Voltaire's Use Of Satire In Candide
The author of the novel ‘Candide’ published this satirical fiction the year of 1759. Voltaire having went to school to become a writer and then being thrown out of numerous countries afterwards. Kings and noble people who were offended by Voltaire’s genre of satire and black humor throughout his books. Leibniz, a german philosopher proposed Optimism and this philosophy was created upon the reason that they thought that logic was the reason for why god created the world and its people were as perfect as it was. The german philosopher constructed the philosophy on three major concepts. It was discovered that God was selfish because he created the world with enough evil, so that the world would not be the definition of perfection as he was created
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be the epitome of perfection. Which Voltaire makes a satire of because in the first chapter of Candide the baroness and baron always said that the castle that inhabited was the perfect castle, with the perfect rocks that structured the castle itself. During the 1800s, Enlightenment or known as the Age of reason, the rise of the philosophy of Optimism and common sense are seen in Voltaire’s novel. In Candide, Voltaire uses the themes of superstition, bigotry and tyranny he creates a satire novel, as he criticizes the religious powers in the 18th century.
Voltaire being an atheist himself began the first chapter of Candide with the characters of his books playing as Adam and Eve’s original sin story. Voltaire then proceeds with the Original Sin story as his way of mocking the Catholics church’s power at the time. He satirically criticized the Catholic church by basically stating that all men and women aren’t born with sins because of someone else, the church was just trying to make a quick profit from tithes that only the nobles can afford to pay for.
The Catholic church was trying to prove their power in the world scheming people into believing if they converted they would no longer be sinners, and Voltaire hates how people in the higher hierarchy abuse their power to manipulate the serfs. Voltaire did not tolerate religious injustice and says “ It is an admirable government, the kingdom is upwards of three leagues in diameter, and diameter in thirty provinces; there the three fathers possess all, and the people nothing; it’s a masterpiece of reason and justice.” (Voltaire, Candide, 1759). Voltaire can’t stand the thought that the church smooches off of the noble men, and the noblemen can’t even they are in the presence of their king because they all look alike and hold no more power than the other. The old woman with the missing buttocks was revealed as the Pope’s daughter,as she retells her story, "I had not always bleared eyes and red eyelids; neither did my nose always touch my chin; nor was I always a servant. I am the daughter of Pope Urban X,
and of the Princess of Palestrina." ( Voltaire, Candide, 1759). This quote from chapter 11, clearly states that the holy religious Pope defied the rule of celibacy. Voltaire's character Pangloss defends these unjust situations as he is the embodiment of the philosophy Optimism. Leibniz being the man who created this concept states that god created the best of possible worlds. Pangloss says, “ All that is for the best, if there is a volcano at LIsbon it cannot be any other than they are.” (Voltaire, Candide, 1759). This quote is used to emphasize that Pangloss is an exaggerated parody of overly optimistic enlightenment philosopher to demonstrate why some are punished, yet others are not. For example, when it is revealed that Pangloss is STD positive, he claims that it is his punishment for not satisfying god but in turn they were rewarded with delicacy chocolate. No one should feel okay with suffering from STDs because it was a punishment from a deity that they believed in. Through various techniques Voltaire questions why some people deserved to die from the Lisbon disaster and the nobles were allowed to hang innocent individuals for the sacrifice of God. When in fact, it is conflicting with the morals of Christianity morals but the inquisitor that purchases Cunegonde searches for serfs to persecute. Voltaire’s further condemns religion in Candide as he writes about Candide and Cunegonde’s jesuit brother. The jesuit brother says, "You will recall, my dear Candide, how pretty I was; well I became ever more so, to the point that the Reverend Father Croust, who was Superior of the community, conceived the most tender affection for me; he initiated me as a novice" ( Voltaire, Candide, 1759). In layman's term, the jesuit brother was granted his position by having sexual intercourse with the father, but homosexuality was frowned upon in this day and age. So that means that the religious leaders were abusing their status to receive forbidding or frowned upon tasks because they knew that the religiously devoted or serfs would not question their authority.
Throughout Voltaire's life he is constantly banned from various countries, such as France and England for the slander of the religious rulers at the time. He uses his encounters with the kings from Europe, South America to demonstrate the bigotry in the novel. He constantly questions every ruler he encountered to demonstrate the bigotry the world contained. Voltaire writes about the transience of kings in various countries as a minor character in the novel says, “ I dethroned my brother; my nephew dethroned me, my viziers were beheaded, and I am condemned to end my days in the old Seraglio. My nephew, the great Sultan Mahmoud, permits me to travel sometimes for my health, and I am come to spend the Carnival at Venice." (Voltaire, Candide, 1759). Long-term kingships were not prevailing against the greed and bigotry of the kings, as they were constantly dethroned by their own family members and still allowed the life of the lavish. This book embodies bigotry in the text as Pangloss and Candide reach their destination at Lisbon, and Candide’s newfound friend Jacques saves him from going overboard. Pangloss constricts Candide from saving Jacques because he believed that he had to die in order for God to remain happy with their actions and not make them suffer more than they already had. For example, “. Honest James ran to his assistance, hauled him up, and from the effort he made was precipitated into the sea in sight of the sailor, who left him to perish, without deigning to look at him. Candide drew near and saw his benefactor, who rose above the water one moment and was then swallowed up for ever. He was just going to jump after him, but was prevented by the philosopher Pangloss, who demonstrated to him that the Bay of Lisbon had been made on purpose for the Anabaptist to be drowned.” (Voltaire, Candide, 1759)
be the epitome of perfection. Which Voltaire makes a satire of because in the first chapter of Candide the baroness and baron always said that the castle that inhabited was the perfect castle, with the perfect rocks that structured the castle itself. During the 1800s, Enlightenment or known as the Age of reason, the rise of the philosophy of Optimism and common sense are seen in Voltaire’s novel. In Candide, Voltaire uses the themes of superstition, bigotry and tyranny he creates a satire novel, as he criticizes the religious powers in the 18th century.
Voltaire being an atheist himself began the first chapter of Candide with the characters of his books playing as Adam and Eve’s original sin story. Voltaire then proceeds with the Original Sin story as his way of mocking the Catholics church’s power at the time. He satirically criticized the Catholic church by basically stating that all men and women aren’t born with sins because of someone else, the church was just trying to make a quick profit from tithes that only the nobles can afford to pay for.
The Catholic church was trying to prove their power in the world scheming people into believing if they converted they would no longer be sinners, and Voltaire hates how people in the higher hierarchy abuse their power to manipulate the serfs. Voltaire did not tolerate religious injustice and says “ It is an admirable government, the kingdom is upwards of three leagues in diameter, and diameter in thirty provinces; there the three fathers possess all, and the people nothing; it’s a masterpiece of reason and justice.” (Voltaire, Candide, 1759). Voltaire can’t stand the thought that the church smooches off of the noble men, and the noblemen can’t even they are in the presence of their king because they all look alike and hold no more power than the other. The old woman with the missing buttocks was revealed as the Pope’s daughter,as she retells her story, "I had not always bleared eyes and red eyelids; neither did my nose always touch my chin; nor was I always a servant. I am the daughter of Pope Urban X,
and of the Princess of Palestrina." ( Voltaire, Candide, 1759). This quote from chapter 11, clearly states that the holy religious Pope defied the rule of celibacy. Voltaire's character Pangloss defends these unjust situations as he is the embodiment of the philosophy Optimism. Leibniz being the man who created this concept states that god created the best of possible worlds. Pangloss says, “ All that is for the best, if there is a volcano at LIsbon it cannot be any other than they are.” (Voltaire, Candide, 1759). This quote is used to emphasize that Pangloss is an exaggerated parody of overly optimistic enlightenment philosopher to demonstrate why some are punished, yet others are not. For example, when it is revealed that Pangloss is STD positive, he claims that it is his punishment for not satisfying god but in turn they were rewarded with delicacy chocolate. No one should feel okay with suffering from STDs because it was a punishment from a deity that they believed in. Through various techniques Voltaire questions why some people deserved to die from the Lisbon disaster and the nobles were allowed to hang innocent individuals for the sacrifice of God. When in fact, it is conflicting with the morals of Christianity morals but the inquisitor that purchases Cunegonde searches for serfs to persecute. Voltaire’s further condemns religion in Candide as he writes about Candide and Cunegonde’s jesuit brother. The jesuit brother says, "You will recall, my dear Candide, how pretty I was; well I became ever more so, to the point that the Reverend Father Croust, who was Superior of the community, conceived the most tender affection for me; he initiated me as a novice" ( Voltaire, Candide, 1759). In layman's term, the jesuit brother was granted his position by having sexual intercourse with the father, but homosexuality was frowned upon in this day and age. So that means that the religious leaders were abusing their status to receive forbidding or frowned upon tasks because they knew that the religiously devoted or serfs would not question their authority.
Throughout Voltaire's life he is constantly banned from various countries, such as France and England for the slander of the religious rulers at the time. He uses his encounters with the kings from Europe, South America to demonstrate the bigotry in the novel. He constantly questions every ruler he encountered to demonstrate the bigotry the world contained. Voltaire writes about the transience of kings in various countries as a minor character in the novel says, “ I dethroned my brother; my nephew dethroned me, my viziers were beheaded, and I am condemned to end my days in the old Seraglio. My nephew, the great Sultan Mahmoud, permits me to travel sometimes for my health, and I am come to spend the Carnival at Venice." (Voltaire, Candide, 1759). Long-term kingships were not prevailing against the greed and bigotry of the kings, as they were constantly dethroned by their own family members and still allowed the life of the lavish. This book embodies bigotry in the text as Pangloss and Candide reach their destination at Lisbon, and Candide’s newfound friend Jacques saves him from going overboard. Pangloss constricts Candide from saving Jacques because he believed that he had to die in order for God to remain happy with their actions and not make them suffer more than they already had. For example, “. Honest James ran to his assistance, hauled him up, and from the effort he made was precipitated into the sea in sight of the sailor, who left him to perish, without deigning to look at him. Candide drew near and saw his benefactor, who rose above the water one moment and was then swallowed up for ever. He was just going to jump after him, but was prevented by the philosopher Pangloss, who demonstrated to him that the Bay of Lisbon had been made on purpose for the Anabaptist to be drowned.” (Voltaire, Candide, 1759)