Characters

=Characters =

Major Characters:
__Candide__ – Candide is the protagonist of Candide. The story follows him and his actions. Throughout the entire novel, he travels around because he was exiled from the castle of Baron Thunder-Ten-Tronckh and later must escape from the adversity he encounters, and after learning that she is not, in fact, dead, a great deal of his traveling depends on his desire to be with his one true love, Cunégonde. Because he encounters so much trouble, he is constantly questioning the philosophy of his tutor, Pangloss, that this is the “best of all possible worlds.” “His face was a reflection of his soul. His judgment was fairly straightforward and his mind of the simplest” (3). As his name implies his sincerity, the most important moments in which he is “candid” are when he questions the prevalent philosophy that his world is the “ best of all possible worlds.” Voltaire uses Candide and his thoughts on this matter as a vehicle to belittle Leibniz’s ideas and the events that surround Candide to satirize them.

__Cunégonde__ – Cunégonde is the object of Candide’s affection. She was the daughter of the Baroness, Baron Thunder-Ten-Tronckh’s wife, so at the beginning, she and Candide lived together. According to description, she is seventeen years old when the story begins and is very large and beautiful. During Candide’s time at the castle is when the two fall in love; however, she is far less devoted to Candide than he is to her, and Cunégonde is a relatively selfish girl. Nonetheless, Candide continues to love her, even after she becomes rather hideous.

__Pangloss__ – Pangloss is a philosopher, who tutors Candide at the castle. In Greek, “pangloss” means “all language” (4). His core belief is that this is the “best of all possible worlds,” and while he also experiences a great deal of suffering, he never abandons this belief. Voltaire uses Pangloss as a representation of Leibniz, and by making Pangloss’ life so miserable, Voltaire further satirizes and ridicules this belief.

__The old woman__ – The old woman is one of the characters Candide meets during his travels. She also became the servant of Cunégonde, so she is able to reunite the separated lovers. Through story-telling, readers learn that she has encountered a great deal of suffering throughout her entire life, from rape to enslavement. Because of the torture in her life, she always wanted to kill herself but in the end, loved life too much to follow through.

 __Cacambo__ – Cacambo is Candide’s valet while Candide is in Argentina. He is very straight-forward, but it doesn’t matter much because he is not a free man. He also gives practical advice that helps Candide and himself on their journey. He is responsible for reuniting Candide and Cunégonde.

Minor Characters:
__Baron Thunder-Ten-Tronckh__ – Baron Thunder-Ten-Tronckh is what, in modern times, would be referred to as a foster parent for Candide. He is one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia and is called “Your Grace.” His power derives from a long lineage of power as well as from his wealth. When he sees Candide kissing Cunégonde one day, he chases Candide from the castle, which is what really begins the story. Soon after, the Bulgars kill the Baron by bashing in his head when they raid the castle.

__Baroness__ – The Baroness is the wife of Baron Thunder-Ten-Tronckh and mother of Cunégonde. She is very fat at three hundred and fifty pounds. During the Bulgars’ raid, she is also killed by being hacked to pieces.

__The Grand Inquisitor__ – The Grand Inquisitor forces Don Issachar to share Cunégonde, as a woman, with him. He also demands for heretics to be killed (as part of the Inquistion), and Candide kills the Grand Inquisitor.

__Don Issachar__ – Don Issachar is a wealthy Jew. The Bulgar captain sells Cunégonde to Don Issachar after the raid at the castle in Westphalia. She becomes his mistress, but despite this, she withholds her body from him. Don Issachar shares Cunégonde at a point with the Grand Inquistor. Candide murders Don Issachar.

__Don Fernando d’Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza__ – Don Fernando d’Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y Souza is the governor of Buenos Aires. He meets Cunégonde when she is engaged to Candide, but he makes her his mistress anyways.

__The farmer__ – The lives on a farm just outside of Constantinople. He inspires Candide and all of his friends to take up a similar lifestyle, and he is the reason they are able to find such bliss in gardening.

__Vanderdendur__ – Vanderdendur is a slave owner and is wealthy. He takes Candide’s sheep after promising him passage to Venice, but then he revokes his end of the offer. It all works out in the end because the other ship Candide gets onto sinks Vanderdendur’s ship.

__The Commander__ – The Commander (also called the baron in the story) is Cunégonde’s brother. He becomes a Jesuit priest after the castle in Westphalia is destroyed. Although he likes Candide, he disapproves of his desire to marry Cunégonde because he says that Candide is of a lower social rank than she.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Martin__ – Martin is a philosopher who the opposite of Pangloss, as he believes that this is the worst of all possible worlds. Like other characters, he has suffered a great deal during his life; however, his suffering led him to be pessimistic.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Jacques__ – Jacques is an Anabaptist. He takes care for the Candide after he escapes from the Bulgars. He drowns at sea, just before he, Pangloss, and Candide reach Lisbon, because he is trying to save another man’s life. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">According to www.newadvent.org, Anabaptists are “A violent and extremely radical body of ecclesiastical- civil reformers which first made its appearance in 1521 at Zwickau, in the present kingdom of Saxony, and still exists in milder forms.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Paquette__ – Paquette is first the baroness’ maid. Later, readers find out she gave Pangloss syphilis at this time. After leaving Westphalia, she became a prostitute, and Brother Giroflée is her client. She and Brother Giroflée meet Candide in Venice.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Brother Giroflée__ – Brother Giroflée is Paquette’s client. He is very unhappy until Candide gives him money. Brother Giroflée is also a monk.