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Argumentative Essay on Cyrano De Bergerac: A Tragic Hero Undone by Insecurities

Cyrano de Bergerac is a timeless masterpiece of French literature that has captured

readers’ hearts for over a century. The play takes place in seventeenth-century France and

revolves around the life of the protagonist, Cyrano, a talented swordsman, poet, and musician.

Despite his many talents and accomplishments, Cyrano is plagued by his physical appearance,

precisely his large nose, which he believes renders him unattractive and unworthy of love. This

insecurity prevents him from expressing his love to Roxane, the woman he has adored from afar

for years. Instead, he chooses to help Christian, his rival, to win Roxane's heart by ghostwriting

love letters for him. This act of selflessness and devotion ultimately leads to Cyrano's downfall

and tragic end. Through Cyrano's story, Rostand explores themes of love, honor, self-sacrifice,

and the price of insecurity. In this essay, I will argue that Cyrano is a tragic hero whose

insecurities and inability to express his love for Roxane ultimately lead to his tragic fate.

Cyrano's distinguishing traits as a tragic hero are his tragic defect and self-consciousness

about his looks (Levine 77). He chooses to assist Christian in wooing Roxane by sending her

love letters due to his inability to communicate his feelings for her (Rostand 47). The tragic

events that occur later in the play due to Cyrano's unrequited love for Roxane and his allegiance

to Christianity are put in motion by this choice.

Likewise, Cyrano's other qualities, including knowledge, humor, and bravery, highlight

his terrible weakness. These qualities give him depth and make him an intriguing character, but
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they also spell his doom. For instance, Cyrano's courage and sense of honor keep him from

confessing his feelings for Roxane even when he has the chance since he does not want to breach

Christian's trust (Gounelle). However, his wit and intellect occasionally cause him to make fun

of his nose, which only accentuates his insecurities.

The piece also heavily emphasizes the need for self-acceptance because Cyrano's failure

to embrace his physical appearance ultimately brought him to his demise. Cyrano receives

constant criticism for his nose throughout the play, which he internalizes to the point that it

becomes his tragic fault (Rostand 31). Another instance of this topic may be seen in the scene

where Cyrano engages in a battle with a guy who taunts him about his nose. Cyrano humorously

uses his anxieties to fuel his comments (Rostand 66).

Cyrano de Bergerac's tragic flaw is his insecurity about his physical appearance, which

prevents him from expressing his love for Roxane (Levine 80). However, despite this flaw,

Cyrano exhibits numerous virtues that make him a sympathetic and admirable character. One of

these virtues is his unwavering loyalty to Christian, his friend and love rival. Despite Cyrano's

feelings for Roxane, he helps Christian woo her by ghostwriting love letters, even though this

causes him immense emotional pain (Rostand 69). Cyrano's loyalty to Christianity showcases his

capacity for selflessness and devotion, often associated with heroic figures.

Furthermore, Cyrano's literary skill and capacity to write exquisite love letters for Roxane

reveal his amorous and creative side. Cyrano is an accomplished musician and swordsman, and

creative poet. It is a credit to his sensibility and ingenuity that he could use poetry to

communicate his love for Roxane (Gounelle). Aside from demonstrating his deep comprehension

of love and his capacity to express complicated feelings in words, Cyrano's poetry is also a

testament to his literary genius.

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In conclusion, Cyrano de Bergerac is a tragic hero whose inability to communicate his

love for Roxane due to his physical insecurities finally brings him to ruin. Cyrano is a

complicated and engrossing character due to his fatal fault and other strengths like brilliance,

humor, and bravery. The drama also heavily emphasizes the need for self-acceptance because

Cyrano's failure to embrace his appearance ultimately brought him to his demise. Ultimately,

Cyrano de Bergerac is a timeless work of literature that delves into challenging subjects like

love, honor, and self-acceptance. It still holds the attention of readers today.
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Works Cited

Gounelle, David. "Cyrano de Bergerac, a Romantic Hero for All Time." The Conversation, The

Conversation France, 11 May 2018, theconversation.com/cyrano-de-bergerac-a-romantic-

hero-for-all-time-95537.

Levine, Robert S. "The Tragic Flaw: Is It a Tragic Error?" Modern Language Studies, vol. 7, no.

1, 1977, pp. 77–84.

Rostand, Edmond. Cyrano de Bergerac. Translated by Lowell Bair, Signet Classics, 1990.