Tragedy is perhaps one of the oldest and most fascinating forms of literature. Although each is unique, almost all tragedies show some traditional similarities in content and structure. One of the most significant similarities is the presence of a “tragic hero”, always accompanied by some form of “tragic flaw”, which ultimately leads to their downfall. In Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, the eponymous protagonist identifies in many ways with the traditional tragic hero, in particular with regard to the presence of his own tragic flaw. Cyrano's insecurity about his physical appearance - his nose in particular - constitutes the tragic flaw that pushes him further towards his personal ruin. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From Cyrano's first appearance in Act I, his insecurity about his nose quickly becomes apparent. Cyrano immediately acts with great bravado, and then begins to start a bit of public upheaval, starting various arguments with those who attempt to challenge him. In the midst of one of these arguments, Cyrano somewhat gratuitously accuses his opponent of “…staring [his] nose” (18). Cyrano raises this accusation apparently only in order to then have reason to defend it, which he does by stating: “I am proudly married to this nose I have. A big nose is the sign of a good, courteous, intelligent, benevolent, liberal, courageous man” (19). By making these vast and sweeping statements that clearly can have no logical basis, Cyrano greatly compensates for his lack of confidence. He then continues to vehemently attack his opponent, saying: "That inglorious face on the top of your neck / ... is completely devoid / Of aspiration, lyricism, pride... / Like those other cheeks, which will now feel my boot!" (19). Springing needlessly to defend his own appearance and attack that of his opponent, Cyrano does little to distract from his insecurity. Rather, he simply manages to make his vulnerability and obsession with physical appearance blatantly obvious. With the introduction of Cyrano's love interest – Roxane – Cyrano's insecurity causes a deeper conflict within the play. It initially appears, however, that the tragic flaw that separates Cyrano from the object of his affections is his nose itself, as Roxane clearly presents a distinct obsession with physical beauty. She shows this many times throughout the play, as in Act II, when - faced with the assertion that the object of her affections, Christian, might be unintelligent - she refuses to consider the possibility on the grounds that “He might' T. His hair is golden like Apollo” (47). Cyrano recognizes this and laments that, because of Roxane's preoccupation with physical appearance, he will never truly win her love , grieving: “What hope can I ever have / With this protuberance pointing to my grave?” (28). Here, Cyrano himself expresses the belief that his nose is, if not a “tragic flaw,” at least the source of his difficulty. As the plot continues to develop, it eventually becomes clear that Cyrano's tragic flaw is not his in-and-out nose itself, but rather Cyrano's insecurities about that feature - based on what Cyrano's words and personality really are - he is able to declare, in Act IV, that "he would love him even... ugly" (123). This statement encourages the idea that despite his sickly appearance, Cyrano would still have had a good chance with Roxane from the start. This realization gives Cyrano a brief.