ISBN Cyrano de Bergerac 192 pages English

Tonight When I make my sweeping bow at heaven's gate One thing I shall still possess at any rate Unscathed something outlasting mortal flesh And that is ... My panache.' The first English translation of Cyrano de Bergerac in 1898 introduced the word panache into the English language. This single word summed up Rostand's rejection of the social realism which dominated late nineteenth-century theatre. He wrote his `heroic comedy' unfashionably in verse and set it in the reign of Louis XIII and the Three Musketeers. Based on the life of a little known writer Rostand's hero has become a figure of theatrical legend: Cyrano with the nose of a clown and the soul of a poet is by turns comic and sad as reckless in love as in war and never at a loss for words. Audiences immediately took him to their hearts and since the triumphant opening night in December 1897 - at the height of the Dreyfus Affair - the play has never lost its appeal. The text is accompanied by notes and a full introduction which sets the play in its literary and historical context. Christopher Fry's acclaimed translation into `chiming couplets' represents the homage of one verse dramatist to another. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study and much more.