Cyrano de Bergerac Lesson Plan

Why does Cyrano criticize his own poetry in front of Roxane?

There's a clue in the stage direction "with an author's distaste for his own work"; Cyrano is a consummate craftsman and may actually dislike some of his own poetry. More likely, though, he's dissembling in order to keep Roxane from being suspicious. He's also expressing displeasure at their relationship. He may be doing all three!

This is a great example of economical writing, though most of the play is not.

Discuss Roxane's demands on Christian. She insists on his eloquence at all moments - why? What does this reveal about her character, and about the dynamics of their relationship?

This question is key to...