Cyrano de Bergerac

How does Roxane’s existence at the intersection of Cartesian ideals of mind and body subvert the play’s themes?

Ragueneau’s many occupations and employers throughout the text belie anti-commercialism. How do Ragueneau and Cyrano model different versions of the theme of Artistry Versus Commercialism?

What different roles do religion and religious figures play in each act?

Unrequited love’s tragic portrayal in the text opposes many traditional French fairy tales. Why does Cyrano refer to stories like Beauty and the Beast in support of his Unrequited Love?

How do the many allusions to Greek and Roman myth differ from the references placing the story as contemporary to the events of The Three Musketeers?

While Cyrano embodies the mind in the Cartesian mind/body divide, he is also a superlative fighter, who survives many battles that would have killed others. How does his personal strength subvert Descartes, even while Cyrano reads it?

Cyrano lies and deceives frequently. How do his creative deceptions (such as his methods to reach the moon) differ from his outright lies (such as Christian being the true author of the letters)?

Who could be considered the antagonist in each act of the play?