... wanted to keep the enlightened monarch instead of changing the formation of society. The people of the enlightened monarch relied on the idea that rulers could use their power to ensure the protection of their subjects' rights. The monarch used their power to ensure this protection. Therefore, the name of the Enlightenment could be used to legitimize the monarch's authority. Candide illustrated this fact after the Lisbon earthquake when the Grand Inquisitor is ordered ... to ward off any more earthquakes. Voltaire's view of the aristocrats was worse than his perception of the Church. He...

• Word Count: 1280
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... that Catholic priests take for life. Another prime example of Voltaire's criticism of a religion is the Spanish friar who is also a thief that takes the prostitute Paquette as a companion. Other characters that provide reason to infer Candide contains Voltaire's feeling on religion are the Jesuit priest with homosexual tendencies, and the Grand Inquisitor who buys and keeps Cunegonde as his sex slave. A sort of subcategory of ... the main theme of the story is Voltaire's criticism of extreme thinkers. The optimist Pangloss, and the pessimist Martin are used by Voltaire to convey the cri...

• Word Count: 771
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate