In the following essay, which originally appeared in 1898, Beerbohm predicts that Cyrano will be regarded as one of the most noted romantic heroes of all time, asserting that "Cyrano will survive because he is practically a new type in drama."

M. Rostand is not a great original genius like (for example) M. Maeterlinck. He conies to us with no marvelous revelation, but he is a gifted, adroit artist, who does with freshness and great force things that have been done before; and he is, at least, a monstrous fine fellow. His literary instinct is almost as remarkable as his instinct for the techniquethepyrotechniqueof the theatre, insomuch that I can read Cyrano almost as often, with almost as much pleasure, as I could see it played.... It is rather silly to chide M. Rostand for creating a character and situations which are unreal if one examines...