Cyrano de Bergerac Theme of Appearances

Cyrano de Bergerac tells the classic story of two men vying for one woman’s love: one of them is ugly but witty, the other attractive and not the sharpest tool in the shed. The play reminds us that we all place a huge importance on looks, and that individuals shape how they see themselves by the way others see them. In this way, appearances come to shape personality and determine action.

1. We’d all love to berate Roxane for judging books by their covers, but doesn’t Cyrano really do the same thing?
2. What is Cyrano’s attitude towards his own appearance? Is the attitude he shows to the public different from what he feels personally?
3. Is Roxane only loved for her beauty, or does she have some other positive attributes?

Because he deceived Roxane, it is Cyrano’s fault that he never gets to be with his love.

Because she judges based on appearances, it is Roxane’s fault that Cyrano’s love for her is never fulfilled.