Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
1
The Symbolis Aes he ic:
One Cen u y in Eu opean D ama
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
Uni e si y o Alcalá
1. THE SYMBOLIST AESTHETIC
Be o e F eud illumina ed he in ica e pa hs o he ca e ns o pe sonali y, an en i e
sec o o wes e n hough had a emp ed o app oxima e he in e io o man h ough he
aes he ic sec o s based on in ui ion, eeling, and sugges ion.
A he end o he nine een h cen u y, in A his p ocess unde goes a pe iod o g ea
splendou wi h he appea ance o an aes he ic language which uses he symbol as he basic
elemen o exp ession. Tha which is insc u able, unde inable in he au hen ic eali y o he
human being, he absolu ely inapp ehensible ange o he na u e o he soul, he imma e ial
and ce ainly p o oundly au hen ic essence o man and hings, implies he impossibili y o
app ehending hose eali ies by means o scien i ic objec i i y. Access o hese eali ies,
which was wielded un il hen exclusi ely by posi i ism, demons a ed in i sel he alacy
o a supposedly ealis p ocedu e; ealism was made impossible by he ecogni ion o he
mo e noble and meaning ul sec o s o eali y. I became necessa y hen, o in e he
di ec ion o he sea ch, he means o g asping his p o ound eali y. The indi ec p ocesses
o analogy, symbol and e oca ion became he only ins umen s capable o ealizing as
much as possible he sup eme aspi a ion o man's knowledge: o sugges eali y be o e
desc ibing i , e oke i be o e de ining i , and o insinua e i be o e o e ing i as an objec
o ce ain y. A is ic Symbolism, he se o mani es a ions which shaped he Symbolis
mo emen in di e en ealms o Fine A , ga he ed he sedimen s o he in imis adi ion
o he cen u y, illing wi h i s e he eal p esence he anscenden al yea s ha o med he
u n o he cen u y and he beginnings o he A an -Ga de e o .
His o ically, Symbolism p oposed he mos impo an condensa ion and a is ic
mani es a ion o he idealis ic ends ha a ose om he complex phenomenon o P e-
Roman icism. The heo e ical Symbolis e lec ion had ini ially concen a ed on he
ea men o he wo d's musical quali ies in poe y. The i s Symbolis mani es o was
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
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published by Mo éas in 1886. Symbolism exp esses a is ic language as a sys em o
signals ha o m sugges ions h ough di e se senso ial pe cep ions. These sugges ions
migh e eal he ue, p o ound essence o man's soul in he backg ound. In o de o a oid
di ec ly naming he eali ies alluded o, he a is ic language mus sugges and e oke in
such a way as o exp ess he s a e o he soul which is he ung aspable mani es a ion o he
Idea. In his sense, Yea s b ings ou he poe ic alue o symbols by di iding hem in o
emo ional and in ellec ual pa s. He also exp esses he abili y o human senses o e oke
emo ions. To c ea e, acco ding o Baudelai e, was o ecall he o iginal sec e uni y o he
soul wi hin which pe umes, colo s and sounds communica ed like dis an echos in a
amilia da kness. To achie e his, he a is ic language mus be based on symbolic alues
and ela ions ha -as in e wo en symbols di ec ed only owa d he ine able- a e able o
cap u e a s a e o he soul.
In hea e , Symbolism o e s a no ably well de e mined heo y ha comes om a
p axis o enowned playw i es such as Mae e linck, Haup mann, S indbe g, and Ibsen.
The Symbolis hea icali y has been well codi ied and his is he basic p inciple o he
Symbolis hea ical c ea ion: o p oduce a i al show on s age. This show, unlike li e bu a
li e in i sel , is buil om he subjec 's inne sel and by his ules. Beyond his p inciple,
he Symbolis hea icali y mainly pu sues he exp ession o he playw i e's inne sel , hus
achie ing a usion be ween him and he exp ession o his ex e nal depic ion. The d ama ic
ac ion mus eme ge om an inne con lic . The d ama ic language admi s exp essi e
elemen s om o he A s and om ea lie adi ional hea e . Finally, he ac o 's unc ion is
e ised because his physical pe sonali y h ea ens he essence o he cha ac e . The model
o he ma ione e p oposes he in e p e i e ideal as a as an objec i e neu al link be ween
he c ea o and he ecep o 's inne sel es.
The symbolis concep s o s aging and d ama ic communica ion a e no ably simila
o he heo ies de eloped by he B i ish di ec o , Edwa d Go don C aig. He p oposes he
concep o he supe -ma ione e as a cen al elemen h ough which he play can be "de-
ealized" (undone) and essen ialized hus allowing us o app oach he soul's hidden sec e s.
C aig desc ibes he Symbolis aes he ic wi h he ollowing wo ds:
Symbolism is ound no only in he oo s o A bu also in hose o li e i sel ; only h ough
symbols does li e become possible. We always use hem (...). I 's he ue essence o hea e
i we include he a o hea e among he g ea e A s
.
1
Especially e ile in li e a u e and hea e , Symbolism became a g ea mo emen
ha main ained a dialec ic ela ionship wi h Posi i is hough , and mo eso, wi h one o i s
mo e p ecise c ea ions, Emile Zola's Na u alism. Engende ed by he poe y o he g ea
mas e s (Baudelai e, Ve laine, Rimbaud, Malla mé) and F ench Pa nasianis s, Symbolism
1
Edwa d Go don C aig, The A o Thea e [El A e del Tea o], Depa men o Cul u e, Li e a u e
Di ision, G upo Edi o ial Gace a, S.A. de C.V., UNAM Mexico, 1987, pp. 285.
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
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main ained ela ions wi h o he o ms o Idealism owa d he end o he cen u y. I did so
o such an ex en as o main ain a clea ly gene ic ela ionship wi h Decaden ism whose
a mosphe e o spi i ual clima e -well sui ed o u n o he cen u y change- had begun o
bloom.
In 1885, Jean Mo eás published an a icle which shi ed he di e en ia ing c i e ia
om he decaden o he symbolic, hus p o oking a symbolis schism in he hea o
F ench Decaden ism. Be o e hen, he had c ea ed a kind o cul u al clima e wi h new
sensibili ies. In A hese included a sel - edeeming aes he icism ee o he impu i ies o
con ac wi h li e, new ones exp essed by nuances, mo ing and ag an o mulas, he
sea ch o melodies ha e eal he essence o man's soul, and he ondness o he oes ha
gladly paid hei li es o pe sonal uin as he luxu ious p ice o ha ing expe ienced g ea
ideals and passions. Be o e he budding secession o Symbolism, Decaden ism a ose as a
s a e o mind ha coincided wi h he appea ance, in he spi i ual ealm, o he u n o he
cen u y c isis.
We belie e Edmond Ros and's Cy ano de Be ge ac (d ama debu ed in Pa is a he
end o 1897) should be con empla ed in his con ex because he d ama's o mal aspec s
and sensibili ies co espond in many ways o hose o he Decaden spi i . Cy ano's igu e
becomes a popula ep esen a ion o he u n o he cen u y du ing which he mos ele en
mo i s o he idealis cul u al endencies combined. He is ein es ed in he Decaden ism
ha is e ealed by a lo e o manne s, he pe manen con adic ion o li e, he con inuous
zeal o ac ing and he inal pu i ica ion o uin.
2. POST-MODERNITY AND ARTISTIC CREATION
Con empo a y c i icism has been es ablishing he concep o Mode ni y as a global
s uc u e in wes e n a ha is “a comple e, e olu iona y cul u al p ocess, a gumen able
and desc ibable, ha is bo ne undamen ally in he second hal o he eigh een h cen u y
and ends wi h he Spanish Ci il Wa and Wo ld Wa II in he pu ely Eu opean sense”.
2
This "a is ic-cul u al Eu opean sys em" bo ne in he con ex o P e-Roman icism
expe iences an ini ial momen o c isis wi h he a i al o posi i is hough in he
nine een h cen u y. This c isis de e mined a kind o dualism la e : he con igu a ion o he
gene al Idealis endencies and Posi i ism, as long e m pa allel p ocesses. The pe sis ence
o Roman ic elemen s in Idealism's cul u al p ocess appea ed in A h ough he
Imp essionis and Symbolis aes he ic mo emen s. These de eloped a ound he gene al
complex phenomenon known as he u n o he cen u y c isis.
2
Ped o Aullón de Ha o, Poe y in he Twen ie h Cen u y (Un il 1939) [La poesía en el siglo XX
(Has a 1939)], Mad id, Tau us (C i ical His o y o Hispanic Li e a u e [His o ia c í ica de la Li e a u a
Hispánica]), n. 20. The ollowing ci a ions e e o he excellen in oduc ion in his essay.
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
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In he dualiza ion p oduced in he a is ic sys em o Mode ni y wi h he appea ance
o posi i isms, he c ea o is p esen ed wi h a o k in he oad (Idealism/Posi i ism) by
which he migh exe cise his a is ic exp ession. The explosi e a i al o he A an -Ga de
mus be conside ed wi h epec o he idealis c ea ion. This inno a ion supposes he
second g ea law in he sys em o Mode ni y which accele a es and becomes iolen as an
a is ic-cul u al e olu ion. As a esul , he A an -Ga de adds a necessa y componen o
he sea ch o inno a ion as an end in i sel o he second s age in he p ocess. This p e-
ension was he unde lying cause o he exhaus ion o he cycle. A e he 1970's, signs o
he phenomenon ha has been ecognized now as Pos -Mode ni y began o show.
In he las qua e milenium, his e m (Pos -Mode ni y) designa es a spi i ual
ca ego y mo e han an a is ic mo emen o endency. The phenomenon s ill lacks an in-
dep h s udy capable o endowing i wi h a conc e e de ini ion. Howe e , a g owing
numbe o specialized s udies is p og essi ely nea ing a de ini ion o i s na u e and
o igins. Pos -Mode ni y has expe ienced an ini ial le el o o mulas inspi ed by concep s
om His o y. These link he phenomenon o he socio-economic e en s o ad anced
capi alism and pos -capi alism. Mo e han a s ylis ic op ion, Pos -Mode ni y is an
epis emological-cul u al ca ego y ha appe as in all a eas o li e and hough in socie ies
and communi ies ha ha e been h ough he cycle o p oduc i e capi alism and now
expe ience, in his cen u y, he inal s ages o his cycle's decline. The a i al o he a is ic
A an -Ga de, he cul u al dehumaniza ion and exhaus ion o he same cul u al A an -
Ga de, he in en ion and de elopmen o compu e and audio isual echnology, he
appea ance o such impac ing social phenomenon as he pos -nuclea e a, he gene ic
e olu ion o he all o Ma xism as a di ec o m o exe cising powe , he di icul
main enance o he supply o goods in he ace o he demand o po en ial buye s who, in
wes e n socie ies, ha e ully en e ed in he s ages o pos -consumism, a e ac o s ha
explain and cha ac e ize la gely he di use p o ile o he Pos -mode n phenomenon.
On he second le el o analysis, he ad en o Pos -mode ni y is ela ed o he
con i ma ion o he end o his o ical mode ni y. His o ical mode ni y made con inuous
p og essi e change which was A 's p incipal aison d'ê e. And, in A , he indi idual was
imposed as an indispensible igu e. Wi hou he indi idual, no o he c ea i e ac i i y could
aspi e o dis inguish i sel om adi ional A . O iginali y and no el y became necessa y
maxims o he mode n condi ion. Any a is ic ac i i y had o lead he his o ical A an -
Ga de owa d he poin o exhaus ion. Thus, Pos -Mode ni y comes o h as an a emp o
syn hesize he s yles and hemes o he p e ious adi ion and o in eg a e hem wi h he
ad ances o Mode ni y. These ad ances a e based on one cen al de elopmen - ha which
allows he a is o ex ac eely he a is ic uni e se and o mulas ha mos ag ee wi h his
pe sonal sensibili ies. The new concep o o iginali y now a ec s he ac o selec ing
adi ional and/o A an -Ga de elemen s. I ees he a is o his obliga ion o be ei he
comple ely A an -Ga de o comple ely Mode nis , and allows him o elec c ea i e pa hs
ha a e capable o ex enua ing he ad e se, dehumanizing condi ions de i ed om pos -
consumism and deg aded capi alism.
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
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By including elemen s o he a is ic adi ion p io o he A an -Ga de, he a is
a emp s o ehumanize he pos -mode n c ea ion om his own c ea i e an age poin . As
he c ea o , he inds himsel al eady in a diso ganized mul iple eali y. He exchanges his
p e ious inclina ion o su p ess o an app oach ha a emp s o mas e he con usion
h ough a me hod o a is ic o ganiza ion. He achie es an a is ic o ganiza ion o eali y
h ough an aes he ic me hod ha in eg a es di e en adi ions and expe iences.
The mos impo an ai o his a is ic me hod is he epis emological nucleus
which ep esen s he ex e nal a ibu es o he Pos -mode n c ea ion. These wo ks'
un anscendici y and ahis o icali y and hei ies wi h he a is 's pleasu es and pe sonal
as es a e, like hei ex ual na u e, de ini ely p ocesses ha summa ize one common
aes he ic ac o : he in a-a is ic na u e o he ac o c ea ing. This is he subs i u ion o
ex e nal e e ences o uni e ses ha pe ain o he au ocomplacency c ea ed upon making
he same c ea i e ac i i y a hea ical heme. The p ocesses o e ision, adap a ion, and
ec ea ion o mo i s and ancien languages mul iply, hus con e ing Pos -Mode n A in o
a e lec ion on A , ha is, a me a-language.
As i he ch onological eali y o e e ni y imposed i sel elusi ely o e he
con empo a y mind and c ea ion -ending a oyage ha e e s o e i sel - he inal yea s o
he wen ie h cen u y look like a e lec ion o he las yea s o he nine een h cen u y.
Some a is ic p ocesses began hen which seem o be ending now. When Mode ni y
exhaus ed i sel , Pos -Mode ni y ga he ed i s s yles and hemes along wi h classical
elemen s ha had been somewha abandoned due o he implacable p og essi e a i ude o
he cen u y. F eed o he chains o an undeniable ad ance, he e e nal spi i comes back
ado ned wi h a sligh ly decaden one ecalling he Decaden ism one hund ed yea s ago.
3. CYRANO AND POST-CYRANO
In his Cy ano de Be ge ac, he F ench playw i e Edmond Ros and eaches beyond
he appa en d ama o he cape and swo d wi h a oman ic la o and e si ied o m ha
seem o cons i u e he gene ic o m o he play. Taking ad an age o hea ical expe iences
o Sc ibe and Sa dous, mas e s o he pièce bien ai e, Ros and demons a es his
knowledge o he in ense de elopmen ha hea ical heo y and p ac ice had achie ed in
F ance owa d he end o he cen u y. The inno a ions o his pe iod include he
appea ance o he s age di ec o and wi h him, he e ision o he g ea ac o s' oles in he
new hea icali y. Pe haps o his eason, Ros and w i es he g ea e pa o he sc ip and
pe sonali ies in his plays o sui his iends who include such well-known ac o s as Sa ah
Be nha d and Cons an Coquelin. Pe haps as well, he p o agonis o his g ea es wo k,
inspi ed by a F ench poe who had ac ually li ed in he i s hal o he se en een h
cen u y, appea s in he d ama endowed wi h he essen ial quali ies o he u n o he
cen u y. Ros and p esen s he wo ld o li e a u e and A in gene al: he cha ac e Cy ano,
a oman ic by his gene ous idealism, demons a es by his p odigious capaci y o e si y

Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
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and his ma elous eloquence he o ms and a i udes o a Pa nisian poe , while his
decidedly agic-comical ci ums ances amids mise y app oach he as e and aes he ic o
F ench Decaden ism.
The i e ac s o Cy ano de Be ge ac each ha e se ings as a ac i e as hey a e
de ailed. The scenes a e desc ibed by he au ho wi h such p ecision and hea ical
knowledge ha , no doub , hey we e lea ned du ing he in ense de elopmen o he
Na u alis hea e which ma e ialized in F ance pa icula ly wi h And é An oine's Théâ e-
Lib e, he playw i es who p ac iced Émile Zola's heo ies, and coinciden ally, in he las
qua e o he nine een h cen u y, he beginning o he new hea icali y in wes e n d ama.
In his plays, Ros and pu s in o p ac ice a d ama ic line ha is o mally in used by
he adi ion o hea e in e se bu equally nou ished by he e e -p esen Decaden is
sensibili ies and he aes he ic o d ama ic and li e a y Symbolism.
The elemen s bo ne o his u n o he cen u y spi i and he Symbolis aes he ic
can be ound in he Cy ano o ou days hough in dis inc o ms and wi h di e en
meanings. This Cy ano, he Cy ano o ou days, is Joseph-Angel's pos - hea ical e sion
en i led Cy ano Pa umé (Cy ano's pe ume).
This pos - hea ical ec ea ion o Ros and's Cy ano is selec i ely p ojec ed o e
some in ense momen s o F ench d ama. Thus, o e a o al o i e ac s, Joseph-Angel
concen a es on he hi d one which is composed o hi een scenes. Wi hin he hi d ac ,
he pos - hea ical au ho chooses p e e ably he se en h scene. This way, he pos -
hea ical Cy ano can be ound in he e y hea o Ros and's wo k, he composi e hea ,
he p edominan aes he ic elemen in he e ses ha e e o he hea . The inc easingly
in ense ei e a ion o his e m ( he hea ) in he o emen ioned scene co obo a es he
symbolic ca ego iza ion o his ecep acle o passion. The hea is he mos impo an
elemen o he sensi i i y o in e io wo ld ha he play a emp s o ec ea e. I cons i u es
he play's global uni e se. Simila ly, as we shall see, Joseph-Angel will make he hea one
o he iches aes he ic elemen s in his play.
3
In his scene, Ros and's d ama ical con lic a ises only as sub ly as his hea ical
aes he ic equi es i o: he he o can only enjoy passion when he subs i u es o he ue
lo e o which he mus adop a cha ac e o de e ed lo e o he es o his li e.
Hence, he nigh becomes a equi emen whose alliance pe mi s he game o lo e
o be ull illed (a leas on he spi i ual le el which is as eal in he symbolis eali y as he
physical le el,) "...because wi h nigh 's shield/I da e o be 'mysel '" (Ros and: Ac III,
scene VII).
Joseph-Angel calls his e sion, Cy ano's Pe ume, acco ding o he p e e ed mode
o communica ion ha i indica es. Pe ume becomes he ex ual elemen o p ima y
3
This con inues un il, in a u u e edi ion, he hea is educed o Cy ano's pe ume which is p esen ed
and comme cialized in hea -shaped pos - hea ical lasks. Thus doing away wi h pape , he au ho p ojec s
he c ea ion o a solid ama h ough a single didascalia -pe umed- which becomes he au onomous d ama ic
ex .
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
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conce n, a didascalia ha holds a cen al posi ion in he play (in he hea o he play, a
hea o pe umed pape .) I inci es he eade o make use o his sense o smell, he
essen ial sense o ca ying ou Joseph-Angel's endi ion.
We ind he sub i le o he play imp in ed on he book's co e shee (page 1): Duel
amou eux en e Cy ano e Roxane. Acco ding o he cen al episode o Ros and's Cy ano
(Ac III, scene VII) a no able ad ance owa d he essen ial occu s in he Joseph-Angel's
play: Ch is ian, di ec ecipien o Roxane's lo e, has disappea ed, he lo e game becomes
an in ima e ba le o e bal encing be ween Roxane and Cy ano, and a dialec ic exchange
whose wo ds con ey impassioned exhal a ions o li e and as encing sab es embodied,
a emp o o e come he opponen 's hea .
F om his momen o wa d, he pos - hea ical d ama de elopes symme ically in
h ee ac s o shi s whose espec i e i les, in ensely loaded and exhaus ed wi h beau i ul
meanings, suppose a condensa ion in o he such momen s o amo ous con lic .
The i s ac , en i led Au coeu de la nui ...(In he hea o he nigh ...),
demons a es he ecu ing symbol o he hea . As he F ench au ho 's cen al alue, he
hea joins aes he ic e e ences and he me apho o encing. Joseph-Angel gi es he wo d
coeu a disemic alue, p opi ia ing a me apho ical up u e wi h ha o he li e al meaning
sugges ed by i s syn ax.
Ne e heless, he nigh possesses an equally impo an alue. As we ha e seen in
Ros and's e sion, i became he o una e p e ex o oman ic encoun e s, an unexcusable
con ex illed wi h symbolism. In Joseph-Angel's ec ea ion, he nigh 's e oca i e powe is
in ensely ein o ced by he na u e o he sc ip o pos - hea ical c ea ion. The play mus be
ead wi h eiled eyes hus appealing o he non- e bal senses. P epa ed in a se ies o nine
le e s in each o he h ee odd-numbe ed pages in he i s ac , he B aille alphabe
imposes a ac ile in e p e a ion upon he eade . Th ough his exe cise, he eade
subme ges himsel in he d ama o he di e ed lo e .
The e en-numbe ed pages (4, 6, and 8) a e ol ac o y coun e pa s o hei
co esponding odd-numbe ed pages (which cons i u e he p incipal ex , he exp ession o
he con lic .) They also cons i u e an ex ension be ween he ol ac o y a mosphe e
(culmina ing in he cen al old/ ecipien ) and he eade 's amilia poin s o e e ence. In
he i s e sion, he pos - hea ical Cy ano elied p ima ily on he a ia ion o eal
pe umes inse ed ma e ially be ween he pages o exp ess he game o communica ion.
Each pe ume co esponded o one o he cha ac e s in he d ama. The new e sion
p esen s ou cul u al e hic which ad e ises a showcase o acc edi ed b ands o pe ume
including hose which in e es us- in e na ional cosme ics- o he u n o he cen u y pos -
indus ial eade who d esses wi h a amilia pos -consumis e inemen . Thus, Dio ,
Chanel, Gue lain (Ac I), Lancôme, He més, and Cache el (Ac III) a e inse ed in o he
pos -mode n eade 's subconscious and cons i u e e ec i e con ex ualiza ions o he
usion o he wo essen ial a omas in he play: "Roxane eau de oile e" and "Cy ano eau
de oile e" (pages 10 and 11.) These a e physically in used wi h eal pe ume emana ing
om he ecipien in he cen al pages. Thus, by endowing wo ds wi h a unc ionali y (in
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
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he pos - hea ical c ea ion,) he composi i e p ocedu e emphasizes he al e na ing game
o amo ous con lic ; when he h ee-dimensional iangles composed o b ands o pe ume
in he i s ac (pages 4, 6, and 8) a e s ood on hei bases, hey symbolize he ecep i e
su ende o Roxane's hea while in he hi d ac , when hey a e in e ed o e he spine,
hey adop he inni ia i e o Cy ano's lo e. The e is a new chain o signs o ein o ce he
" encing" con lic be ween he wo lo e s which is used be ween he cen al pages (10
and 11, amo ous lanks o en iloquisms om bo h hea s) amids he emana ion o he
only a oma o lo e- he pe umed ose ha dis ills he a oma ic essence o Cy ano's lo e.
The second ac o ms a dip ych simila in o m o hose in he isual a s. I
ep esen s a c ossing o codes on he i s semiological le el, a cons an in he pos -
hea ical c ea ion which eaches i s apex in his pa icula play. Pages 10 and 11, wi h
hei iangle-shaped hea s hin ing a he a o pe ume y, su ound -as we ha e seen- he
a oma ic s age di ec ion ha he i le alludes o, ...Pa umée de jasmin.... Meanwhile, he
ex e nal pages (9 and 12) p esen he only p in ed eplies, in he con en ional sense, in he
whole.
4
These e bal eplies make a e y ep esen a i e example o he s uc u al cohesion
ha anima es he d ama ic uni e se o he pos - hea e . Symme y p esides o e he
selec ion and disposi ion o he eplies. The e a e a o al o wel e eplies dis ibu ed in
each o hese indica ed pages- one each in a se ies o six. Al e na ely, hal o hese belong
o Cy ano and he o he hal o Roxane. The geome y is ein o ced as each pai o eplies
(Cy ano/Roxane) co esponds o a posi ion in he encing game. The iconog aphic
ep esen a ions o he game a e iden ical o hose shown in he a eas o he encing a ea
ep esen ed by he page abs: g ee ing-a ack- es . This con inues in he in e se in he
second se ies: es -a ack-g ee ing. The o mal logic o he Pos -Cy ano ex (bo h e bally
and isually complex) appea s in alliance wi h an in ense condensa ion o he le els o
meaning in he play.
The ansla ion o he e bal eplies in he i s se ies ( eplies 1 and 6, page 9) is as
ollows:
A) G ee ing posi ion:
CYRANO: Ce soi , je ais ous pa le pou la p emiè e ois. Laissez un peu que l'on
p o i e... de ce e occasion qui s'o e... de pou oi se pa le doucemen , sans se oi .
ROXANE: (Le c épuscule commence à eni .) Sans se oi ?
B) A ack posi ion:
CYRANO: Mais oui, c'es ado able. On se de ine à peine. Vous oyez la noi ceu d'un
long man eau qui aine.
ROXANE: (Elle lui donne un pe i sache .) Tenez!
4
Joseph-Angel has main ained he o iginal F ench e bs in Cy ano's pe ume; hence, he eplies on
pages 9 and 12 a e also in F ench. Re e ences o he eplies in he pos - hea ical ex a e indica ed by he
A abic nume al ha co esponds o he place ha each occupies in he se o nine.
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
9
C) Res posi ion:
CYRANO: Je c ains an que pa mi no e alchimie exquise, le ai du sen imen ne se
ola ilise.
ROXANE: Ou ez... ( e man les yeux) e lisez.
The second se ies o e s he ollowing eplies (7 and 12, page 12):
A) Res posi ion:
CYRANO: J'ai sen i le emblemen ado é de a main descend e ou le long des b anches
du jasmin. (Du lie e, g impe au mu , du jasmin engui lande le balcon de Roxane,
issonne e e ombe.)
ROXANE: Oui, c'es bien de l'amou ...
B) A ack posi ion:
CYRANO: Je ne demande plus qu'une chose... e c'es ...
ROXANE: C'es ?
C) G ee ing posi ion:
CYRANO: Un baise ! (Elle lui en oie un pe i baise de la main.) Un baise es une
communion ayan un goû de leu , une açon d'un peu se espi e le coeu , un poin ose
qu'on me su l'i du e be aime !
ROXANE: Oui, pa lez-moi d'amou .
The eplies in Cy ano's pe ume p oceed, as seen, acco ding o Joseph-Angel's
selec ion o a ew o he main scenes om Ros and's play. This selec ion supposes a
simpli ying p ocess by which Joseph-Angel dispenses wi h all anecdo al elemen s ha a e
seconda y o ex e nal o he in insic de elopmen o he amo ous con lic . Shel e ed by
he da kness o he iendly nigh , pene a ed by he sugges i e pe ume o jasmine,
Cy ano's passion p og esses and he speaks o he o lo e.
Coinciding wi h he blind man's su i al s a egy, symbolized by he use o B aille
in Ac I, he he o commends his achie emen o happiness o he impassioned complici y
o he nigh ("... in he shield o he nigh , I da e o be 'mysel '...", Ac III, scene VII). He
immedia ely ecei es a piece o he clo hing as a ewa d a e his mode a e p oposal in he
g ee ing posi ion ( eply 1) and he p uden ly e an pe sis ence in he a ack ( eply 3).
Roxane's gi , a li le pe umed bag, is in ac he case o he o igami igu e ha occupies
he cen al posi ion in he play. I s pe ume is physically inco po a ed in o he play as an
ol ac o y didascalia which equi es an a oma ic eading. The pe son who smells he bag
ha Roxane ex ends o Cy ano and he pe son who holds his play (whose nucleus mus be
ead by smelling) in his hands con e ges and becomes equal o he o he . By luck o he
Pos - hea e 's equen e e en ial un olding, he play and s age di ec ions coincide,
p o agonis and ecep o o e lap, in e p e a ion and ecep ion mu ually imb ica e.
Ac ually, Roxane o e s Cy ano he same Cy ano's pe ume ha he pos - hea ical eade
holds in his momen be ween his hands and his pi ui a y.
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
16
e iciency o he pos - hea e 's ex ual model. I is capable o eplacing he adi ional
language o med solely by wo ds e en in he aes he ic ield in which i has eached
conside able heigh s. In Cy ano's pe ume, he pos - hea ical g aphic, he image, equals
he wo d in he p ocess o a aining he g ea es aspi a ion o symbolis communica ion:
he exp ession o he cha ac e s' desi es and in imacies. Thus, by i ue o i s essence, he
Pos - hea e becomes a sublima ing d ama ic language o Symbolism. By c ea ing new,
no exclusi ely e bal symbols o es ablish ela ionships o co espondences wi h physical
sensa ions and in e io eali ies, he Pos - hea e appea s as a sublima ed symbolism - an
e ec i e subs i u e, a e a one-hund ed yea a is ic cycle, o he aes he ic mo emen ha
occupied he cen e o inisecula c ea i e ac i i y in i s day. Fo eshadowed by he
Symbolis expe ience, Pos - hea e has cap u ed he cen al posi ion in he new a is ic
con ex o ou u n o he cen u y.
While p ima ily a new ool o d ama ic c ea ion, he pos - hea ical c ea ion, as a
e olu iona y mo emen among he hea ical A an -Ga de, p o oundly and ex ensi ely
a ec s he g ea e na u e o d ama. Each pos - hea ical c ea ion consis s o a play in i sel
which c ea es a hea icali y ha al e s he adi ional unc ions o hea e . The kind o
s aging implici in he pos - hea ical c ea ion is mos immedia ely designed o be
con empla ed by he indi idual iewe , a single ecep o o hese modes o d ama ic
communica ion which can be called solid amas.
Pe haps he mode o ecep ion is among he elemen s o he ac o pos - hea ical
communica ion ha e eals he g ea es di e ence om he con en ional play. In Cy ano's
pe ume, he complica ion o he ecep i e p ocess is a cons an implici in he e y
aes he ic o he play. The publica ion is adap ed o a small pape hea e which has a doo
ha opens when he eade emo es he ubbe band ha co e s i , a cu ain ha opens
when he eade / iewe mo es he pa s o Roxane's hea /balcony, and a unc ion ha
begins when he eade ac i a es he al e na ing mechanism ha eplaces " ous" wi h " '."
Thus he eade ini ia es a play in which he himsel ac s ou Cy ano's cha ac e in esponse
o Roxane's command, "Ou ez...e lisez" ( eply 6.) Like he he o, he eade / iewe /ac o
a oma ically eads he ol ac o y anno a ion inse ed in he li le o igami bag, hus inhaling
Cy ano's pe ume. And, like Cy ano, he eels he wo shipped emolo o Roxane's passion
descend h ough he essences o jasmine. The same eade / iewe will end he play
bu ning he book/s age acco ding o he ins uc ion on he las page.
The p o oundly meaning ul ela ionships be ween he ca ego ies o eade /he o and
eading/ac ing o m a di e ed mode o ecep ion. Fo example, he amo ous esponse ha
Cy ano ob ains, e lec s a lo e ha was des ined o Ch is ian (because Cy ano li es in a
di e ed eali y.)
In addi ion, i deals wi h an in e ac i e s aging in which he ecep o (who is
di ec o , s age manage , s agehand, ac o and iewe simul aneously) can con ol and
in e ene in he de elopmen o he play.
Thus he pos - hea ical ecep o akes pa in he cha ac e is ics and a ibu es o
he es o he human elemen s on s age. The Pos - hea e p o oundly al e s he he o ic o

Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
17
d ama in one aspec ha was a ely pe mea ed by he inno a ions in he adi ional
c ea ions.
F om a o mal poin o iew, Cy ano's pe ume is cons uc ed like a amewo k o
elemen s in ensely ela ed due o a complex web o meanings ha in e wine in mul iple
di ec ions. Tending owa ds signals o a g aphic-plas ic na u e o exp ess he d ama, he
Pos - hea e loads hese wi h e e ences ha su pass he simple deno a i e plane.
P oceding mainly om he a ea o he image, he signals in he pos - hea ical c ea ion
become pos - hea ical symbols in he con ex in which hey a e insc ibed in he play. As
hese symbols a e cha ged wi h conno a ions ha some imes coexis in he same meaning,
hey, in u n, en ich he objec e e ed o.
These in ensely conno a i e signals, he pos - hea ical symbols, hus acqui e a
g ea sugges i e capaci y, an eno mous powe o e oca ion. An image in he shape o a
hea di ided appea s on he co e o Cy ano's pe ume. I s embossed o m ep oduces he
o gan o emo ion. The g aphic immedia ely becomes a symbol o passion ein es ed wi h
a meaning ha can o en be ound in li e a u e. Ne e heless, new meanings o e come i
immedia ely like a cascade o o he meanings ha o e come he p imi i e global signal
( he hea -shaped d awing plus he concep o a human hea .) By sepa a ing he wo
hal es o he hea , he signal signi ies Roxane's balcony and he la e al sides ha co e i .
Bu a he same ime, he hea acqui es a new e e ence in hea e ha unc ions like a
on cu ain spli ing he s age in wo. When d awn open by he eade / iewe , i p esen s
him o he s aging a e which he book becomes a pape hea e o indi idual use.
Finally, he wo ds w i en inside he hea /balcony/ on cu ain ("Je ous aime/Je 'aime")
unc ion as a hand de ice wi h which he eade /di ec o s age designe /s age manage
con ols he beginning o he play. Mo eo e , he hea symbol acqui es a second objec ual
ma e ializa ion wi hin he li le o igami bag ( he hea o he play and he ga men Roxane
su ende ed.) I acqui es a physical conno a ion when imp egna ed by Cy ano's pe ume
and when un olded like he blossom o a ose. Finally, he conno a i e capaci y inc eases
in ini ely i we conside ha he hea is he pos - hea ical symbol pa excellence. I 's no
su p ising ha he olumes which o m Joseph-Angel's Comple e Wo k ha e ca dio-
iangula shapes and he Pos -Thea e Mani es o has he shape o Hamle 's hea . The
signal-become-symbol becomes in ensely conno a i e h ough he mul iple planes and
en i ons o he pos - hea ical c ea ion.
The hea no he only example. The e is also he oad. Concep ually comlex
be ween he image and conno a i e symboliza ion, i ( he oad) o e s simila le els o
e ec i e ealiza ion. I ob ains hese le els o ealiza ion om he elemen s inco po a ed
in he a o encing; he oils a e pos - hea ical pencils and agmen s o he amo ous
eloquence wi h which Cy ano ouches Roxane's hea . The ence 's mask e e s o he
ad en u ously blind complici y o he nigh , Cy ano's concealmen behind Ch is ian's
igu e, and he e e nal mask o hea ical a . The page abs a e he clues o he con en s o
he lo e s' a oma ic dialec and hey a e also he s ai s by which Cy ano p ocedes owa d
Roxane's balcony.
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
18
The image o he inal incenso y is loaded wi h e oca ions. I s smoke -a p oduc o
bu ning he pape play- unc ions as he inal d aw o he cu ain. I comple es he
complica ion o he symbolizing conno a ions h ough pe cep i e elemen s o an a oma ic
na u e. The ubbe band a ound he book ha allows he Pos - hea e o open and he nose
ha mus be wo n by he iewe also unc ion as pos - hea ical symbols in he inc edibly
ich con ex o he play.
Many o hese symbols a e beau i ul non- e bal me apho s. B aille is employed in
ela ion o he seman ic p oximi y o he nigh . Howe e , he p ocess o symboliza ion also
a ec s he e bal elemen . This occu s calig aphically wi h he ini ials C and E w apped
a ound he i le o he play.
Finally, he composi i e symme y becomes in i sel one o he mos powe ul
symbols o he pos - hea ical c ea ion. Well demons a ed in he s uc u e o Cy ano's
pe ume, he play is o e come wi h a quasi magical p esence assumed by he numbe
h ee. Examples include he dis ibu ion o he con lic in h ee ac s (one as a dip ych and
he o he wo as ip ychs,) and he p esen a ion o B aille in h ee se ies o nine signs each
( h ee by h ee.) The e y o de o hings co esponds o he al e nance o meanings
be ween he odd and e en pages, he in e sion o he iangle ep esen ed by he e en
pages (using he symme ical axis as a mi o ), and he inse ion o co e shee s in he
beginning and end o he book.
The ul ima e alue o his pos - hea ical symbolism belongs o he i e u able
capaci y o e oke, o e e indi ec ly o he mos hidden in imacies o man's sensibili ies.
Like he Symbolis aes he ic om he p e ious cen u y, he Pos - hea e o oday elies
hea ily on human pe cep ion and on he a ay o sensa ions. O e coming he audio- e bal
na u e o he adi ional d ama, he Pos - hea e makes use o he iewe 's senses and
pe cep ions. In Cy ano's pe ume, his senso ial s imula ion anges om he implica ion o
a lack o sigh and he a i ma ion o he sense o ouch (Ac I), o he equisi e sense o
smell (Ac II and he whole play in gene al), o he p edominance o he sense o hea ing in
he special ea men o he e bal elemen in Ac III.
Howe e , unlike he Symbolis School o he pas cen u y, Pos - hea ical
Symbolism almos comple ely dispenses wi h sen imen al symbols in a o o in ellec ual
symbols. Pos - hea ical Symbolism does no s imula e he iewe 's a ec i e ibe s by
means o ac i a ing his ange o emo ions which go om laugh e o sobs. On he
con a y, i a emp s o s imula e he ecep o 's mind whose capaci y o eason, disce n and
iden i y is cons an ly engaged by he complex web o associa ions implied in he p ocess
o pos - hea ical symboliza ion. Buil upon he image, b oadly ela ed o he a ea o
Visual A s, and g ea ly conce ned wi h he ec ea ion o g ea igu es and momen s o
d ama, he hema ic and composi i e uni e se o Pos - hea e acqui es a ma kedly ex ual
componen . Wi h espec o i s in a-a is ic e e ences, Pos - hea e is in ensely o mal
which ollows he c ea i e line o pos -mode ni y.
The su p ised and a ypical eade , in oxica ed by Cy ano's cap i a ing pe ume,
holds be o e him he cen e page o Joseph-Angel's play. Since he end o he p e ious
Manuel Pé ez Jiménez
19
cen u y many c ea o s ha e a emp ed o sieze and ansmi he mos hidden and p o ound
ace s o man's soul, and in his ins an , he eade wi nesses he inal ealiza ion o hei
d eams. A sub le ibe wea es oge he he handywo k o many playw i es who had he
common unde aking o p obing he in imacies o he indi idual - he mos a cane
mys e ies o he human being- wi h hei wo ks.
Once he cycle ended, which ook place a e Symbolism in he e olu ion o A ,
he new u n o he cen u y -and o he milenium- o e s us ano he p ecious demons a ion
o he desi e ha anima ed he aes he ic c ea ion one hund ed yea s ago. This
demons a ion is a new kind o Symbolism whose he o ic eeds mo e upon isual and
e bal meaning and e eals o he eade / iewe he essences o c ea ion h ough which i
is possible o clea ly glimpse he enligh enmen o he u u e.
One o he Pos - hea e 's de ining cha ac e is ics is i s decided will o place i sel
inde a igably on he limi s o he hea ical u u e. Loyal o i s ime, he pos - hea ical
A an -Ga de ul ills i s p omise o ad ancemen in d ama ical c ea ion and esea ch
h ough he special ela ionship i holds wi h Pos -Mode ni y.