Cyrano de Bergerac – Edmond Rostand
Summer Reading - June 2008

 

 

The play was actually written in the late 1800's, but seems as though it should be much older since it is set in the 1600's when the real Cyrano actually lived. Rostand came from a well-to-do family and was encouraged to write from an early age.  He began writing plays for marionette (puppet) theater! He studied literature, philosophy, and history before pursuing a law degree in Paris. He never practiced law because writing was his first love.

 

Cyrano de Bergerac is a famous French play. Remember you will be reading a translation. With translations -- not all are created equal -- there are good versions and bad versions. This year I strongly suggested that you purchase the Untermeyer translation. (Here is that link again if you need it!) This will really help you with the quiz later on so we are all working with the same vocabulary.  

 

The time setting for Cyrano will be foreign to you. If you have watched movies featuring the famous French musketeers, you may understand the time period a bit better than most. It was the time of "Courtly Love."  I strongly suggest you visit the site: "The Art of Courtly Love" at Fordham University to better understand the rules of love and courtship in those days. Also a visit to Webmuseum, Paris: Baroque might help you understand the historical setting in greater depth. As you read the play, key themes to watch for include the meaning of love and sacrifice, what constitutes true beauty, friendship and egotism, and the dangers of deception.

 

Your summer readings are designed to help you begin looking at literature in greater depth. These are not to be "quick reads" simply for content. Mark up your text (if it is your own) or take plenty of insightful notes.  Also be aware of the assignment listed below . . .

 

READING GUIDELINE & ASSIGNMENT

 

To make the most of your reading of this work, please be aware of the following:

 

1. You should take notes or highlight key sections. On the first full week of school, you will be required to take a short fact quiz on Cyrano de Bergerac.  

 

2. You are responsible to hand-write a character list as you read. List each speaking character in the order you meet them.  Be sure to spell the characters' names accurately -- you will be handing this sheet in on one of the first days of class in August.

 

3. Leave extra space for the characters: Cyrano, Christian, and Roxane. For each of these characters, you are required to hand-copy three quotes from the text of Cyrano that illustrate their struggle to truly understand the meaning of beauty and love. After each of  the three quotes, you are to write a brief explanation in your words of why you chose these quotes and what these quotes show about the characters.

 

GENERAL READING EXPECTATIONS

 

1.  Know the main characters by name.

 

2.  Be able to summarize the play's setting(s), plot & key events.

 

3.  Be able to comment intelligently on the themes (from the intro above) that you found in the work.

 

4.   Christian analysis: what --if any-- Biblical truths or values did you find expressed in this piece?