Candide Study Questions
Chapters 1-6
Directions: Read chapters 1-6 and answer the following questions. Please make sure to type your answers underneath the questions.
Pre-Reading:
Research the following terms and write the best definition. Make sure to cite your sources using correct MLA format.

Irony

Exaggeration
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Sarcasm
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Understatement
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Parody
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Caricature
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Juxtaposition
Chapter 1
1.
Where does Candide live?
2.
Why is Candide driven from the castle?
3.
What is the philosophy of Pangloss?
4.
What does the French word “candide” mean?
Chapter 2
5.
Who are the two men that recruit Candide into the army?
6.
How do they recruit Candide?
7.
Why were Candide’s lashes reduced each day? What does this prove in the army’s eyes?
8.
What two choices were given to Candide after he tried to desert? Which option did he choose?
9.
What does it mean to have free will? Can one be in the military and have a free will?
10.
What is Voltaire being critical of in this chapter? How?
11.
How is exaggeration used in this chapter? Be specific.
Chapter 3
12.
Which two armies went to war in this chapter? What does Candide do during the fighting?
13.
How does Voltaire employ juxtaposition in this chapter?
14.
What is ironic about the orator treating Candide poorly and James taking pity on Candide?
15.
The orator’s wife treats Candide very poorly; what is Voltaire being critical of at this point?
Chapter 4
16.
Who is the old beggar?
17.
What happened to Cunegonde and her parents at the castle? What is ironic about in regards to whose responsible?
18.
Who is Paquette and what is she responsible for doing to the beggar?
19.
How does the Pangloss justify his condition to Candide?

Chapter 5
20.
Who survives the sinking of he ship? Why is this ironic?
21.
How does Pangloss justify James’ fate?
22.
What natural disaster befell Lisbon? How many people were killed?
23.
How did the sailor behave in Lisbon?
24.
What is ironic about the sailor’s behavior?
Chapter 6
25.
What is an auto-da-fe and why is it necessary?
26.
Why were Pangloss and Candide chosen as “suitable candidates”?
27.
What is humorous about the description of their jail time “where they suffered no inconvenience from the sun”?
28.
What is Voltaire ridiculing as Candide is flogged? Why?
29.
What happened to Pangloss?