Cyrano de Bergerac

In Cyrano de Bergerac, written by Edmond Rostand, the reader can see yet another 'lover's triangle', similar to the triangle Ibsen created in his own Hedda Gabler.  I had an interesting conversation with a non-major last night who vehemently defended Cyrano's actions of dishonesty through the use of Christian's good looks.  He told me that Cyrano's love for Roxane made him do strange things, just as any man would do strange things when in love. He went on to say that when you add fear of rejection into the mix, Cyrano's actions are a good representation of what most men would do in his position.  My friend was seeing this through the eyes of a man who did not have the courage or the status to tell the woman he loves his feelings for her by himself.  From the point of view of a woman, I think this is a bunch of bologna!  Many would like to blame Roxane for being the antagonist in this play, however, I would like to stand up for her.  How can a woman be blamed for falling in love with the idea of a man (a man that Christian's good looks, and Cyrano's words created.)  Roxane is in love with the idea of a man that these two have underhandedly created!  I feel no remorse for Cyrano.  His death and revelation to Roxane in the end of the play slightly angered me.  Here is the big reveal that we are all waiting for throughout this debacle they have created, and now Roxane must live with her own remorse for never having loved either of the two!  This love triangle that seems so pertinent in modern theatre really is getting old for me.  As a woman, I want a man who will own his 'deformities' or 'flaws' and tell me truly how he feels.  I realize that this is not how it works during the time period, but honestly, the death and tragedy of this play could have been seriously avoided had honesty been the virtue they were all in pursuit of.  As for this play in five acts, I was greatly saddened and angered by the guise that all of them men in this play feel the need to put on.  The end was not a katharsis for me, but a kind of aggitation that even though Cyrano declares his pursuit in life is to do all things admirably, that he in fact did not have the courage (which to me is admirable) to save us all the trouble of this five acts of woe and just be HONEST with the woman he loves...which is also considered an admirable quality in any time, period, or society.  That is all. *sigh*

~Ashley Osbourn