Terms of Humor, Satire, and Irony in Candide By: Emily Szpiro, Patrick O'Dowd, Elena Studier, Alex Hay, Haerin Lee, and Jay Hamilton

Candide -Written in 1759 by Voltaire -Intended to enlighten French people and other Europeans of the problems within the government, especially in terms of religion -Famous for the use of humor, irony, and, most prominently, satire -shows the contrast of optimism and philosophy by following the life of a man named Candide -the perils of Candide's life are usually caused by fate

Tendency Wit Definition: An aggressive statement which directs a laugh at a particular person or thing. Example: "Our soldiers defended us like the Pope's guard: they fell on their knees and threw away their arms, begging the pirates for absolution at the point of death."  This excerpt from Candide illustrates tendency wit as it aggressively pokes fun at the Church, by noting the lack of bravery among its guards.

Aphorism -Haerin Definition: A pointed statement that underscores a serious maxim or major truth. Example: (Pangloss/Candide in Lisbon) 'Your Exellency must excuse me,' said Pangloss; 'Free Will is consistent with Absolute Necessity, for it was ordained that we should be free. For the Will that is determined...' -Pangloss is arguing against the Portuguese Inquisitor about the belief of Absolute Being (God), questioning the existence of God. The Portuguese Inquisitor thinks that God is the one who gives and makes absolute decisions for human affairs and Pangloss argues against by stating that human have rights to do things freely, for that rights was granted to them which work as powerful as the products of God. And Portuguese Inquisitor thinks Pangloss is crazy by saying this.   

Menippean/Verronian satire Definition: an informal satire which presents a seriese of dialogues and debates to make its point.   Example: There are so many good examples of Menippean satire in Candide. Voltaire proposes his ideas and demonstrates his points through the use of diolouge between characters, or through the situtions that the characters find themselves in, which is the definition of Menippean satire. Specifically, one example of this can be found in chapters XVII and XVIII during Candide's trip to Eldorado. The people in Eldorado were a happy and peaceful people. They did not value gold, or silver, or other things which Europeans considered riches. They had a different monetary system than Candide. Voltaire demonstrated the futility of wealth as a source of happiness and mocked the materialistic nature of the European society at the time.

Black Humor Definition: In modern literature, a technique that places humor in the context of horror in an effort to reveal widespread social turmoils or ills. Example: a good example of this technique in Candide comes in chapter 5, shortly after the earthquake that has decimated Lisbon as Candide and Pangloss arrive there. Here there is presented a scene of carnage and death in the ruined city; with “the dead and dying all around” (and, we shortly see, Candide himself trapped under some rubble) all that Pangloss can think of is his precious philosophy. What Voltaire is trying to “reveal” here is how ignorant the philosophy of Leibnitz’ philosophy that this is “the best of all possible worlds”; as represented by the irrepressible Pangloss, with such a broken world all around him, how can anyone possibly think that this world is as good as it gets?

Black Humor “The Day or Judgement has come,” cried Candide. The sailor rushed straight into the midst of the debris and risked his life searching for money. Having found some, he ran off with it to get drunk; and after sleeping off the effects of the wine, he bought the favors of the first girl of easy virtue he met amongst the ruined houses with the dead and dying all around. Pangloss pulled him by the sleeve and said: “This will never do, my friend; you are not obeying the universal rule of Reason; you have misjudged the occasion.”

Black Humor

Epigram Definition: terse prose or poetry that end with a witty or surprising turn of thought. A good example of this in Candide comes at the beginning of chapter 13, where Candide is eventually separated from Cunegonde and the old woman. However, the scene which most concerns us for the purpose of an epigram comes at the very beginning of the chapter, with everyone still on the ship to Buenos Aires. Candide observes that it is unfortunate that Pangloss has "died" but for a rather different reason than might be expected:       "It is a great pity," said Candide, "that the normal custom at an auto-da-fe was broken and our sagacious Pangloss hanged; for otherwise he would have made some remarkable observations on the moral and physical evils which infest the earth and sea, and with all due respect to him I should have made bold to offer a few objections."

Socratic Irony Emily Szpiro Definition: this form of irony is used when a character or speaker assumes an ignorant role, then reveals weakness or absurdity in another's contrary opinions. Example: An example from Candide of socratic irony is the exchange between Martin and Candide on the ship going to France. Martin is telling Candide about the evil nature of men. Candide, having been raised on optimistic values, retorts with a comment that shows how absurd and drastic Martin’s pessimistic views of mankind are. Candide’s ignorance reveals the extremeness of Martin.

Socratic Irony Emily Szpiro ‘Do you think,’ said Candide, ‘that men have always massacred each other, as they do to-day, that they have always been false, cozening, faithless, ungrateful, thieving, weak, inconstant, mean-spirited, envious, greedy drunken, miserly, ambitious, bloody slanderous, debauched, fanatic, hypocritical, and stupid?’

Socratic Irony

Romantic Irony Emily Szpiro Definition: An author establishes the illusion of reality, often with a self conscious narrator, and then steps in and bursts the audience's bubble of illusion. Example: Romantic irony is used in Candide, most notably at the end of the novel when Pangloss provides Candide with a romanticized and overly optimistic summary of all the misfortunes that had befallen Candide. Candide listens to Pangloss as he says this, and interjects with a harsh fall to reality.

Romantic Irony Emily Szpiro From time to time Pangloss would say to Candide: ‘There is a chain of events in this best of all possible worlds; for if you had not been turned out of a beautiful manion at the point of a jackboot for the love of Lady Cunegonde, and if you had not been involved in the Inquisition, and had not wandered over America on foot, and had not struck the Baron with your sword and lost all those sheep you brought from Eldorado, you would not be here eating candied fruits and pistachio nuts.’ ‘That is true enough,’ said Candide; ‘but we must go work in the garden.’

Romantic Irony

Cosmic Irony -Haerin Definition: The idea that fate, destiny, or a god controls and toys with human hopes and expectations; also, the belief that the universe is so large and man is so small that the universe is indifferent to the plight of man; also called irony of fate.   -The example of Cosmic Irony from Candide is found in page 29, when Candide met Pangloss and comments on the news that he heard, including death of his love, Lady Cunegonde.  ‘I know what this love is,’ said Candide, with a shake of his head, ‘this sovereign of hearts and quintessence of our souls: my entire reward has been a kiss and twenty kicks on the backside. But how could such a beautiful cause produce so hideous an effect upon you?’ (pg 29)

Sarcasm In literature, sarcasm is demonstrated as apparent praise used for dispraise.  Example: (Candide p. 36) "The university of Coimbra had pronounced that the sight of a few people ceremoniously burned alive before a slow fire was an infallible prescription for preventing earthquakes; so when the earthquake had subsided after destroying three-quarters of Lisbon, the authorities of that country could find no surer means of avoiding total ruin than by giving the people ad auto-da-fé." This example demonstrates the principle of sarcasm, by praising the idea of an auto-de-fé being an effective means of preventing natural catastrophes. This is obviously not what Voltaire was trying to promote.

Humorous Utterance Emily Szpiro Definition: a statement(s) entertaining to the audience, but not necessarily to the speaker. Example: When Candide and Martin are in France, they attend a performance of a tragedy in a theater. Candide asks the abbé how many plays have been written in French, and the abbé says a large number, but when Candide asks how many of them were good (since the abbé is a harsh critic), he responds "fifteen or sixteen." Martin replied, possibly sarcastically, that that number was a lot. This statement is remarkably funny and provides the reader with an opportunity to laugh.

Humorous Utterance Emily Szpiro 'How many plays have been written in French?' [Candide] asked. 'About five or six thousand,' replied the abbé. 'That's a lot,' he remarked; 'how many are good?' 'Fifteen or sixteen,' replied the other. 'That's a lot,' said Martin. 

Humorous Utterance