Candide Questions and Answers
Candide
What are some examples of the different kinds of irony in Candide?
As one observes with Candide, irony is a weapon in Voltaire's hands. He uses it to attack the irrationalities and abuses of the world. Possibly one of the most striking examples of situational...
Candide
What logical fallacies are used in Candide?
Candide: Or, All for the Best is a French satirical novel written by Voltaire (1694–1778), first published in 1759. In Candide, Voltaire satirizes the philosophical cult of the theory of optimism,...
Candide
What are six examples of verbal irony in Candide?
Verbal irony is when dialogue (or sometimes narration) appears to say one thing on the surface but really means something else entirely. It is often sarcastic and used for satirical purposes, which...
Candide
What is the importance of the role of the old woman, and how are various themes and ideas (wealth, optimism,...
Much of the information about the old woman comes from her biography as she provides it. Once a wealthy, great beauty and the illegitimate daughter of a pope, by the time Candide meets her she is a...
Candide
Why did Candide and Cacambo leave El Dorado?
Even though El Dorado is filled with splendour and great wealth, Candide and Cacambo leave because Candide wants to go back and pursue Cunegonde. Initially, Baron Thunder Ten-Tronckh, Cunegonde’s...
Candide
How is evil depicted in Voltaire's Candide? The problem of evil Candide.
Voltaire wrote Candide to refute and parody Liebniz's philosophy that our world is the best one God could have created. In Candide, Liebnitz's optimism is summed up in the words of Candide's tutor,...
Candide
What is the significance of Cunegonde's loss of beauty in Candide?
Cunegonde's loss of beauty is yet another proof that Pangloss's theory (from Leibniz)—that "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds"—is absurd. Cunegonde loses her youthful beauty as...
Candide
What is the central message Voltaire is conveying in Candide?
At first, Candide appears to be purely a satire on optimism, in particular the philosophy of Leibniz, which is expressed by Pangloss in the famous formula: "All is for the best in this, the best of...
Candide
Wasn't the relationship between Candide and Cunegonde incest?
No, Candide and Cunegonde's relationship would not have been considered incestuous at the time. For one thing, sexual relations between cousins were considered perfectly acceptable in those days....
Candide
In Candide, how does Voltaire show that greed is one of the main causes of evil in the world?
Voltaire's commentary on greed mostly arises from the "El Dorado" section of Candide. The streets of El Dorado are littered with precious gems and stones. Candide and Cacambo are surprised to learn...
Candide
What elements in Candide, chapter 1 parallel the Biblical story of Paradise and the fall of Adam of Eve?
At the end of chapter 1, the eponymous Candide shares a passionate kiss with the beautiful Cunegonde. The kiss is obviously very passionate and heartfelt because "their knees trembled" and "their...
Candide
Can someone please explain the significance of the El Dorado sequence and how it contrasts to the rest of the world...
There is a recurring theme across world literature concerning utopias and perfect societies, and Voltaire's treatment of El Dorado certainly fits in with this theme. Throughout Candide, Voltaire...
Candide
What are five examples of situational and five examples of dramatic irony in Candide?
Voltaire's novel Candide is replete with examples of situational irony (in which expectations conflict with what actually happens) and dramatic irony (in which readers of a given work of literature...
Candide
What are the settings in the novel Candide?
Candide begins in a place called Westphalia, which is is west-central Germany. He is the illegitimate nephew of Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh and lives with his uncle in a castle in Westphalia. Candide...
Candide
What are some examples of satire in Candide?
Candide satirizes or pokes fun at the philosophical concept popular at the time which stated that all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Voltaire thought this idea, identified with...
Candide
Discuss the idea of utopia as presented in Candide.
When Cacambo and Candide reach Eldorado, Candide concludes that this must be utopia, a place where everything "is for the best." However, he is yet unhappy because he misses Cunegonde, and Cacambo...
Candide
What are examples of irony in Candide?
Candide and Cundegonde's relationship is packed with irony. For one, they start out as idealistic lovers who are hopelessly devoted to one another. Candide goes on a quest to reunite with...
Candide
How does Voltaire portray El Dorado, how does it differ from eighteenth-century Europe, and what are the religious...
El Dorado, in Voltaire's famous Candide, is the legendary shining city of splendor. When Candide and Cacambo accidentally stumble into this magnificent city in the middle of their journeys, they...
Candide
What is the role of sex in the story of Candide?
Voltaire's novel Candide repeatedly expresses a negative view on sex. There are many instances where sex is used in a negative way throughout the book, all of which accelerate the story and...
Candide
What is the genre of Voltaire's Candide?
Voltaire’s Candide can be classified in several genres: satire, parody, picaresque, and bildungsroman. Clearly, the book is a satire and a parody of such Enlightenment philosophers as Liebniz....
Candide
In Candide, women are portrayed as inferior to men. How might this portrayal reflect social criticism during its time...
We must remember that when we read Voltaire's Candide, we are reading a satire. What does this mean? It means that he is ridiculing and lampooning the social norms of his time. Published in 1759,...
Candide
How does Voltaire use Candide to clarify his beliefs on the futility of war or agression between protestant and...
Voltaire views war as atrocious and anything but heroic. Candide is forced to fight against his will for the Bulgarian king, and his treatment by the soldiers is brutal. His "fellow heroes" treat...
Candide
What does the old Turk represent in Voltaire's Candide?
The "old Turk" refers to the deposed Turkish sultan, Achmet III, who Candide meets in Chapter 26. It is clear that Achmet, and the other five former kings and rulers with whom Candide finds him, is...
Candide
What scene or incident from Voltaire's Candide illustrates an aspect of Voltaire's understanding of human nature?
Voltaire had a pessimistic view of human nature, finding it largely irrational. This is illustrated in chapter 28 in a scene where Candide has a conversation with Pangloss. Pangloss recounts that...
Candide
What is the significance of the “six kings” in chapter 26?
Two of the major themes of Candide are the arbitrary nature of fortune and the universal nature of misfortune. Chapter 26 represents perhaps the strongest statement of this theme, as it carries...
Candide
What are “quarterings” as referred to in Candide?
In Voltaire's Candide, quarterings refer to noble lineages of a person or family. Quarterings are displayed on a family's hereditary shield, and they show each noble line from which the family...
Candide
According to Voltaire, what forces get in the way of a person's exercise of free will?
Voltaire's story is largely an indictment of claims that there are forces that presume a power higher than human intellect or reason. As one of the Enlightenment philosophies, this makes sense....
Candide
What are the sources of evil and human misfortune in Voltaire's Candide?
The main causes of human suffering and dissatisfaction in Voltaire’s Candide come from a few select sources. The top five are the following: religion, war/violence, nature, sex, and lack of...
Candide
What is the difference between Pangloss and Martin as philosophers in Candide?
Pangloss and Martin have two conflicting viewpoints on life and on the nature of the world. Pangloss is the champion of optimism (and a mocking satire of Leibnitz). For Pangloss, this world must be...
Candide
What makes El Dorado such a utopia?
In Chapter XVII of Voltaire's famous satire, Candide and his servant Cacambo, in desperate straits, reach Eldorado where they are amazed at the riches, as well as the cultivation of the country for...
Candide
What was Voltaire asking (what was his main question) in Candide?
In Candide, Voltaire is questioning whether the philosophy of optimism is a viable perspective on the world, given all of the tragedy that occurs every day. Voltaire satirizes this philosophy in...
Candide
What did Candide mean when he said "let us cultivate our garden"?
The young Candide lives in the German principality of Thunder Ten Tronck and studies with his tutor, Doctor Pangloss, an incurable optimist and theorist of optimism. The equally optimistic Candide...
Candide
How do the themes/story of the old woman contribute to the overall message in Voltaire's Candide?
In Voltaire's novel, Candide, the three themes that stand out in the old woman's tale for me are: one cannot depend that things will always stay the same: being rich and famous one day does not...
Candide
Discuss the theme of love in Candide Voltaire.
Love is not an especially prominent theme in Candide. But it's there all the same. Candide's love for Cunégonde is the catalyst for his weird and wonderful odyssey. Candide has been separated from...
Candide
In Candide, what did Cunegonde observe in the park?
When Cunegonde enters the park, she observes Pangloss and a chambermaid engaged in an activity that is described as "a lesson in experimental natural philosophy." Voltaire goes on to use language...
Candide
Is utopia desirable, or do humans need conflict and challenge in order to find purpose and fulfillment in their...
Although Candide goes through many terrible experiences that show that all is not to be for the best in the best of all possible worlds, one can nevertheless see evidence of the need for conflict...
Candide
How do you define the humanism in Voltaire's Candide?
Humanism puts humans and their individual worth and dignity at the center of life, often rejecting religion or subordinating it in favor of reason. Humanism encourages people to cultivate their...
Candide
Why does Voltaire write in this style? "Candide" by Voltaire
Best known by his nom de plume, or pen-name, Francois-Marie Arouet, criticized his society; in fact, he signed everything "Ecrasez l'in-fame," or "down with infamy." His famous work, "Candide,"...
Candide
In the concluding paragraphs of Candide, is Voltaire recommending retreating from social commitment?
Voltaire seems not to advocate removal from the world, nor disinterest in the larger forces that affect people. However, he does certainly reject Pangloss's approach to philosophy—optimism—and the...
Candide
How does Voltaire's Candide exemplify the ideas of the Enlightenment?
While Voltaire had many of the philosophical credentials of his fellow Enlightenment philosophers—namely, a belief in the power of reason, the importance of independent thought, and the rejection...
Candide
Who does Cacambo represent in the real world of Voltaire?
In Voltaire’s Candide, the character Cacambo is Candide’s servant or valet. Cacambo travels with Candide through El Dorado in South America (where they become separated), later reenters the action...
Candide
How does Candide tie into the culture, economics, and politics of pre-revolutionary France?
The events that drive the plot of Voltaire’s Candide are heavily satirical critiques of pre-revolutionary France. Another key consideration is how Candide himself is characterized and how his...
Candide
In Candide, chapter 30, work keeps Candide, Pangloss, Martin, and Cacambo from what three great evils?
In the final chapter of Candide, Candide, Pangloss, Martin, Cacambo, Cunegonde, and the old woman settle down and decide to "cultivate the garden." The Turk whom they speak to in this chapter tells...
Candide
To what extent does Candide's character change throughout the novel?
When tracing changes in the character Candide in Voltaire’s novella, it helps to examine the author’s philosophical beliefs and attitudes in the Age of Enlightenment of the mid-eighteenth century....
Candide
In chapter 19, what does the slave say about the Dutch religion that upsets Candide?
In chapter 19, Candide meets a black slave missing his left leg and right hand. Candide asks him what happened. The slave explains that when you lose a finger in the mill on the sugar plantation,...
Candide
Were there any rape or forceful sexual scenes in Candide?
There are scenes of rape and forceful sexual acts in Candide. Voltaire was an insightful philosopher. He understood conditions of unfairness that existed in the world. At the time, women suffered...
Candide
From specific passages in the text of Candide, can you describe Voltaire's vision of human nature? In particular...
Candide parodies the philosophy of optimism promulgated by Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz that stated that because God created the world, and God is perfect, everthing in the world is perfect. One...
Candide
Does Voltaire think that this is the best of all possible worlds as Dr. Pangloss keeps insisting in Candide?
Voltaire was a satirist and has created Dr. Pangloss in that spirit. The doctor's touchstone phrase is “all is for the best in all possible worlds," but it is clear the good doctor is not to be...
Candide
In Voltaire's Candide, what is the old woman's attitude toward her own suffering and Candide's interpretation of her...
Voltaire's picaresque satire was intended as an attack upon the philosophical and religious orthodoxies of his time—in particular the Monadology of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. This classic work of...
Candide
What is the concept of freedom in Candide and what effect does this freedom have on the lesson of the story?
The strongest example of freedom as a concept in Candide is the title character’s own freedom after he is thrown out of the castle. This event takes place at the beginning of the story and sets the...
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