SOURCE: "Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac: An Interpretation," in Studies in Philology, Vol. XLVI, No. 4, October 1949, pp. 603-11.

In this essay, Brenner examines Cyrano's similarities to traditional French Romantic heroes.

Edmond Rostand is said to have become interested in Cyrano de Bergerac in the days of his youth because Cyrano represented a type, le raté, which had a great appeal for him.¹ When years later he wanted to compose a play for his friend Coquelin, the life of Cyrano readily suggested itself to him as a subject ideally suited to the talents of that famous actor. The principal traits of character of the hero of his play, as well as most of his accomplishments and exploits, Rostand took from the life of the real Cyrano. He elaborated each of these traits in varying degree by bringing his magnificent imagination to bear on them, and he gave particular emphasis to...