Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac is one
of my favorite plays, though I must confess I've never particularly tried to categorize
or classify it by theatrical style. I'm not a theatre aficionado, either, so I had to
go look a bit and see what the term used in your question, "Restoration Baroque,"
actually means. (My reference sites are listed below.) Even after reading, I'm not so
sure I totally understand the term--or should I say two terms which are not always used
together.
From what I gather, Restoration drama generally
has a strong, decisive hero who is honorable and brave. Restoration comedies, however,
have heroes who are rather "loose" livers who have no compunctions about flaunting moral
codes. Cyrano has both. Think of DeGuiche who is so very overt in
his intentions to bed Roxane; he is the anti-hero in this play. Cyrano, however, is
bold and brave in every way, symbolizing the attempt of Restoration theatre to epitomize
the ideal king (which they certainly had not had in the years preceding the Restoration
period).
Baroque is a theatrical style which borders on
farce; it's extravagant and bold and ornate. That's Cyrano himself. He's all about the
grand gesture and the dramatic theatrics of love and sacrifice and even cowardice. And,
of course, there is always that nose.
I suppose, then,
Cyrano probably does qualify as a Restoration Baroque work.
However one chooses to classify it, this is a play for all time.
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