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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following is not an animal that the cadets hope has been captured for food?

2. To what classical text does Roxane refer when expressing her admiration for Christian in Scene 8?

3. Why does Cyrano fear telling Roxane the truth of the letters?

4. For what does Roxane proudly proclaim she now loves Christian?

5. Where does Cyrano tell Le Bret he expects to go after death?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Le Bret and Carbon call on Cyrano at the end of Scene 1?

2. How has Roxane's love changed in the months since the siege?

3. What does Roxane say about her surroundings at the beginning of Scene 4?

4. How does Roxane bring food to the troops?

5. How does Roxane reason Cyrano's absence at his appointed time?

6. Why does Cyrano fear telling Roxane the truth regarding the letters?

7. According to Le Bret in Scene 2, How has Cyrano changed of late?

8. What lie does Cyrano tell Christian before he dies?

9. Why does Cyrano wait so long to tell Roxane the truth?

10. How does Cyrano embarrass the Comte de Guiche in Scene 4?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cyrano de Bergerac is forever held prisoner by his inability to declare his love for Roxane. Write an essay about his continued resistance to admitting his feels for her, focusing on three parts:

Part 1) Why is Cyrano initially unwilling to declare his love to Roxane? How are his assaults on Montfleury and Valvert connected to this reticence?

Part 2) What decisions does Cyrano make regarding Christian and Roxane once he knows they care for each other? What does this say about Cyrano's attitude toward both and toward himself?

Part 3) Cyrano makes a conscious decision not to tell Roxane the truth regarding his letters to her after Christian dies. What is the root of this decision? What does this choice mean for the next 15 years of his life?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the relationship between Cyrano and Christian. How do they develop from rivals, to conspirators, to two halves of the same soul? Why does Cyrano choose to help Christian, and how does ending this assistance become impossible as the play continues? In what ways is Christian present even after his death?

Essay Topic 3

A major dynamic in CYRANO DE BERGERAC is the conflict between the physical appearance and the soul. Write an essay about this dynamic, focusing on Cyrano and Christian. What does each represent in terms of this theme? How do Roxane's changing attitudes toward her composite wooer reflect the balance in this ethereal struggle?

(see the answer keys)

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