Here, Cyrano demonstrates both his prowess as a swordsman and wordsmith who can fight his opponent physically and intellectually—with a sword and through his words.
Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan (1611–1673) was a French soldier under King Louis XIV, immortalized in Alexandre Dumas The Three Musketeers. Readers should note how Cyrano de Bergerac satirizes and pays homage to Dumas's novel.
"Or a Tito to win Berenice..."See in text(Act I - Scene V)
Tito is another name for the Roman Emperor Titus (39–81 AD), while Berenice was a Jewish princess born around 28 AD. Although Tito and Berenice were in love, Romans opposed and prohibited their marriage. Cyrano's two questions referencing these famous couples ask whether he will ever find love with such a large nose.
Roxane's statement—"I would love you still! Yes, even if you became ugly"—demonstrates the theme that intelligence is superior to appearance. Notice the dramatic irony here: while Christian and the audience know that Cyrano wrote the letters, Roxane is unaware.
