Candide characters

Appears from the start

A guileless young man raised in the household of a Westphalian baron. Taught that creation follows an optimally ordered plan, he initially accepts his tutor's philosophy without question. His love for Cunegonde and sudden expulsion from the castle begin a long education in the gap between optimistic theory and experience.

Appears from the start

The baron's daughter and the object of Candide's affection. Curious and impulsive, she initiates a kiss after observing a private lesson between Pangloss and Paquette, causing Candide to be driven from the household.

Appears from the start

Tutor in the baron's household and teacher of a system claiming that every event serves an optimally ordered creation. He gives elaborate explanations for his certainty and provides Candide with the doctrine against which later disasters will be measured.

Also known as The Young Baron

Appears from the start

Cunegonde's brother and heir to the family title. As a member of the Westphalian household, he shares the rank and assumptions that make Candide's uncertain birth a barrier to marriage with Cunegonde.

Appears from the start

A chambermaid in the baron's household. Cunegonde secretly observes her with Pangloss, an encounter that indirectly prompts Cunegonde to experiment with Candide and leads to his expulsion.

Also known as The Anabaptist

First appears in chapter 3

A charitable Dutch merchant who helps Candide when a preacher rejects him. He gives Candide food and work, then pays for Pangloss's treatment despite disagreeing with the tutor's view of humanity.

First appears in chapter 7

An experienced elderly servant who finds Candide after the Lisbon punishment and tends his injuries. She acts with practical efficiency, giving him shelter and food before leading him to an unexpected reunion.

First appears in chapter 8

A wealthy Jewish merchant in Lisbon who has purchased control over Cunegonde and shares access to her under an arrangement imposed by the Grand Inquisitor. He reacts violently when he finds Candide with her.

First appears in chapter 8

A powerful Lisbon church official who witnessed Cunegonde's situation, acquired a competing claim over her, and arranged a divided household with Don Issachar. He also presides over the religious punishment inflicted on Candide and Pangloss after the earthquake.

First appears in chapter 13

The governor of Buenos Aires, ceremonious and vain, whose many names display his status. He immediately takes an interest in Cunegonde when Candide's party arrives and asks to marry her.

First appears in chapter 14

Candide's resourceful servant, born in the region and familiar with its languages and customs. Calm where Candide is impulsive, he becomes guide, interpreter, negotiator, and practical partner during their travels in South America.

First appears in chapter 19

An impoverished scholar whom Candide chooses as a traveling companion because suffering has made him expect the worst of human conduct. His systematic pessimism provides a counterargument to Pangloss's equally systematic optimism.

First appears in chapter 19

A Dutch merchant and ship captain in Surinam who agrees to transport Candide and his wealth, then exploits a dispute to sail away with much of the fortune. He represents the calculated greed Candide repeatedly encounters.

First appears in chapter 24

A young friar in Venice whom Candide and Martin meet with Paquette. Though he appears cheerful, he describes religious life as an unwanted confinement and longs to escape it.

First appears in chapter 25

A wealthy Venetian senator surrounded by renowned books, art, music, and gardens. He has trained himself to find faults in nearly every possession and performance, leaving Candide uncertain whether his detachment is wisdom or merely boredom.

First appears in chapter 30

A modest farmer near Constantinople who supports his household through steady shared work and avoids public affairs. His contentment offers Candide a practical alternative to the competing philosophical systems that have accompanied his travels.