Mike's Cyrano post #2 - "To make myself in all things admirable"

Cyrano tells is best friend that his plan is "to make myself in all things admirable." Does he succeed?

The answer to this is... well, yes and no.

In the way that he lives his life, yes. He fights for what he believes in. He is an inspiration to those around him. Even De Guiche, who was always resentful of Cyrano, admits by the end that he "should be proud to shake [Cyrano's] hand." De Guiche says correctly that Cyrano "lives his life, his own life, his own way - thought word and deed free!" This is really at the heart of Cyrano's character: he is pround, independent, and always does what he himself believes to be right. His honesty and integrity make him some enemies, which is eventually the cause of his death, but at the end of his life he still has his panache, and the respect of many.

However, in one essential case, I don't believe that he makes himself admirable. The way he deals with his and Christian's love for Roxane may have been very well-intentioned, but it was in a sense based on falsehood, fear and shame, ideals for which Cyrano certainly did not want to stand. In order to make Roxane happy, he makes Christian into someone he is not, and he props up their relationship even though in reality it shows no signs of being real or functional. If Cyrano really loved Roxane, he would have told her so, and he would have acted with the integrity and honour on which he based everything else in his life. We forgive Cyrano because he really meant for the best, and because we feel sorry for him, but if Cyrano had only refused to feel shame for his appearance, we wouldn't need to feel that way.

In the end, Cyrano finally tells Roxane the truth. A noble gesture, certainly, but it comes very much too little and too late. He does everything to make Roxane happy, but in the end she has to mourn twice for the loss of her love. Breaking Roxane's heart for a second time is by no definition admirable.

In his life, Cyrano succeeds in making himself admirable in all things except that which is most important to him.