Candide Quotes for Discussion

Chapters XV-XIX

“We are engaging the King of Spain’s troops with the utmost vigor, and I assure you they will be excommunicated and beaten.” (the Baron)

Chapt XV – page 66

“You insolent fellow!” exclaimed the Baron. “You have the impudence to think of marrying my sister, who has seventy-two quarterings in her coat of arms, and you talk to me of such a hot-headed notion? Have you no sense of shame?”

Chapt XV – pg 67

“What have I done! I have killed my old master, my friend, and my brother-in-law! I am the best-tempered man there ever was, yet I have already killed three men, and two of them were priests!” (Candide)

Chapter XV page 67

“What is the use of prolonging my miserable existence, if I must drag out my days in remorse and despair at being banished from her presence? And what will the Jesuit periodicals say?” (Candide)

Chapter XVI – page 68

“Thank Heaven for that [killing the 2 monkeys], my dear Cacambo! He [Candide] exclaimed. “I have delivered those two poor creatures from grave danger.”

Chapter XVIPage 69

“What would Professor Pangloss say if he had seen how unsophisticated nature behaves? No doubt all is for the best, but I must say it is very cruel to have lost Lady Cunegonde and to be skewered by the Oreillons.” (Candide)

Chapter XVI – page 71

Candide was full of admiration and kept harping on his deliverance. “What grand people they are! he said. “What fine fellows! And what culture!”

Chapter XVIPage 72

“The new world, you see, is no better than the old; take my advice and let’s return to Europe as quickly as we can.” (Cacambo)

Chapter XVII page 73

“If we don’t find anything pleasant, we shall at least find something fresh.” (Cacambo)

[they arrive at El Dorado by drifting in the stream]

Chapter XVI page 74

[On first arriving at El Dorado] The farmer and the landscape gardener had been equally busy in this country side, and everything which served the needs of man was pleasing to the sight.

Chapter XVII page 74

Candide picked them [the jewels and gold] up and, running after the tutor, handed them to him with a deep bow and made signs to show that Their Royal Highnesses had forgotten their gold nuggets and precious stones. The village schoolmaster smiled and threw them away…

Chapter XVII – page 75

[their dinner]: “each garnished with two parakeets, a boiled vulture weighing about two hundred pounds, two delicious roast monkeys…”

Chapter XVII page 76

“What country can this be?” said one to the other. “It must be unknown to the rest of the world, because everything is so different from what we are sued to. It is probably the country where all goes well; for there must obviously be some such place. And whatever Professor Pangloss might say, I often noticed that all went badly in Westphalia.” (Cacambo and Candide)

Chapter XVII page 77

“With the agreement of the whole nation, they made a law that no inhabitant should ever leave our little kingdom; and that is how our innocence and happiness have been preserved.” (the El Dorado elder)

Chapter XVIII page 78

After being told that the people do not pray but instead give thanks all day – “Candide was curious to see some of their priests, and told Cacambo to ask where they could be found.”… The old man smiled. “My friends,” said he, “we are all priests…”

Chapter XVIII page 80

Cacambo asked one of the lords-in-waiting how he should behave in saluting His Majesty; should he fall on his knees or should he grovel… “The custom is,” said the lord-in-waiting, “to embrace the King and kiss him on both cheeks.”

Chapter XVIII page 81

Candide asked to see the Law Courts [and prisons] and is told that there are none.

Chapter XVIII pages 81 - 82

“It is quite true, my good fellow, that the house where I was born won’t bear comparison with the mansion of this country; but still I shall never be happy without Lady Cunegonde… If we stay here, we shall be no different from anybody else; but if we go back to the old world with a mere twelve sheep laden with Elorado stones, we shall be richer than all the kings of Europe put together.”

Chapter XVIII page 82

“So these happy men decide to be happy no longer and to make leave of His Majesty.”

Chapter XVIII page 83

“Those of us who work in the factories and happen to catch a finger in the grindstone have a hand chopped off; if we try to escape, they cut off one leg. Both accidents happened to me. That’s the price of your eating sugar in Europe.” The slave that Cacambo and Candide meet in Surinam.

Chapter XIX page 86

“What is optimism?” asked Cacambo.

“It’s the passion for maintaining that all is right when all goes wrong with us,” replied Candide.

Chapter XIX page 86