The play "Cyrano de Bergerac" is written by Edmond Rostand in 1897 and based on a real life individual of the same name. I remember reading this play in high school; it happened to be the same time as the Steve Martin movie "Roxanne" was released. The play covers a span of about 15 years. The first four acts take place in 1640, and the fifth act takes place in 1655.

The central character Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac is a nobleman serving in the French Army. He is a multitalented, accomplished man. Cyrano is a skilled duelist and has the soul of a poet. However, he is marred by a lack of self-confidence because of his large nose. He is in love with the beautiful Roxane, but he does not think she would like him because of his physical appearance. Instead, he writes poetry for her more attractive suitor, Christian de Neuvillette.

The overwhelming symbol in the play is Cyrano's nose, which represents a number of elements in the play. First of all, it is a symbol of the value society places on physical appearances. This creates an invisible wall for people who let their outward appearance stop them from pursuing the things they want. Cyrano lets his lack of confidence stop him from telling Roxane how he feels about her. Like Cyrano, many individuals also society, like the media in our day, dictate what is beautiful; therefore, they never reach their full potential.

The nose also represents the self-fulfilling prophesy of the person who lack the confidence. Because Cyrano doesn't think that Roxane will have him, he enters into the deceptive relationship with Christian, the standard of physical beauty. Cyrano writes love letters to Roxane in Christian's name. He successfully woos her, and the attractive pair eventually marries. Thus, he loses the love of his life because he can't approach her.

The letters themselves are also symbolic. They represent the inner beauty that people are supposed to look for in other people. This is illustrated when Roxane tells her husband, Christian, that she doesn't love him for his outward appearance but for what is inside of him, his soul. When he goes to war, Roxane tells him that she would love him even if he is ugly. This comment convinces Christian that he should tell her the truth. Cyrano, on the other hand, thinks it's a bad idea. Christian tells him that Roxane will have to love him for the man that he is. Unfortunately, he dies before the truth is revealed.

Though the play only has two readily noticeable symbols, the nose and the letter. Nevertheless, they are strong representations of how society doesn't always connect the outer person with the inner person.

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