The Flat, the Round, the Gascon
A character who undergoes a significant internal change throughout the course of the play.
What is a dynamic character?
This prominent physical feature is the source of Cyrano's deepest insecurity and drives his aggressively defensive behavior.
What is his nose?
Christian admits he completely lacks this quality, making him terrified to speak to Roxane in person.
What is wit (or eloquence/poetry)?
Cyrano's closest confidant, whose primary trait is his practical loyalty and constant worry for Cyrano's safety.
Who is Le Bret?
In the STEAL characterization acronym, the 'S' stands for this method of revealing character.
What is Speech?
Because his personality remains completely unchanged and focused on pastry and poetry from Act 1 to Act 4, Ragueneau is considered this type of character.
What is a static character?
By tossing his entire purse of gold to the theater manager to refund the audience, Cyrano demonstrates these two traits.
What are pride and grandiosity (or foolish generosity)?
(Open to multiple answers).
Early in the play (Act 1-2), Roxane's obsession with beautiful words and romantic tropes reveals she is somewhat driven by this flaw.
What is superficiality (or intellectual vanity)?
This powerful nobleman attempts to insult Cyrano's nose, but fails miserably.
Who is Valvert?
In STEAL, this is what the 'A' stands for, representing the physical choices a character makes.
What is Actions?
A character with a complex personality, contradictory traits, and deep emotional layers, much like Cyrano himself.
What is a round character?
Cyrano’s brilliant and defiant "No Thank You" speech to Le Bret reveals this fiercely protected core value.
What is his independence?
(Open to many answers)
By Act 4, Roxane braves enemy lines to bring food to the starving cadets, demonstrating this surprising character trait.
What is courage (or bravery)?
This baker's primary trait is his absolute devotion to the arts, cheerfully allowing poets to eat his inventory for free.
Who is Ragueneau?
The stage directions detailing Christian physically interrupting Cyrano's nose speech to test his bravery is an example of this STEAL letter.
What is A (Actions)?
Characters who possess only one or two recognizable traits and lack depth, such as the pompous actor Montfleury or the foolish Valvert.
What are flat characters?
The fact that Cyrano is able to protect Lignière from a 100 men shows this side of Cyrano's character.
What is physical strength/sword fighting or combat abilities?
When Roxane rejects him and tricks him into leaving the Gascon Cadets behind, De Guiche later retaliates by sending Cyrano's unit straight into a deadly front-line battle, exposing this toxic character trait.
What is vengefulness (or petty malice/abusive authority)?
The drunkard whose satirical song triggers the ambush at the Porte de Nesle, serving mostly as a catalyst for Cyrano's heroism.
Who is Lignière?
When Le Bret, Cuigy, and the cadets talk about Cyrano with breathless awe before he even steps on stage in Act 1, Rostand is using this part of STEAL.
What is E (Effect on others)?
These character demonstrates their complexity and roundness by being both protective of the ones they love, but also incredibly deceitful in nature.
Who is Cyrano AND Roxane?
Cyrano’s private, tearful confession to Le Bret in Act 1 reveals his greatest fear isn't death, but rather this.
What is being laughed at by a beautiful woman (or Roxane rejecting his ugliness)?
Roxane’s willingness to die in the battlefield with her lover demonstrates this positive character trait.
What is devotion/loyalty?
(Open to multiple answers).
The Cadets of Gascoyne are introduced by Cyrano as being this.
Violent and fierce ("Skull breakers")
Lovers (" win every woman they woo")
Protective ("defenders of Carbon de Castel-Jaloux").
Because it is a play, this element of STEAL is the hardest to portray directly without a narrator, forcing Rostand to rely on intimate confessions between close friends instead.
What is T (Thoughts)?