Cyrano de Bergerac

Was legendary lover's life fact or fiction?

“It is addressed to the bravest, the brainiest, the blondest, the most beautiful woman on earth! How could she think it was meant for anyone but her?” -- Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

Big nose. Big heart. Great with girls.

A large nose is the way to a woman's heart. Or is that a small nose? No, no. A poem is the best way to a woman's heart. Cyrano de Bergerac, in Edmond Rostand's play, knew this best.

Fiction often confused with fact

Born in Paris at the beginning of the 17th century, 1619, Cyrano de Bergerac was a French soldier, satirist, and dramatist, whose life has been the basis of many romantic but unproven legends. Although he had the title "de Bergerac," he had no claim to lands or revenue from them.

Despite his meager socio-economic status, he entered a world of plumed hats, velvet doublets and flails tucked under single-shouldered capes with poise and confidence.

After gaining fame in duels, he joined the French army at age 20.

His real fame as a legendary lover didn't come until 1905 when an author romanticized de Bergerac's poetic prowess.

Cyrano was wounded severely at the siege of Arras in 1640. During the siege, he was hit in the neck with a sword, and he never fully recovered from the wound. The following year he gave up his military career and started to study under the philosopher and mathematician Pierre Gassendi.

Influenced by Gassendi's theories and libertine philosophy, he wrote stories of imaginary journeys to the moon and sun, and satirized views, which saw humanity and the Earth as the center of creation.

While Cyrano rarely initiated a challenge, he never refused a fight, often acting as a second in two or three duels a day. In fact, he joked in a letter to a friend, "It would be false to say I am the first among men, for in the last month I swear I have been second to everybody."

Cyrano made many enemies during his lifetime, and whether the block of wood that landed on his head as he entered his patron's home was dropped on purpose or fell by accident will never be known. The blow caused a concussion, which led to his death, in 1655, 14 months later at the age of 36.

Through his published works and by those who were close to him, he was seen as a serious writer of philosophical romances and a passionate lover.

The play

He is portrayed in Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac, 250 years after his death, falling in love with his cousin Roxanne. However, rather than confront her with his love, he helps a more handsome military acquaintance, Christian, gain Roxanne's love.

Cyrano writes love letters signed by Christian, and Roxanne falls in love with him, only to have Christian die in battle. At the end of the play, Cyrano recites Roxanne's favorite poem on his death bed, where Roxanne finally realizes who she truly loved.

Although the play is based on certain facts about Cyrano's life, much of the play is fiction.

Cyrano was, in reality, sensitive about the size of his nose, getting roused into many duels because of taunts by others. Although his nose was not of the gargantuan proportions that are portrayed in the play, contemporary engravings illustrate a large nose, in comparison to his small mouth.

Although he often wrote love poems, which were popular during his time, he never dedicated them to anyone in particular. His cousin's name was Madeleine, who did marry someone named Christian - Christian, Baron de Neuvillette. However, he was never in love with her, and he never wrote a poem for her, either directly or indirectly.

His romantic touch

In the play Cyrano is characterized as confident and flamboyant among women. Friends close to him describe him as shy and reserved around the opposite sex.

It just goes to show that the size of the nose does not a man make.

25 nose jokes

Roxanne

Steve Martin starred in a contemporary, comedic version of the Cyrano de Bergerac play, called Roxanne. He's a fire chief, C.D. Bales, who just happens to have an enormous nose. He hires a new firefighter, Chris, who is handsome and knows his hoses, but Chris is useless when it comes to women. Roxanne is an astronomer who has just arrived in town. She catches the eye of Chris, and he asks C.D. to help him woo her. Little does Chris know that C.D. is mad about Roxanne, but hasn't found the right way to tell her - yet.

Here's a compilation of nose jokes Steve Martin made of himself in Roxanne:

1. Obvious: "Excuse me, is that your nose, or did a bus park on your face?"
2. Meteorological: "Everybody take cover, she's going to blow!"
3. Fashionable: "You know, you could de-emphasize your nose if you wore something larger, like Wyoming."
4. Personal: "Well, here we are, just the three of us."
5. Punctual: "All right Dellman, your nose was on time, but you were 15 minutes late."
6. Envious: "Ooh, I wish I were you, to be able to smell your own ear."
7. Naughty: "Pardon me sir, some of the ladies have asked if you wouldn't mind putting that thing away."
8. Philosophical: "You know, it's not the size of a nose that's important, it's what's in it what matters."
9. Humorous: "Laugh and the world laughs with you; sneeze and it's good-bye Seattle."
10. Commercial: "Hi, I'm Earl Scheib, and I can paint that nose for thirty-nine ninety-five."
11. Polite: "Ah, would you mind not bobbing your head? The, ah, orchestra keeps changing tempo."
12. Melodic (Everybody): "He's got the whole world in his nose."
13. Sympathetic: "Ooh, what happened, did your parents lose a bet with God?"
14. Complimentary: "You must love the little birdies to give them this to perch on."
15. Scientific: "Say, does that thing there influence the tides?"
16. Obscure: "Hoo, I'd hate to see the grindstone."
17. Enquiry: "When you stop and smell the flowers, are they afraid?"
18. French: "Sir, ze pigs have refused to find any more truffles until you leave."
19. Pornographic: "Finally, a man can satisfy two women at once."
20. Religious: "The Lord giveth, and he just kept on giving, didn't he?"
21. Disgusting: "Say, who mows your nose hair?"
22. Paranoid: "Keep that guy away from my cocaine."
23. Romantic: "It must be wonderful to wake up in the morning and smell the coffee...in Brazil."
24. Appreciative: "Ooh how original, most people have their teeth capped."