How Is Cyrano De Bergerac Portrayed In French Society

Cyrano de Bergerac

I chose how french society in the late 1600s compare to how society was portrayed in Cyrano de Bergerac. There are many layers to french society in the late 1600s. France in those times had a rising middle class. There were three orders in the middle class known as the nobility, the commoners, and the clergy, and each order broke off into smaller divisions. Like the rest of Europe, France suffered from inflation and the fall of wages due to the instability of gold in the New World.

We see the commoners in the very beginning of the play,”commoners made up 90% of the population”(Boise State University), as Maquis is coming into the show he makes a remark of coming in too late and how they lights are too dim; no one can see their grand entrance.”What’s this? We’ve arrived like tradesmen, without disturbing people, without stepping on their feet? What a shameful way to make an entrance”(Rostland,11). This remark made by Marquis when he says they have arrived like tradesmen refers to the commoners. Marquis thinks of himself as higher up in society. Ragueneau, the baker, was also a commoner.

Nobility although does concern, but is not limited to the wealth of a person. Wealth does give you the nobility title, so does heroic deeds and other times,“kings would sell a commoner a nobility title, A king could ennoble anyone”(Boise State University). Cyrano is considered a hero on multiple occasions, and many of the cadets look up to him. “One word is Enough! Even a gesture! If you take out your handkerchief, you’ve taken out your shroud”(Rostand, 95)! The cadets put all their trust in