Morality's Decisions: Cyrano de Bergerac's Version of Honor Danielle Elizabeth Mather 10th Grade

“The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life.” - Albert Einstein

Distinguishing between right and wrong is a skill people learn over the span of their lifetime. Individuals who choose positively rewarded options allow themselves to live with a clear conscience. Those who choose to do negatively thought out options create a guilty conscience. In the play Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmund Rostand, readers follow the story of a man who is deeply in love with a woman, however, the woman loves another man. As a result, the man agrees to help the other man “woo” the woman; these events, though somewhat slanted against Cyrano, portray the man as a heroic character. Through Cyrano’s decision to assist Christian, Rostand discusses moral principles and reveals adhering to values make one an honorable person.

Acknowledging one’s own beliefs creates a stronger self-drive to one’s moral values. Cyrano makes his first appearance in the theatre, where a citizen challenges his presence and claims Monfleury has a powerful patron and Cyrano does not. Cyrano declares he has no need for a...