Does modesty forbid you to look at my naked sword?" Yet, no one step up to him, at least not at that given moment. They were afraid that Cyrano was going to live up to his word and kill anyone that dared step up. By issuing this challenge Cyrano showed what made him such a magnificent character . He showed his morals, what he believed was right, and how he was ...

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...y, or grandeur- no more nose, in short.....", by saying this instead of getting mad Cyrano showed the true purity of his attitude. He showed that he was proud of the way he look, even though his big nose made him an outcast, it also symbolize his superiority to others. Not only that, but he also acknowledges the fact that all his talents come from his horrible appearance , that that's what pushed him to become a better person, to have a better attitude.

As the play goes from beginning to end, the reader sees the effects that Cyrano's nose has had on everything from his attitude, to his personality, and morals.The reader begins to make the connection between Cyrano's grotesque appearance and what an amazing character he is. They begin to understand that his ugliness was what pushed him to achieve such a high level of social status. It was what made him great.