Cyrano de Bergerac

At the Siege of Arras, Carbon De Castel-Jaloux and Le Bret keep watch and discuss the lack of food. Cyrano returns from sending a letter to Roxane, looks at Christian as he sleeps, and goes to write another letter. Cannon fire and drums can be heard, waking the Cadets. They complain about the lack of food, and Carbon asks Cyrano to cheer up the men. He offers clever remarks about the situation, offers to lend out his book—the Iliad—and discusses the Cardinal’s extravagant meals. Then, Cyrano asks Bertrandou to play his fife and describes music.

When the Provencal melody begins, Cyrano describes the forests and other parts of the landscape of Gascoyne. The Cadets become homesick and cry. Then, Cyrano encourages the drummer to play, which rouses the men. Guiche approaches, and the Cadets remark on how he dresses inappropriately for the circumstances, how he is the Cardinal’s nephew, and how he is a fake Gascon. Cyrano encourages them to look busy and happy playing card and dice games while he reads Descartes.

Guiche enters, greets Carbon, and notes that the Cadets don’t like him. Carbon says he will not punish the men at Guiche’s command because he only obeys military orders. Guiche describes his actions in battle, including discarding the scarf that indicated his rank to escape a battle. Cyrano condemns this action and asserts he would lead a more successful charge with Guiche’s scarf. Guiche claims the scarf is in a location on the battlefield that cannot be reached, and Cyrano pulls out the scarf from his pocket. Guiche takes it and waves it as a signal to a Spanish spy. Cyrano calls him a traitor. Then, Guiche reveals the Spanish will attack their small group, which will be sacrificed so others can attempt to reach supplies in Dourlens. After noting that this is an opportunity for Cyrano to fight a hundred men at once, he talks privately with Carbon.

Christian tells Cyrano he wants to write a final letter to Roxane before this battle. Cyrano offers one he has already written, and Christian notices there is a tear on it. Cyrano claims that the act of writing—empathizing with Christian not seeing Roxane before he died—made him weep. A coach arrives, and Roxane exits it, startling the men. She greets Christian and Cyrano, and describes how her smile allowed her to pass through the Spanish lines unharmed. When she was questioned, she told the Spanish soldiers that she was going to see a lover, and they let her continue. Guiche, Cyrano, Le Bret, and Christian tell her she should leave because the Spanish are about to attack. She refuses to leave, but Guiche leaves.

The men try to tidy up their appearances and Carbon introduces Roxane to the Cadets. Then he asks for her handkerchief, and she gives it to him. She offers the food in her coach to the men, and Ragueneau—her coachman—presents it with lines of poetry. As the food is passed out, Cyrano tries to speak to Christian privately but is unsuccessful. Le Bret warns them that Guiche is returning, and they hide the food. When Guiche questions them about their improved mood, they claim to be excited about the battle. Guiche offers a gun and declares that some Cadets are drunk. When Roxane tells Guiche she is not leaving, he says he will also stay, and they offer him some food. He refuses to eat their leftovers.

As Guiche takes Roxane to look at the pikemen, Cyrano tells Christian that he has written Roxane a letter every single day. When Roxane returns, she tells Christian she came to the front because of the love letters he sent. The letters convinced her that she loves Christian for his mind as well as his beauty. Christian becomes dismayed because Cyrano wrote the letters. When she says she would love Christian even if he were “ugly,” he sends her to talk to the other Cadets who are about to die. Then, Christian tells Cyrano that Roxane truly loves the person who wrote the letters—Cyrano. Christian wants to reveal the truth and be loved for who he truly is, but Cyrano wants to keep his authorship of the letters a secret.

As Christian walks out to the post, Cyrano asks Roxane if she would actually love Christian if he were “grotesque.” She agrees, and Cyrano is about to confess he wrote the letters. However, Le Bret enters and whispers to Cyrano that Christian has been hit in the first volley. Cyrano is now unwilling to reveal the truth to Roxane. Cadets carry in Christian’s mortally wounded body, and Roxane throws herself on it. As Carbon issues orders for the battle, and Roxane turns away for a moment, Cyrano lies to Christian, telling him that he revealed the truth to Roxane and she chose him. Christian dies, and Roxane finds the final letter on him. She asks Cyrano to confirm he was the poet she believed him to be, and Cyrano does. As the battle continues, Roxane faints, holding the letter that has blood and tears on it. Cyrano asks Guiche to carry Roxane away with Ragueneau.

Cyrano holds up the lance with Roxane’s handkerchief as a banner, plants it in the ground, and some Cadets gather around it. The Spanish banner also comes into sight as the soldiers overtake the Cadets’ position (and Roxane’s coach). Many Cadets die. Cyrano recites the verses about the Cadets of Gascoyne— “free fighters, free lovers, free spenders,” etc. (200) as he rushes into the battle.