Voltaire's Candide: Lisbon Earthquake And Seven Years War

Voltaire was born to an upper class family in the French bureaucracy. Instead of continuing in his family’s footsteps, he decided to become a writer. His controversial works led him to flee to England at a time where new intellectual ideas were being produced at a rapid rate. Upon his return to France he began writing satires against the current establishment which he found to be ridiculous. His dissent against the ruling forces in France at the time helped set up much of the background for one of his most famous works, Candide. His ability to relate his disdain of the institution to prior major events such as the Lisbon earthquake and Seven Years War made this such a moving piece to read. Voltaire’s Candide is a great, personal, satirical telling of many significant and historic events that took place in Europe during the enlightenment period.
During the first few chapters of Candide, Voltaire alludes to the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Candide and Pangloss were both in the city when they felt the earth start shaking beneath them. Candide believes this to be the “Last Day,” as depicted in the Bible. Pangloss insists that the earthquake is for the best and that everyone should be optimistic about it. Voltaire …show more content…
At the beginning of the old woman’s story, she introduces herself as the daughter of Pope Urban the Tenth. Catholic priests are supposed to remain celibate, so the Pope having a daughter is a depiction of hypocrisy within the church. While wanting to make a point, he probably used a fictional Pope to avoid being attacked by the church. Another example used to illustrate hypocrisy in the church would be the Inquisitor who keeps a mistress. Voltaire also includes an Inquisitor who sentences Pangloss to be punished for expressing opposing opinions than those of the Portuguese establishment, showing intolerance for those with different views from than they believe to be