Count de Guiche Character Analysis in Cyrano De Bergerac

The Count de Guiche is arguably the most confusing character in Cyrano de Bergerac. As the play begins, he’s clearly a villainous character: a corrupt, leering aristocrat who quarrels with Cyrano, the hero, and who wants to use his power to force Roxane to love him. During the Siege of Arras, we see that the Count is a coward—willing to boast of his high rank by wearing a white plume, but only when wearing it won’t endanger his life. And yet the Count seems capable of acts of decency and respect, as well. During the famine he bonds with his troops, the Gascon cadets, and seems to be shedding his pretentiousness and privilege. In the final act of the play, we learn that de Guiche has ascended to become a powerful duke. Puzzlingly, de Guiche may be responsible for one or both of the major tragedies in the play: the death of Christian and the death of Cyrano. It’s impossible to know for sure whether de Guiche has orchestrated these characters’ murder out of a desire for revenge, or if the deaths are strictly accidents. As with so many plays, it’s up to the director and the performers to offer their own interpretation of this ambiguous character.

Count de Guiche Quotes in Cyrano De Bergerac

The Cyrano De Bergerac quotes below are all either spoken by Count de Guiche or refer to Count de Guiche. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

CYRANO (in a dreamy voice):
What's o'clock?

DE GUICHE:
He's lost his mind, for sure!

CYRANO:
What hour? What country this? What month? What day?

DE GUICHE:
But. . .

CYRANO:
I am stupefied!

DE GUICHE:
Sir!

CYRANO:
Like a bomb
I fell from the moon!

Related Characters: Cyrano de Bergerac (speaker), Count de Guiche (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 162

Explanation and Analysis:

CYRANO (without lifting his eyes from his book):
And your white scarf?

DE GUICHE (surprised and gratified):
You know that detail?. . . Troth! It happened thus:
While caracoling to recall the troops
For the third charge, a band of fugitives
Bore me with them, close by the hostile ranks:
I was in peril—capture, sudden death!--
When I thought of the good expedient
To loosen and let fall the scarf which told
My military rank; thus I contrived
--Without attention waked--to leave the foes,
And suddenly returning, reinforced
With my own men, to scatter them! And now,
--What say you, Sir?

Related Characters: Cyrano de Bergerac (speaker), Count de Guiche

Related Symbols: The White Scarf

Page Number and Citation: 184-185

Explanation and Analysis:

Count de Guiche Character Timeline in Cyrano De Bergerac

The timeline below shows where the character Count de Guiche appears in Cyrano De Bergerac. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...nobleman goes to speak to Roxane. Ligniere—who’s quickly becoming very drunk—explains that the man is the Count de Guiche. Although the Count is clearly attracted to Roxane, he is already engaged to... (full context)

Social Hierarchy and the Romantic Ideal Theme Icon

As the play is about to begin in the Hotel, Count de Guiche goes to speak with the Marquises. De Guiche invites the Marquises to climb onto the... (full context)

The play begins, with the Marquises and the Count de Guiche sitting on the stage, watching. As the music plays, Le Bret whispers to... (full context)

...the most powerful man in France) was in the audience that night, not to mention de Guiche and Valvert. (full context)

The Count de Guiche enters the room. De Guiche says that he’s gotten word that Cyrano performed a feat... (full context)

De Guiche is shocked by Cyrano’s abruptly confrontational behavior. He asks Cyrano if he’s ever read Don... (full context)

...why he’s been picking fights with so many powerful people—first the Viscount Valvert, and now the Count de Guiche himself. Cyrano replies that he’s always delighted in displeasing people. Hatred is a... (full context)

...of which is lovelier than the last. As Cyrano and Roxane talk outside her house, the Count de Guiche appears. Roxane pushes Cyrano into her house before the Count can see him. (full context)

The Count de Guiche appears outside Roxane’s house. He explains that he is heading off into battle. Roxane wishes... (full context)

Roxane asks de Guiche if he’s ordering Cyrano and his troops into battle out of spite for Cyrano’s boasting... (full context)

De Guiche , now convinced that Roxane is on his side, tells Roxane that he’ll come to... (full context)

As de Guiche leaves, Roxane calls the Duenna and tells her to keep secret what she’s arranged with... (full context)

After de Guiche leaves, Cyrano emerges from the house, and Roxane, the Duenna, and Cyrano walk across the... (full context)

...what’s going on, and the Monk explains that he’s come to deliver a letter from the Count de Guiche to Roxane. Roxane snatches the letter from the Monk’s hand and opens it.... (full context)

...the letter, so that the Monk can hear her. Roxane claims the letter says that the Count de Guiche wants the Monk to marry Roxane to Christian on the spot. Roxane rushes... (full context)

The Count de Guiche enters the square, wearing a mask, and wonders aloud where the Monk could be. Cyrano... (full context)

Cyrano continues acting crazy, distracting de Guiche from the wedding taking place inside Roxane’s house. He rambles about space, pretending there’s a... (full context)

The Count de Guiche hears Roxane’s voice, and there are sounds of claps and cheers from inside the house.... (full context)

Outside Roxane’s house, the Count de Guiche stares amazedly at Cyrano, Roxane, and Christian. De Guiche gives credit where it’s... (full context)

Spitefully, the Count de Guiche tells Cyrano and Christian that he’ll now arrange for the two of them... (full context)

A cadet notices that Count de Guiche is about to arrive at the camp. The other cadets moan and groan—de Guiche is... (full context)

Count de Guiche arrives at the camp and greets Captain Carbon. De Guiche announces that he’s heard rumors... (full context)

De Guiche reluctantly accepts the white scarf from Cyrano. He then waves the scarf to a “useful... (full context)

...respect for whomever the King has sent. Roxane then emerges from the carriage, much to the Count de Guiche’s surprise. (full context)

...her beloved husband. The other cadets promise to protect both Roxane and Christian. Roxane accuses de Guiche of deliberately trying to make her a widow, but he denies this. Then the Count... (full context)

...explain as soon as she’s finished feeding the soldiers. Suddenly, Le Bret calls out that the Count de Guiche is about to return from his cannon inspection. Cyrano yells for the soldiers... (full context)

The Count de Guiche arrives back at the camp and sees his men, who are trying to disguise the... (full context)

...and explains that pikemen (soldiers bearing long spears) have arrived to reinforce the cadets’ defense. De Guiche leads Roxane to the pikemen. While Roxane is away, Cyrano tells Christian to be careful... (full context)

Christian and Roxane talk to each other while Cyrano, Carbon, and de Guiche busily shout orders. Christian asks Roxane why she’s come to see him, and Roxane replies,... (full context)

...to fight. Roxane says that Christian was a brilliant, beautiful, and wise man. Cyrano agrees. Count de Guiche calls out that French soldiers are bringing more provisions for the cadets. Roxane sees that... (full context)

Cyrano, still holding Roxane, calls for the Count de Guiche. He tells de Guiche to take care of Roxane, and passes her to... (full context)

As the nuns talk, Roxane appears, dressed in a widow’s veil. The Count de Guiche walks beside her. The nuns note that Roxane’s visitor, the Count, has been appointed the... (full context)

De Guiche and Roxane talk as they walk through the convent. Roxane tells de Guiche that she’s... (full context)

As Roxane and de Guiche talk, Le Bret arrives at the convent. Le Bret greets Roxane and tells her that... (full context)

De Guiche pulls aside Le Bret and tells him a secret: there are those who plot to... (full context)

The nuns then tell Roxane that Ragueneau has come to the convent. Roxane tells de Guiche and Le Bret that Cyrano has fallen on hard times—he’s worked a number of odd... (full context)