Later, when Roxane and Cyrano meet up again, Roxane says that Christian’s letters have been breathtaking-he is more intellectual than even Cyrano, she declares. Cyrano then offers his services, including his own unsigned letter to Roxane. When Cyrano tells Christian that Roxane expects a letter from him, Christian is despondent, having no eloquence in such matters. This he agrees to do, which gives Christian the opportunity to confess to Cyrano his love for Roxane but his inability to woo because of his lack of intellect and wit. Roxane fears for Christian’s safety so she asks Cyrano to befriend and protect him. Cyrano thinks that she is talking about him at first, and is ecstatic, but Roxane describes her beloved as “handsome,” and tells him that she is in love with Christian de Neuvillette. One day Roxane and Cyrano have the opportunity to talk privately as she bandages his hand (injured from a fracas at the Port de Nesle) she talks about a man with whom she has fallen in love.
This doubt prevents him from expressing his love for his distant cousin, the beautiful and intellectual Roxane, as he believes that his ugliness would prevent him the “dream of being loved by even an ugly woman.” However, he has an obnoxiously large nose, which causes him to doubt himself. In addition to being a remarkable duelist, he is a gifted, joyful poet and is also a musical artist. Hercule Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac, a cadet (nobleman serving as a soldier) in the French Army, is a brash, strong-willed man of many talents. Cyrano (the character) is in fact famed for his panache, and he himself makes reference to “my panache” in the play. The play has been translated and performed many times, and it is responsible for introducing the word “ panache” into the English language. There was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, and the play is a fictionalisation following the broad outlines of his life. This is a very cut-down account of Cyrano de Bergerac, the original play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. In case, like me, you haven’t read the original play, here is a summary adapted from Wikipedia: (play)