SCENE 5.VI.

In this climactic chapter of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” Roxane discovers the truth about Cyrano’s deep, unconfessed love for her, a revelation that unfolds amidst Cyrano’s fatal injury. Despite his steadfast denials, Roxane perceives the soul behind Cyrano’s poetic words and the voice that serenaded her was his, not Christian’s. The poignant scene is disrupted by the arrival of Le Bret and Ragueneau, who are aghast at Cyrano’s critical state, precipitated by a cowardly attack—a stark contrast to the noble end Cyrano had envisioned for himself.

As his life ebbs away, Cyrano grapples with the irony of his existence; celebrated in Molière’s plays through stolen scenes yet living in the shadows of unrecognition. His life, full of passionate yet unclaimed literary genius, battles fought for honor, and unrequited love, is winding to a close. Among quiet confessions, Roxane laments the love lost twice—first with Christian’s death and now with Cyrano’s impending demise. Cyrano, still embodying the vibrant spirit of a poet and warrior, refuses to succumb despondently to death. Instead, he envisions himself ascending to a celestial paradise where he’ll reunite with kindred spirits like Socrates and Galileo.

In his final moments, Cyrano defies death with a sword in hand, confronting his life’s adversities as embodiments he must duel against—Falsehood, Compromise, Prejudice, Treachery. His resolve unshaken, Cyrano fights these invisible foes with the last of his strength, championing the values he lived by: truth, courage, and integrity. Ultimately, Cyrano leaves behind a legacy encapsulated in the valor of his final stand and the purity of his unyielded spirit—his love for Roxane, noble and unwavering till his last breath. He asks Roxane to mourn him alongside Christian, symbolizing his eternal connection to both her heart and Christian’s memory. Cyrano’s passage is marked by a defiant challenge to death and the darkness, his spirit indomitable as he crosses into the afterlife, leaving behind a testament to his unmatched courage and the transcendent power of love.