Previous
Act 3, Scene 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Cyrano De Bergerac, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Appearances and Identity
The Many Kinds of Love
Panache
Social Hierarchy and the Romantic Ideal
Loyalty and Honor
Summary
Analysis
Cyrano resumes speaking to Roxane, who’s standing at a high window. Imitating Christian once again, Cyrano tells Roxane that she must not be bashful when he asks her for a kiss. A kiss, he explains, is a promise—a confirmation of love. As he speaks, his voice becomes warmer and more confident. Then, suddenly, Roxane interjects that he, “Christian,” is very handsome. Cyrano keeps talking, but his voice grows cooler. Roxane, overcome with passion, tells Christian to climb up to her. Strangely, Christian is hesitant to climb, and Cyrano has to force him to do so. Christian climbs up to the high window, where he kisses Roxane. Meanwhile, on the ground, Cyrano talks to himself, and whispers that he feels like he’s kissing Roxane himself.
Cyrano has a smooth explanation for everything, even Christian’s rash (for the time) request for a kiss. Ingeniously, Cyrano frames his kiss with Roxane as a promise of something greater and nobler to come. This is a clever way to spin the kiss, since it suggests that “Christian” isn’t just in this for the physical rewards—he’s also committed to a long-lasting, spiritual relationship with Roxane. The frustrating aspect of Cyrano and Christian’s partnership is that even though Cyrano arguably plays the more important role in seducing Roxane, it’s Christian who gets all the pleasure of kissing her.
Themes
Suddenly sad and happy music fills the air—the Monk is back. Roxane and Christian look down from the window, and see—of course—Cyrano standing below. Christian, feigning surprise, greets Cyrano. Cyrano pretends to have been looking for Christian. Roxane climbs down to talk to Cyrano.
The threads of the storyline now cross in ways that provoke some amusing dramatic irony. For example, we know that Cyrano and Christian know each other very well, but Roxane and the Monk assume they are strangers meeting by chance.
Themes
