Candide summary

Candide cries terribly when he hears the news about his beloved Cunegonde. He takes the ailing Pangloss to Anapbaptist James, begging him to treat his friend. James obliges and nurses Pangloss back to health – the lucky guy loses merely one ear and one eye. 

James then asks Candide and Pangloss to return the favor and accompany him on a business trip to Lisbon. On board the ship to Portugal, the three men philosophize about the nature of good and evil. Pangloss, despite the horrors he’s seen, maintains that everything is for the best. The greater the misfortune of an individual, he muses, the greater the general good. Just at that moment, the ship is caught in a horrible storm. 

Just as Cunegunde finishes her story, the Jewish businessman arrives at the house. When he sees Candide, he goes into a rage, hurling abuse at Cunegunde for her treachery. Candide draws his sword and, to his own horror, stabs the man to death. Just as he consults Cunegunde and the old woman on what to do with the dead body, the Grand Inquisitor arrives. Panicked, Candide draws his sword once more, stabbing the Inquisitor as well, 

Now it’s clear that Candide, Cunegunde and the old woman have to flee. They make their way to Cadiz in Spain, not without losing all of their money on the way. In Cadiz, Candide shows his military skills to a Spanish officer, who immediately makes him commander of his troop. The troop is setting ship to Paraguay to squash a revolt of the natives.

When Candide and Cacambo awaken, they find themselves in paradise – the mystical city of El Dorado. Here, the streets are paved with precious stones, and even the simplest houses are made from gold and jewels. The inhabitants live in perfect harmony, guided by reason and mutual respect rather than rigid laws or religious doctrine. They show Candide and Cacambo perfect hospitality, urging them to stay in their hidden paradise. 

But despite the perfection of El Dorado, Candide decides that he must return to the city to find Cunegonde. Upon departure, the king gives them a hundred red-wooled sheep laden with diamonds and precious metals, not understanding why the two men are so interested in these pebbles. 

Candide is not ready to give up his good faith. When he encounters a happy young couple on the streets of Venice, Candide makes a bet with pessimistic Martin. Candide will prove to him that some people are, in fact, very happy. Upon inviting the couple to dinner, they learn that the young woman is none other than Paquette, Pangloss’ former mistress. After being driven out of the castle, Paquette was forced to prostitute herself to make a living. Her companion, a friar, is no less disillusioned with life. 

In a last attempt to prove that happiness is real, Candide takes Martin to visit Lord Pococurante, the richest man in town. Surely, this wealthy man has nothing to complain about. But Candide finds Pococurante totally apathetic in the face of his expensive paintings, overflowing library and exquisite musical entertainment. His optimism takes another hit. But a miracle occurs just in time to revive it. 

The story of Candide is a scathing satire of philosophical optimism, particularily targeting Leibniz’s theory that this is “the best of all possible worlds”. Throughout Candide’s misfortune journey, Voltaire systematically dismantled this notion, exposing the deep-seated flaws of such a simplistic worldview in the face of the harsh reality of human existence. 

Candide is faced with all kinds of suffering, both natural and man-made. From earthquakes to war, slave trade to personal cruelty, Voltaire paints a world rife with misery. This challenges one of the big religious doctrines of his time: that all human suffering is part of a divine plan.