Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand Literary Analysis Essay

The play Cyrano de Bergerac by playwright Edmond Rostand is about a man named Cyrano de Bergerac, it follows him through heartbreak, death, and action. Cyrano de Bergerac’s life was a failure because of the great number of enemies he made, putting his friend over himself, and almost living his entire life without telling the woman that he loved how he felt. 

Cyrano de Bergerac’s life was a failure because of the great number of enemies he made. While Le Bret, De Guiche, and Roxanne are talking they mention how Cyrano is doing. “Loneliness, misery-I told him so!-/ His satires make a host of enemies-”(177). He has spent 15 years alone and making enemies. He made enemies instead of trying to help himself. Many people say that the best way to live is to surround yourself with the people that you love and cherish and he did neither. He sat alone in his home making enemies of people he could have been making friends with. At the end of the play, Cyrano dies from being hit in the head with a log by one of his enemies. His is by being killed by one of his enemies. He ended his own life by making enemies not friends. By mocking people he should be nice to. He spent all of his life trying to make a fool out of everyone when he is making a fool out of himself. 

Cyrano de Bergerac’s life was a failure because he helped his best friend over himself. Cyrano was in love with Roxanne. He had loved her for a long time and when his time finally came to tell her how he felt, he helped his friend instead. “Have him write/ And tell me all about it- will you?”(66). He responds by saying he will. He continuously helped his friend get the girl he wanted. He even ended up writing letters for his friend. Cyrano did believe friendship was more important than love but at what cost? He could have the women he loved and be happy but he helped his friend instead. He continuously hurt his chances just so that someone could be happy. During the battle, Roxanne came to see Cyrano and Christian. During the battle, Christian is killed. “Was he not a great lover, a great man,/ A hero?”(170). He agrees with her statement. Even though Christian was dead Cyrano continued to help him. He kept Christian’s memory alive fifteen years after this event too. He could be happy but he kept sacrificing himself for others. Now that Christian was gone he could have the woman that he wanted but he didn’t take her. He missed every opportunity that he had to be with the woman that he wanted, but he never stepped up to the plate. He never took his shot. 

Cyrano de Bergerac’s life was a failure because he went almost all of his life without telling the woman that he loved his true feelings. After Christian’s death, he spent fifteen years alone. He visited Roxanne at that time too. He would see her and continue to pretend that he didn’t love her. He spent so much time-wasting his life. He wasted time that he could have been happy with Roxanne. They could have been together and made great memories instead of both being alone. On his death bed, he couldn’t let himself be happy. When he was laying there about to do with Roxanne he still chose his sad life. “That is not the story!”(192). Even while he is dead he continues to deny himself the happiness that he deserves. He won’t accept the fact that he could die peacefully. He lets himself feel the loss of his life but also the loss of never being in love with the woman that he loved.

Cyrano de Bergerac’s life was a failure because of the great number of enemies he made, putting his friend over himself, and almost living his entire life without telling the woman that he loved how he felt. A lot of people live their lives trying to make others happy. Cyrano destroyed his whole life because of the choices that he made. He ended him before it even started. Some people let others step all over them and that is how their life becomes nothing. Cyrano’s life at the end was worst than it was in the beginning. He lost everything and gained nothing. That is why his life was a failure.