Cyrano: Introductory Activities

1. Edmond Rostand: the dramatist

Answer briefly these questions based on Rostands’s obituary.

1 How would you describe the tone of the obituary? Give 2 pieces of evidence to support your answer.
2 What is the structure of the text? Present 3 or 4 main ideas.
3 Give some examples and descriptions of the obituary remembers or memorializes Rostand.
4 Does the author sufficiently honour Rostand? Why or why not?

2. Genre and Historical Context

Watch the presentation. Write FIVE interesting facts about the time period, key figures, key
words used, or the play’s genre.

Fact 1
Fact 2
Fact 3
Fact 4
Fact 5

3. Previewing the play

Watch the YouTube extract of the 1990 Depardieu movie. Answer briefly the following questions.
As you watch the piece, write down some 4 or 5 adjectives you would use to describe the scene.

What strikes you most about the clip?
Adjectives you wrote down. Why?
What examples of “chivalry” did you notice?
Make 2 or 3 predictions about the plot or storyline of the play.

4. Cyrano as Unique Hero

Read about Carl Jung’s concept of archetypes. He understood archetypes as ancient,
universal character types, patterns and symbols. Take notes about the Wikipedia article,
using the 2-column method.

Keywords / questions
What is your reaction to the article?
Do you find the concept of archetypes believable? Why or why not?
Comment on the archetype of the “hero.” What does the term mean to you?
Write 5-6 characteristics that a hero must have.

5. Inner Beauty vs. Outer Beauty

Write down some characteristics of inner beauty and outer beauty.

INNER BEAUTY	OUTER BEAUTY

6. Devotion, Deception, Honour

Cyrano de Bergerac presents the limits of devotion, the appropriateness of deception, and
the meaning of honour.  Write whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements
and justify your answers in one or two sentences.

Statement	Agree  -----------------------------	Disagree---------------------------
It is okay to deceive if someone benefits from it.
Lying is never a heroic act.
True devotion demands doing everything for the object of your devotion.
Most people are honourable.
Heroic characters are always honourable.
Describe someone or something you would stand up for