His face shines with wit and intelligence.
He’s proud, noble, young, fearless, handsome. . . .
(See Important Quotations Explained)
Summary — Act II, scene i
The next morning dawns. The scene is Ragueneau’s bakery.
The bakery bustles with activity as Ragueneau and his pastry cooks
prepare the day’s wares. Obsessed with poetry, Ragueneau has written all
of his recipes in the form of poems. One of the cooks delights him with
a pastry lyre.
Ragueneau’s wife, Lise, enters furiously, angry with
Ragueneau for yet again giving away baked goods to poets in return
for their verses. She shows him a new batch of paper bags she has
made for the shop, shocking her husband because the bags are made
from poet’s manuscripts.
Summary — Act II, scene ii
Two children enter the shop and order three small pies.
Ragueneau struggles to find a bag, and a poem, with which he can
part. After Lise is out of sight, Ragueneau brings the children
back and offers to give them more pastries if they will return the
bags that have poetry written on them.
Summary — Act II, scene iii
Cyrano appears and tells Ragueneau he is meeting someone. Noticeably
nervous and jumpy, Cyrano constantly asks what time it is and cannot
sit still. Lise asks Cyrano how he cut his hand, but he refuses
to talk about it. A musketeer arrives and Ragueneau says the man
is his wife’s friend.
Summary — Act II, scene iv
Some poets arrive and begin eating Ragueneau’s wares,
describing the food poetically and thereby delighting the baker.
Cyrano tries to write something to Roxane. When Ragueneau leaves,
Cyrano warns Lise that Ragueneau is his friend and that he will
not tolerate her having an affair with the musketeer. The musketeer
hears what he says but does not dare to challenge Cyrano.
Summary — Act II, scene v
Roxane arrives. Overcome with love, Cyrano sends everyone
else away. He gives the duenna pastries to distract her while he
and Roxane spend time together.
