Pope Urban X Voltaire example essay topic

By: Anonymous Mazzio 1 Becky Mazzio Mrs. Dawson AP Literature 1 February 2000 On November 21, 1694, Francois-Marie Arouet, otherwise known as Voltaire, was born in Paris. The youngest of five, son to Francois and Marie Arouet, Voltaire grew up in a household that had come to know the pleasantries of upper class french society. Marie, his mother, had gained the family access to Louis XIV court through her. Because of Voltaire's privileged lineage he was able to study under the Abbe de Chateauneuf, at the Louis-le-Grand Jesuit College in Paris. Voltaire spoke very highly of his Abbe in later years.

After ten years at school, he was sent to study law in Paris under his fathers orders. Early the following year, 1715, Frances most famous absolutist monarch died and five year old great-grandson inherited the throne. Phillippe d'Orleans was named the regent to the underaged king. D'Orleans, considered philosophically liberal by some, caused many problems for Voltaire, including his imprisonments in the Bastille. The first was from May 16, 1717 to April 11, 1718, the second was in 1726.

After his first confinement Francois Marie Arouet adopter the name Voltaire, which later became synonymous for horatian sarcasm towards the aristocracy of France, whether it was truly his work or not. This is how Voltaire once again found himself in the Bastille. Falsely accused of the authorship of a politically abrasive poem, he was imprisoned. Once released Voltaire was forced to travel to England, but returned to France three years later, in 1729, and began his prolific career. One of Voltaire's most notable pieces is Candide, published in 1759.

It is a satire of many things, especially war, religion and those who hold optimism through a life of treble hardships. Voltaire used his life experiences to promote a change in societies view of themselves by attacking the optimism that left so many blind to the real world and what he thought to be the path to contentedness. Between 1750 and 1753 Voltaire stayed with Frederick II of Prussia, also known as Frederick the Great. Fredericks reign had been that of a warrior king.

He had started conflicts in Europe that led to the war of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War. In Candide, Voltaire first satirizes war by saying", men were only made to help each other". (pg 19) This is a direct jab at Frederick and war, because the man saying this line is wearing blue, the color of the Prussian army. If men truly were made to help people, then obviously they wouldn't be going to war. The man in blue, later takes Candide and fits him with a Bulgar army uniform.

His companions find him to be a prodigy because the lashes he relieves decrease rapidly each day. Once Candide is facing battle he says", Nothing could have been more splendid, brilliant, smart or orderly then the two armies. The trumpets, fifes, oboes, drums and cannons produced a harmony whose equal was never heard in hell". (pg 22) Though Voltaire may not have had this personal experience, the story had been heard many times. Go to war fight and die for the power of a far off monarch. Candide may be simple, but he is not stupid. Once he sees the equal atrocities caused by the Bulgars and enemy Avars he takes the opportunity, provided by chaos, to flee.

Many of Voltaires writings are inclusive of the theme of wrongful war. In Charles XII, one of his earlier works, he addresses the lust for conquest and its consequences. At the age of eighteen, Charles XII had learned his talent for conquest and by the end of the book he had lost more than he had gained. (green voltaire) Voltaire finds war to be the same everywhere, his use of the words, "international law", and", natural law", prove this. "The Bulgars burned the Avars village in accordance with International law". It was declared, by the old woman, that international law involved searching for diamonds where, ". ... we women usually allow nothing but the nozzle of an enema". (pg. 43) The search was done by the Knight of Malta.

Cacambo finally states, ". ... for natural law teaches us to kill our neighbors and that's how people behave all over the world". (pg 61) This belief may be attributed to the many wars that plagued Europe in Voltaires life. Somehow, these men at war, had been convinced that to save oneself one had to destroy opposing minds. At one point Candide says to Cacambo, "God be praised... If I sinned in killing an Inquisitor and a Jesuit, I've at toned for it by saving the lives of two girls". To 'save' the lives of those girls he killed two monkeys who ended up being the girls lovers. It doesn't make sense to be at toned for killing by killing, and Voltaire didn't think so either.

Early in the book, Candide gets kicked out of his German castle and when he reaches Holland he is out of food. He was reassured by the knowledge, "that everyone was rich in that country, and that the people were christians", so", he did not doubt that he would be treated as well there as he ahd been in the barons castle... ". Unfortunately poor Cnadide was wrong. After an Anabaptist had spoken of the importance of charity for a full hour, Candide approached him. The orator rejected Candides request for food on the basis of his lack of knowledge of religious political conflicts occuring in that region.

Candide is a metaphysician and when asked if he, "believed that the pope is he antichrist?" he would naturally say nothing but the truth, "I've never heard anyone say so... but whether he is or not, I still have nothing to eat". Voltaire used Hol and as the place of Candides arrival because the Anabaptist movement was strong there. Even though they were Christian, they would not support those who needed help, even after lecturing on the virtue of charity. Voltaire quite abrasively notes the contradictions in organized religion. When the old woman is telling her story she mentions the fact that after her captor had finished fighting over her, with his enemy, she saw, "Italian woman torn and cut to pieces, slaughtered by the monsters who were fighting over them". Then she goes on to say, As you know, such scenes took place all over an area of seven hundred-fifty miles across, yet no one ever missed the daily prayers prescribed by mohammad.

Though he was known for his satire of organized religion, that does not mean that Voltaire was not religious. He was a devout Christian but disagreed with the practices of many religious organizations. The killing of man is obviously wrong and is clearly stated so in the Bible. As we see, and Voltaire saw, it seemed to be common practice by churches, that chose to wage war.

The Roman Catholic church specifically became an object of satire for its use of the inquisition. Voltaire was once considered a heretic; someone who opposes church teachings, which in some ways he was. He did not believe all other religions should be destroyed, because he did not believe all opposing views should be destroyed. Voltaire also saw inquisitors and church officials as those who could be easily seduced.

The Roman Catholic hierarchy was not as abstinent as some had hoped. The old women in Candide was supposedly the daughter of Pope Urban X. To date there has been no Pope Urban X. Voltaire is simply demonstrating the lack of chastity on the part of the church. Some true popes, such as Leo X, were rumored to have children, this is probably the inspiration for Voltaires sat rire. Even Pang loss, Candides beloved philosopher contracts syphilis from a servant who got it from a friar, Voltaire spares no one.

He also mocks the church practice of castrating boys. When the old lady meets the eunuch, he says, I was born in naples, where they castrate two or three thousand children each year. Some of them die of it, others acquire more beautiful voices than that of any women, still others go off to rule states. In my case, the operation was a great success. Later that same eunuch describes how, He had been sent to the King of Morocco by a Christian power to make a treaty with that monarch whereby he would be supplied with gunpowder, cannons and ships to help him wipe out the trade of other Christian powers.

So, the church has not only castrated this man, along with thousands of others, but they have sent him to help facilitate a war, that will kill thousands of men. The church doesn't stop at destroying the lives of the opposition, they cripple there own followers. It is obvious why Voltaire saw the church as a body of selfishness and greed. The ultimate religiously satirical passage comes, when Candide is in the land of Eldorado.

He says to the old man he has met, "What! You have no man ks who teach, argue, rule, plot and burn people who don't agree with them?" The old man replies", We'd be mad if we did". Word Count: 1539.