Wednesday, March 16, 2011

How were Cyrano's values or moral standards in life revealed by Cyrano's reasons for his disliking of Montfleury?

In Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac,
Cyrano is not a character who hides what he believes or how he feels except in one area
of his life--Roxane, of course. Aside from his love for her, Cyrano is fairly
straightforward about what he sees as right and wrong, good and bad. The incident with
Montfleury is a great example of that. Cyrano gives two reasons for his
disgust.


Montfleury is a bad actor and an insult to good
theatre. He is unpleasantly corpulent and overacts when he is on stage. This is the
first reason which he cites for all to hear. The second reason he does not share until
he is alone with his friend Le Bret after Montfleury has run off and the theatre has
been cleared. Cyrano says he is displeased with Montfleury
because



while
he stammers through his little piece,


[he] makes sheep’s
eyes with his frog’s eyes, if you please!


I hate him since
he allowed himself one night


to raise his eyes to her
...



Though Le Bret does not
know and Cyrano does not say, the woman Montfleury dared to be flirtatious with is
Roxane. This offensive act is part of what gets Montfleury booted from the
stage.


Cyrano is willing to spend his last coin, which he
literally does, to defend two things he loves and values: the arts (theatre) and
Roxane.

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