Cyrano de Bergerac Lesson Plan

What is the purpose of the extended food-and-poetry gag?

This is a larger question than it appears to be. On its surface, the play seems to stop dead until Cyrano re-enters, and the pun is never used for any significant story or character purposes. Its significance is tonal; the whole point is entertainment, delight in wordplay - which is precisely what Cyrano has made his name with.

A major theme of Cyrano is storytelling: poetry and theater are discussed continuously, and Cyrano is a highly theatrical figure. This passage points to and accentuates the heightened tone of the play, reminding us that what we're watching is, in many ways, an exercise in style.

Discuss Lise,...