How we cite our quotes: (Act.Line)
Quote #1
FIRST CAVALIER
The play begins at two. Plenty of time—
And here’s the whole floor empty. Shall we try
Our exercise?
(They fence with the foils which they have brought.) (I.4-6)
Swordplay and dueling were common practices during 17th-century France. They were deemed a blatant show of courage from a man. So the fact that the two cavaliers bring their foils to a play and practice fighting beforehand shows their eagerness to develop a brave façade.
Quote #2
CHRISTIAN
Then she may be
One of those aesthetes… Intellectuals,
You call them—How can I talk to a woman
In that style? I have no wit. This fine manner
Of speaking and of writing nowadays—
Not for me! I am a soldier—and afraid. (I.77-82)
Speaking renders the courageous Christian afraid; he knows how highly speech is valued in society, and rightly fears becoming an object of ridicule if he does not meet the standards.
Quote #3
DE GUICHE
Shall we go
And sit upon the stage? Come Valvert.
CHRISTIAN (Starts at the name.)
Valvert!—
The Vicomte—Ah, that scoundrel! Quick—my glove—
I’ll throw it in his face— (I.182-185)
Christian shows his bravery by wanting to duel the Vicomte de Valvert for imposing himself on Roxane.
Quote #4
CYRANO
And I offer
One universal challenge to you all!
Approach, young heroes—I will take yours names.
Each in his turn—no crowding! One, two, three—
Come, get your numbers—who will head the list—
You sir? No—You? Ah, no. To the first man
Who falls I’ll build a monument!... Not one?
Will all who wish to die, please raise their hands? (I.254-261)
Cyrano’s courage and devotion to his integrity force him to challenge to a duel anyone who opposes his action against Montfleury.
Quote #5
THE MEDDLER
The Duc de Candale has a long arm.
CYRANO
Mine
Is longer,
(Drawing his sword)
by three feet of steel.
THE MEDDLER
Yes, yes,
But do you dream of daring—
CYRANO
I do dream
Of daring… (I.314-17)
Interestingly, Cyrano’s "dream of daring"—as we will learn later—has nothing to do with battle or swordplay; it is to tell Roxane of his love.
Quote #6
LE BRET
Speak to her
Speak, man!
CYRANO
Through my nose? She might laugh at me;
That is the one thing in this world I fear! (I.602-604)
Roxane’s potential mockery of Cyrano’s ugliness is the one thing in the world that renders him a coward. He fears it more than death itself.
Quote #7
CYRANO (beside himself)
I—I am going to be a storm—a flame—
I need to fight whole armies all alone;
I have ten hearts; I have a hundred arms; I feel
Too strong to war with mortals—
(He shouts at the top of his voice.)
BRING ME GIANTS! (I.622-625)
For Cyrano, courage is driven by love.
Quote #8
CYRANO (With a gesture presenting the Cadets to De Guiche, declaims:)
The Cadets of Gascoyne—the defenders
Of Carbon de Castel-Jaloux:
Free fighters, free lovers, free spenders—
The Cadets of Gascoyne—the defenders
Of old homes, old names, and old splendors—
A proud and a pestilent crew!
The Cadets of Gascoyne, the defenders
Of Carbon de Castel-Jaloux.
Hawk eyed, they stare down all contenders—
The wolf bares his fangs as they do—
Make way there, you fat money-lenders!
(Hawk eyed, they stare down all contenders)
Old boots that have been to the menders,
Old cloaks that are worn through and through—
Hawk eyed, they stare down all contenders!—
The wolf bares his fangs as they do!
Skull-breakers they are, and sword-benders;
Red blood is their favorite brew;
Hot haters and loyal befrienders,
Skull-breakers they are, and sword-benders.
Wherever a quarrel engenders,
They’re read and waiting for you!
Skull-breakers they are, and sword-benders;
Red blood is their favorite brew! (II.298-321)
Cyrano makes up an impromptu song celebrating the bravery of the Gascon Cadets. Many of the qualities that Cyrano lives by are present here in these lyrics. The song is made even bolder because Cyrano sings it to Comte de Guiche.
Quote #9
A CADET (Enters with a drawn sword, along the whole blade of which is Transfixed a collection of disreputable hats, their plumes draggled, their crowns cut and torn.)
Cyrano! See here—
Look what we found this morning in the street—
The plumes dropped in their flight by those fine birds
Who showed the white feather! (II.347-351)
Throughout the play, white plumes represent courage. So here, the fact that Comte de Guiche’s hundred men dropped their plumes while they retreated in fear from Cyrano shows their cowardice.
Quote #10
CYRANO
Watching you other people making friends
Everywhere—as a dog makes friends! I mark
The manner of these canine courtesies
And think: "My friends are of a cleaner breed;
Here comes—thank God—another enemy!"
LE BRET
But this is madness!
CYRANO
Method, let us say.
It is my pleasure to displease. I love
Hatred. Imagine how it feels to face
The volley of a thousand angry eyes—
The bile of envy and the froth of fear
Spattering little drops about me—You—
Good nature all around you, soft and warm—
You are like those Italians, in great cowls
Comfortable and loose—Your chin sinks down
In to the folds, you shoulders droop. But I—
The Spanish ruff I wear around my throat
Is like a ring of enemies; hard, proud,
Each point another pride, another thorn—
So that I hold myself erect perforce.
Wearing the hatred of the common herd
Haughtily, the harsh collar of Old Spain,
At once a fetter and—a halo! (II.438-459)
Cyrano despises most people for being so sycophantic. He wants only to state the truth, as bold and insulting as it might be. This kind of openness is a reflection of Cyrano’s brazen courage.
Quote #11
CYRANO
It grew dark,
You could not see your hand before your eyes.
I marched on, thinking how, all for the sake
Of one old souse
(They slowly sit down, watching him.)
who wrote a bawdy song
Whenever he took—
CHRISTIAN
A noseful—
(Everyone rises. CHRISTIAN balances himself on two legs of his chair.)
CYRANO (half-strangled)
—Took a notion.
Whenever he took a notion—For his sake,
I might antagonize some dangerous man,
One powerful enough to make me pay—
CHRISTIAN
Through the nose—
CYRANO (wipes the sweat from his forehead.)
—Pay the Piper. After all,
I thought, why am I putting in my—
CHRISTIAN
Nose—
CYRANO
—My oar… Why am I putting in my oar?
The quarrel’s none of mine. However—now
I am here, I may as well go through with it.
Come Gascon—do your duty!—Suddenly
A sword flashed in the dark. I caught it fair—
CHRISTIAN
On the nose—
CYRANO
On my blade. Before I knew it,
There I was—
CHRISTIAN
Rubbing noses—
CYRANO (pale and smiling)
Crossing swords
With half a score at once. I handed one—
CHRISTIAN
A nosegay— (II.494-512)
Christian tries to show bravery by insulting Cyrano’s nose, an act we’ve seen is a big no-no, to say the least.
Quote #12
CHRISTIAN
Sir?...
CYRANO
You have courage!
CHRISTIAN
Oh, that!...
CYRANO
You are brave—
That pleases me. (II.525-526)
The fact that Christian had the courage to purposefully insult Cyrano’s nose makes Cyrano like him, since he has the same honest tongue that Cyrano does. This is one of the foundations of their friendship.
Quote #13
CHRISTIAN
Oh, if I had words
To say what I have here!
CYRANO
If I could be
A handsome little Musketeer with eyes!
CHRISTIAN
Besides—you know Roxane—how sensitive—
One rough word, and the sweet illusion—gone!
CYRANO
I wish you might be my interpreter.
CHRISTIAN
I wish I had your wit—
CYRANO
Borrow it, then!
Your beautiful young manhood—lend me that,
And we two make one hero of romance! (II.553-560)
Christian’s cowardice with respect to his verbal abilities mirrors Cyrano’s doubts as to his own appearance. Both men are courageous, however.
Quote #14
CYRANO (calls)
Christian!
(CHRISTIAN enters.)
I have your theme—bring on your memory!—
Here is your chance now to surpass yourself,
No time to lose—Come! Look intelligent—
Come home and learn your lines.
CHRISTIAN
No.
CYRANO
What?
CHRISTIAN
I’ll wait
Here for Roxane.
CYRANO
What lunacy is this?
Come quickly!
CHRISTIAN
No, I say! I have had enough—
Taking my words, my letters, all from you—
Making our love a little comedy!
It was a game at first; but now—she cares…
Thanks to you. I am not afraid. I’ll speak
For myself now.
CYRANO
Undoubtedly!
CHRISTIAN
I will!
Why not? I am no such fool—you shall see!
Besides—my dear friend—you have taught me much.
I ought to know something… By God, I know
Enough to take a woman in my arms! (III.152-167)
Christian shows his mettle by wanting to speak for himself, though he knows his words are clumsy.
Quote #15
FIRST CADET (With a shrug)
Always the clever answer!
CYRANO
Always the answer—yes! Let me die so—
Under some rosy-golden sunset, saying
A good thing, for a good cause! By the sword,
The point of honor—by the hand of one
Worthy to be my foeman, let me fall—
Steel in my heart, and laughter on my lips! (IV.66-71)
Cyrano describes the way he wants to die: courageously and in battle with a worthy adversary. In some ways, he does indeed fulfill this desire—not by fighting with swords, but by fighting for love and honor.
Quote #16
ROXANE
No matter. I am just a little mad—
I will stay. It may be amusing.
CYRANO
What,
A heroine—our intellectual?
ROXANE
Monsieur de Bergerac, I am your cousin!
A CADET
We’ll fight now! Hurrah!
ROXANE (More and more excited)
I am safe with you—my friends! (IV.286-291)
Roxane shows her own brand of feminine bravery by deciding to stay on the battlefield with her love, Christian, even though the Spanish army, which far outnumbers the French, is advancing.
Quote #17
CHRISTIAN
Let her choose between us!—
Tell her everything!
[…]
CHRISTIAN
I want her love
For the poor fool I am—or not at all!
Oh, I am going through with this! I’ll know,
One way or the other. Now I shall walk down
To the end of the post. Go tell her. Let her choose
One of us. (IV.481-497)
Christian is brave enough to want Roxane to know the truth, even if it means losing her love forever.
Quote #18
A VOICE (Off stage)
Surrender!
THE CADETS
No!
RAGUENEAU
This place is dangerous!—
CYRANO (To De Guiche)
Take her away—I am going—
ROXANE (Kisses the letter; faintly.)
His blood… his tears…
RAGUENEAU (Leaps down from the coach and runs to her.)
She has fainted—
DE GUICHE (On the parapet; savagely, to the Cadets)
Hold them!
VOICE OFF STAGE
Lay down your arms!
VOICES
No! No!
CYRANO (To de Guiche)
Sir, you have proved yourself—Take care of her. (IV.541-544)
The Cadets refuse to back down against overwhelming odds. Ragueneau shows his courage by leaping down into the battlefield to rescue Roxane. De Guiche, worried about Roxane, growls at the men to hold the line of fire. Cyrano works up his nerve to entrust Roxane to de Guiche, his sworn enemy, so that he may be free to bravely avenge Christian’s death.
Quote #19
A SPANISH OFFICER (uncovers)
Who are these men who are so fond of death?
CYRANO (Erect amid the hail of bullets, declaims)
The Cadets of Gascoyne, the defenders
Of Carbon de Castel-Jaloux—
Free fighters, free lovers, free spenders—
(He rushes forward, followed by a few survivors.)
The Cadets of Gascoyne…
(The rest is lost in the din of battle.) (IV.554-558)
Roxane’s handkerchief becomes Cyrano’s flag and gives him courage—just as her encouragement did in Act I.
Quote #20
LE BRET
His [Cyrano’s] satires make a host of enemies—
He attacks the false nobles, the false saints,
The false heroes, the false artists—in short,
Everyone!
ROXANE
But they fear that sword of his—
No one dare touch him! (V.61-66)
Cyrano is still fearlessly voicing his harsh opinions. Though his satires make many enemies for him, he continues brazenly.