Cyrano Act 5 Study Guide, due Monday, November 21

ACT 5, Cyrano’s Gazette (16 questions total)

Act V, Scene I

Vocabulary

coif – a small, tight-fitting cap

colonnade – a passageway consisting of uniformly spaced columns

habits – distinctive modes of dress (robes etc.) for members of religious orders

skeins – loose coils of yarn

1. What does the nun’s conversation reveal to the audience about the quality of Cyrano’s life in the last fourteen years?

Act V, Scene II

Vocabulary

beadle – one who delivers public announcements; a town crier

prudent – sensible, wise

relic – an object of religious reverence and significance

serge – a type of cloth made from wool

1. Where does Roxane keep the last letter written by Cyrano?

2. Explain the irony in Roxane’s statement, “At times, it feels like he’s not really dead. Our hearts still speak, as if his love is still alive, and wraps itself around me!”

3. Why is Le Bret worried about his friend, Cyrano? How does De Guiche feel about the way that Cyrano lives his life?

4. What does De Guiche warn Le Bret about, and what literary device does his comment depict?

Act V, Scene III

Vocabulary

garret – an attic room

1. What news does Ragueneau bring?

Act V, Scene IV

1. What indicators are given that Cyrano is mortally injured?

Act V, Scene V

Vocabulary

imperceptibly – unnoticeably, undetectably

refectory – a dining hall

1. Who is “the last creditor who has a debt to claim” from Cyrano?

2. How does Roxane discover the truth about Cyrano’s love for her?

Act V, Scene VI

Vocabulary

allegory – a story that is written symbolically to represent didactic ideals or abstract notions

insolent – rude, disrespectful

projectile – an object that is propelled in some way, like a rocket or a

bullet

salutation – a greeting

1. How does Cyrano equate the night under the balcony as an allegory of his life?

2. What is ironic about the way that Cyrano is killed?

3. Cite incidents from the play to support or refute the following statement: At his death, Cyrano is content with his relationship with Roxane and does not regret that they were never more than cousins.

4. What enemies does Cyrano fight just before he dies?

5. What is the white plume that Cyrano takes with him into death?

6. Of the characters Cyrano, Christian, Ragueneau, and De Guiche, which do you believe are idealists? For each character, cite one incident from the play to support whether or not he is an idealist.

7. A classic is a work which withstands the test of time. For what reasons do you believe this play is still enjoyed today?