Rostand lets the audience know the play is set in 1640 Costumes and certain characters Musketeers formed in the 1600s and disbanded in 1646 La Clorise dates from the time period Musketeers first Lackey Guardsman have in common ID: 300635
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Slide1
Act I: Scene 1-3Slide2
Rostand lets the audience know the play is set in 1640…
Costumes and certain characters
Musketeers (formed in the 1600s and disbanded in 1646)
La
Clorise
- dates from the time periodSlide3
Musketeers, first Lackey, Guardsman have in common…
Lackey is gambling
Guardsman chasing flower girl
Musketeers do not see the play
All characters engaging in some what immoral or illegal
activites
This time period will be
excitring
May contain immoral actsSlide4
Scene II
Christian
Christian is handsome but wears out of date clothes from Touraine where he came from.
Marquis and other nobles judge a man based on his outward appearancesSlide5
Ligniere
Chrisitian
wants him to stay and tell him who the beautiful woman he loves is.
Ligniere
writes songs about people in town (for a living)
He stays because he is offered more wineSlide6
Ragueneau
Owner of a bakery
A poet
He attends the play
becaue
Montfleury
is in it and he suspects Cyrano will show up and put on a good show getting rid of
Montfleury
. Slide7
Cyrano characteristics
Poet
A soldier
Philosopher
Musician
True swashbuckler
Fight anyone who laughs or looks to long at his noseSlide8
Roxane
Beautiful
Intelligent
Refined
Single
Rich
Cyrano’s
cousinSlide9
Scene III
Thief’s warning
The thief tells of
Ligniere
and the plot De
Guiche
has to kill him in exchange for freedom (because he tried to steal)Slide10
Is Christian honorable?
Honorable because he is outraged that
Valvert
would marry
Roxanne
and allow her to be a mistress to De
Guiche
.
Also he leaves to defend
Ligniere
who is about to be attacked.Slide11
Cardinal’s presence alter the mood
Audience is laughing and playing practical jokes before Cyrano arrives.
After, they become silent: “We’ll have to behave ourselves now”Slide12
Act I Scene Iv
What are some conflicts that arise after Cyrano appears?
Cyrano despises and threatens
Montfleury
, but the audience, especially the nobles, encourages
Montfleury
to continue. Cyrano challenges anyone who wishes to fight him to come up on stage.Slide13
iv
Identify the literary technique:
“I’ll cut off his ear and slit him up like a roasted pig!”
simile
“I shall mount the stage now and carve up this fine, fat Italian sausage!”
metaphor
If you keep on you’re liable to rouse my sword right out of its scabbard!”
personificationSlide14
iv
Explain why the crowd is amused when Cyrano says, “I will clap my hands three times, you full moon! On the third clap, I want to see you eclipse yourself!”
Cyrano is comparing
Montfleury
to a full moon because he is fat. He is telling him to leave the stage, or
disappear
(“eclipse himself”) implying that he is fat enough to obscure himself with his own size. The audience is amused with
Cyrano’s
quick wit. Slide15
iv
Why does Cyrano hate
Montfleury
?
Terrible actor
And a secret reasonSlide16
iv
Cyrano’s
removal of
Montfleury
and cancellation of the play is outrageous, even dangerous. Cyrano give
Jodelet
a purse of money in
order
to refund the audience. State a theme for this play
based
on this grand gesture.
Principles are more important that anything else, including money. Slide17
iv
The audience first learns about Cyrano from his friends. Then they hear his voice. Finally, Cyrano appears on stage. Why do you suppose Rostand structures the play so that the audience is fully prepared for
Cyrano’s
entrance?
The audience may consider a large nosed man appearing on stage to be a comedic character or buffoon and immediately begin to laugh at him. Rostand wants the audience to understand the man before they judge him on his absurd appearance. Slide18
iv
Why does Cyrano list for
Valvert
the various ways that a man might insult his huge nose? What is
Valvert’s
reaction to this speech?
Cyrano implies that
Valvert
is too stupid to devise a good insult; he demonstrates his superior intellect by cleverly listing many ways to insult his nose. Cyrano manages to insult
Valvert
by calling him an ass and then challenges
Valvert
to insult the nose again. Cyrano warns
Valvert
that no one but himself may make fun of his nose.
Valvert
only thinks to criticize
Cyrano’s
attire…Slide19
8. What adornments or decorations does Cyrano consider to be of more importance than the gloves, ribbons or lace?
Cyrano proudly adorns himself with “truth”, “independence,” “A clean soul,” “brave exploits” and “spirit”Slide20
9. Why do you suppose Cyrano decides to compose a ballad while he is dueling with
Valvert
? What does Cyrano plan to do just as he finishes reciting the refrain?
Cyrano wants to make
Valvert
appear ridiculous to the onlookers. He lets
Valvert
know that dueling with nobleman is so easy that Cyrano can duel and compose a ballad at the same time.
Cyrano tells
Valvert
that he will “strike” with his sword at the end of the refrain. Slide21
10. What evidence is there that the audience’s opinion of Cyrano changes after he duels with
Valvert
?
The audience cheers for Cyrano and several men congratulate him. A Woman shouts out that Cyrano is a hero , and they hoot after
Montfleury
. Before the duel, the audience had been angry with Cyrano for spoiling the play. Slide22
How does Cyrano explain to Le Bret his reasons for making so many enemies?
Cyrano: “I took the simplest path, by far! I decided to be admirable in everything!”Slide23
What is
Cyrano’s
secret reason for banishing
Montfleury
from the stage?
Cyrano is in love with
Roxanne.
Montfleury
dared to make advances to
Roxanne,
so Cyrano refuses to let
Montfluery
perform.
What simile does Cyrano use?
“It was like seeing a slug crawl across a flower’s petal”Slide24
How does Le Bret argue that women may find Cyrano attractive despite his large nose?
Le Bret says that Cyrano has “great courage and wit.” He points out the serving girl that was moved by Cyrano and offered him free food.Slide25
What is the one thing in life that
Cyrano
fears?
Cyrano fears
Roxanne
laughing at his noseSlide26
Act I Scene vi
What does
Cyrano’s
reaction to the Duenna reveal about his thoughts?
Cyrano staggers, he leans against his friend when he learns that
Roxanne
wishes to meet him. His behavior reveals his shock and excitement!Slide27
Scene vii
What new aspect of Cyrano’s personality is revealed after Cyrano learns that
Roxanne
wants to see him?
Cyrano is nervous and excited, which differs from his earlier cool, controlled behavior. Slide28
Scene vii
Cyrano states that he is willing to fight a hundred men to save
Ligniere
because
Ligniere
once drank holy water a
a
romantic gesture for a young lady. What OTHER reason might Cyrano have for fighting 100 men?
He thinks that 100 men were sent to kill
Ligniere
BECAUSE he is a friend of Cyrano. Cyrano is ecstatic at the prospect of meeting
Roxane
that he feels strong enough to defeat them all!Slide29
Scene vii
“Willing suspension of disbelief” is a term for the willingness of the audience to accept the behavior and motivations of the characters for the duration of the play. At the end of Act I, Cyrano bravely goes off to fight one hundred men. Do you believe that
Cyrano’s
actions are believable or unbelievable? Cite incidents from the story to support your answer.
Cyrano manages to subdue all the members of an angry audience; and he effortlessly duels with
Valvert
while composing a ballad.
Cyrano’s
abilities are well established, so there is little reason to doubt that he can fight one hundred men. Most likely, he will only duel with a few before the rest flee in fear of his bravery and expert swordsmanship.