"Cyrano de Bergerac" is the name of the heroic comedy of the French playwright Edmond Rostand. It was written in 1897, has a poetic form and consists of five acts. The first performance took place on the stage of the Paris Theater "Port Saint-Martin", the main role in the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" was played by the legendary French actor Benoit-Constant Coquelin. To this day, the popularity of this brilliant comedy is still great, and the production is often resumed on many stages of the world.
The article is devoted to a summary of the "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand, the history of writing and some other issues.
About the prototype of the protagonist
Interestingly, this is a real person. The full name of this person is Hercule Savignen Cyrano de Bergerac. However, we know that the word "Cyrano" is not part of the name, it was entered into the surname by himself from the name of the family estate.
A native of Paris, born in 1619, the true Cyrano enlisted in the Royal Guard, participated in several battles. He was wounded, treated, retired and died 15 years later from the effects of an old wound. Hercule Savignen Cyrano de Bergerac - French poet, writer and playwright, as well as philosopher and guardsman. Thanks to the novel “The Other World,” written by him about the life on the moon, he is considered the forerunner of science fiction. He lived in the world for only 36 years.
Judging by the number of pamphlets and satirical works written by this man in which he ridiculed real people and criticized the existing view of the world, de Bergerac’s disposition was really difficult, non-living and freedom-loving. Which is confirmed by the memories of his friend Henri Lebre.
At the same time, it is quite obvious that Rostan had in mind precisely this historical person. According to the plot, the protagonist is a Parisian wit, a badass and a fearless duelist. In a humorous quarrel in one of the scenes of the play, he, introducing himself, says:
and I am de Bergerac,
Saviniy-Cyrano-Hercule!
And his friend in the play is very similar to the real name - Le Bre.
But it so happened that few people today know about the prototype of the famous hero. The literary "nosy" Cyrano completely overshadowed the real person, and when pronouncing this name in his memory, only a story pops up that was once told by Edmond Rostan.
Characters
The content of the play Cyrano de Bergerac is based on real historical events. This is France of the 17th century (at the beginning of the play there is even a special remark telling about the time: the first four acts are designated in 1640, the events of the fifth in 1655). A romantic and heroic story is dedicated to the brave warrior, the best fencer in France named Cyrano de Bergerac, who also had a poetic gift, a brilliant mind and ... an outstanding nose.
The list of characters in the play is quite long. Among them, in addition to the main character, the beloved poet Roxanne, the young baron Christian de Neuvelet, a dangerous and noble rival Count De Guiche, the owner of the patisserie and poet Ragno, the friend of the hero Le Bre, captain Carbon de Castell-Jalu, as well as the Gascon guards, marquises, gentlemen, footmen. In some scenes there is a crowd - townspeople and city dwellers, children, actors, nuns, street vendors, thieves and other people.
Below we consider a brief summary of the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" by action.
Action one
The place where events begin to unfold is the auditorium of the Burgundy hotel in front of the intended performance. Gradually, spectators begin to gather. Still-occupied footmen play cards, fool around in pages, exchange impressions of the marquise, and offer drinks to the barmaid. Finally comes to light the hall chandeliers, a lampman.
Ragno and Ligniere are waiting for the appearance of Cyrano de Bergerac, who is described as "an interesting minor", "a thug and a desperate brave man." Young Christian de Neuvelet, with bated breath, waits for his beloved Roxanne to appear in the box.
Ragno reports that Cyrano forbade Monfleury, who plays the main role in the next performance, to go on stage, but he, not going to obey, is about to appear.
The performance begins, and now it is the first event that cannot be omitted from the summary of Cyrano de Bergerac. The main character, as soon as the actor comes out, gives a voice from the orchestra and, threatening Monfleury with violence, disrupts the performance. The public, dissatisfied, diverges. Marquises led by de Guiche and Valver consider themselves offended.
Cyrano starts a duel with Velver right in the hall, simultaneously writing and reciting a ballad:
You, my friend, cannot defeat me:
Why did you accept my challenge?
So grab me from you,
The most beautiful of all marquises?
Hip? Or a wing piece?
What to hook on the tip of the plug?
So, it was decided: here, sideways
I will get to the end of the package.
You are retreating ... That's how it is!
Have you become whiter than the canvas?
A friend of mine! What an eccentric you are:
Are you so afraid of steel?
Where did the former heat go?
Yes, you are sadder than an empty bottle!
I repel your blow
And I'll get to the end of the package.
In wit and dexterity, he has no equal - and the end of this fight is a foregone conclusion. Velor is wounded, the friends of Cyrano Le Bre and Ragno, although they consider his act madness, shine with delight, and the audience applauds.
In a subsequent conversation with de Bergerac, Le Breu learns that he is in love with his cousin Roxanne, although he believes that he has no right to love because of his ugliness, which he considers a huge nose. At this time, a duet of Roxanne suddenly appears and reports that the girl is asking him for a date. Cyrano is shocked.
They bring a drunken Linier. Frightened, he asks to protect him from the killers, who, as he learned, lie in wait for him at the Nelskaya tower. Without hesitation, Cyrano goes with him and with the public, who wants to stare at the battle.
Action two
The events of this action occur in the early morning of the next day. Spectators see the hall of the Ragno pastry shop, where the main character dated Roxanne. Visitors talk about the battle of the Nelskaya Tower. There, an unknown daredevil rebuffed hundreds of attackers, but Cyrano was silent - he decided to write a letter to his beloved, afraid to enter into a conversation with her. But Roksana who came unexpectedly admits to him that he is in love with the young Baron de Nevilet. She asks the protagonist to patronize him in the passage of his service in the Gascon regiment, where Cyrano also serves. He reluctantly promises, and the girl leaves.
Next comes a lot of people who want to congratulate Cyrano on his victory yesterday. Coming into the confectionery Count De Guiche offers Cyrano to go to his service, but he refuses. Meanwhile, the count admits that it was he who hired the thugs to avenge Ligner, and after that he retires.
The main character tells the assembled guards about the details of the battle near the tower, and the young Christian who is right there is trying to pry Cyrano with references to his nose, which he does not tolerate. The hero barely restrains himself, but when he finds out who this impudent newcomer is, he hugs him, posing as a cousin of Roxanne, and reports that she is waiting for a letter from Christian. He is discouraged - he bitterly admits that he is not strong in the verbal expression of his thoughts. He is afraid to disappoint his chosen one. How to be?
Tie
And here it is - the beginning of the melodramatic line of the play, its plot.
Cyrano, who comes up with an idea that unexpectedly inspired him, offers Christian to “speak” for him both in letters and even on dates:
Yes! We will possess her deep soul;
You are the charm of beauty
I am the spell of high poetry ...
First, he hands a new friend a letter with a story about his love, which he wrote in a candy store before the meeting. Christian warmly thanks him.
Action Three
As follows from the summary of the play "Cyrano de Bergerac", at the beginning of this action we learn the essence of the conversation between Roxanne and Cyrano. From this conversation it can be understood that Christian won the girl’s heart not only with an exquisite syllable of letters, but also with speeches - that every word was told to him by the main character, Roxanne and does not suspect.
Christian tried to rebel and refuse to help the poet, but the girl didn’t want to listen to him “I love”. And at the prompted refined speeches of Cyrano, she allows the young man in love even to kiss himself.
And then young people find out that an opponent is about to appear - Count de Guiche, who wants to see a girl before leaving for war (Rostand does not change historical realities here: in 1640, the city of Arras, which had previously belonged to the Hapsburgs, was really besieged and occupied by Louis’s troops Xiii).
With the monk, the count sends the girl a letter. Roxanne reads it aloud, but changes its meaning: the letter allegedly contains an order to immediately marry her with Nevilet. The monk, obeying, along with a couple enters the house to perform the ceremony. Before leaving, Roxanne calls Cyrano and begs him to detain the Count and not allow him to enter the house.
While the marriage ceremony is being performed, the noble Cyrano, wearing a mask and changing his voice, depicts a madman who came to Earth from the Moon (here we find a reference to the fantastic novels of the real de Bergerac, who wrote about life on the Moon). While he fools the head of the count with stories about the ways in which you can get to the moon, the monk completes the ceremony. The count is furious after learning Cyrano and the news of the wedding. He orders the protagonist and Christian to go to the regiment, which will immediately appear on the front. We will end the summary of Cyrano de Bergerac in this section by mentioning that Roxanne conjures the main character to protect her husband and force him to write to her more often. Oh, something, and Cyrano is ready to promise her.
Fourth action
The events of this action take place on the field at the besieged Arras. Tired and hungry soldiers sleep by the fires. We learn that every night, at the risk of his life, Cyrano carries through all the enemy cordons letters to Roxane "from Christian."
Meanwhile, the regiment finds out that a decisive attack by the enemy will begin soon, and the Gascons will be indescribable. Suddenly, a carriage led by Ragno arrives right on the future battlefield, and in it is Roxanne. She is begged to leave, but she is determined to stay with her husband Christian, even on the eve of death. She confesses to him that at first she fell in love only for the beauty of her face, but later, under the influence of wonderful letters (which the tireless Cyrano sent her), her love changed:
Now oh my love
I am fascinated by invisible beauty!
I love you, breathing with passion,
But your soul alone is sweet to me!
Christian, realizing the enormity of the situation, exclaims:
I do not want such love! Oh my God!…
Your old love was dearer to me!
Now Roxanne, in her words, would have loved him even ugly, because she fell in love with the soul of the writer. Kristan is depressed. Taking advantage of the fact that the girl departed, he invites Cyrano to confess to her everything. Now he goes to the soldiers. But Cyrano does not have time to say about who was the author of the letters - the very first salvo of the enemy Christian was seriously injured. He dies, on the chest of Roxanne finds the last letter. Her grief is so great that Cyrano notices:
Yes, to die and now it would not hurt me:
She mourns me in him!
Cyrano pronounces the last words of this action, standing under a hail of bullets on Roxanne's carriage. She fainted, he tells de Guiche to take away from the battlefield. He gladly obeys.
Fifth action
The events of the last action occur fifteen years later, in 1655. On the stage are the scenery depicting the park of one of the monasteries in France. From the conversation of the nuns we learn that Roxanne, dressed in mourning, now settled in the monastery. Every week, her cousin Cyrano visits her. For the news that he tells her, she calls him "my newspaper." Everyone knows that de Bergerac lives very poorly, but he is still eloquent and speaks only the truth about what he sees and hears. What increases the number of their enemies.
The runaway Ragno informs Le Bre, who came to visit Roxanne, that a log had suddenly fallen on Cyrano walking along the street. Undoubtedly, Ragno believes, these were the machinations of spiteful critics. Cyrano provided first aid, but he is in poor condition. Both friends hastily leave.
Final scene
Our summary of Rostan's Cyrano de Bergerac comes to an end.
Roxanne, sitting at the embroidery in the monastery park, is waiting for her Saturday “newspaper”. Cyrano is late today. But then he appeared in a low-pulled hat, staggering. He speaks with great difficulty. He asks Roxanne for the last “Christian letter,” and she gives it. Cyrano reads it out loud and unexpectedly from memory. Roxanne is surprised at this. Finally, she guessed Cyrano’s role in her relationship with Christian.
Cyrano is dying. Nearby is a sobbing Roxanne and a true friend of Le Bre. Before his death, Cyrano shows nobility, saying:
... Christian was kind ... beautiful and smart!
I swear that he was worthy of your love.
Love him ... But just a little
Your mourning applies to me now.
Above, we examined the summary of Edmond Rostand’s play “Cyrano de Bergerac” on actions. But if you have free time, spend it on reading the work in full - you will not regret it.