Voltaire

1. Voltaire Michael Jaramillo

2. His real name was François-Marie Arouet. He used the pseudonym Voltaire. • He was born on November 21, 1694 in Paris. • He died in May 30, 1778. • His works are known for their wit and sarcasm. • He created works in almost every literary form such as essays, plays, and novels. General

3. He was born in Paris and was the youngest of five children. • His father was a minor treasury official and his mother was from a noble family. • Voltaire went to the Collège Louis-le-Grand where he learned Latin and Greek. • He was sent by his father to Caen to study law. • His father got him a job as the ambassador to the Netherlands. • He then wrote a scandolous story that landed him in the Bastille. Life

4. He was exiled to Great Britain because he retorted to an insult given to him by a noble man. • While in Britain, he was interested in the British constitutional monarchy as opposed to France’s absolute monarchy. • He joined the court of Frederick of Prussia twice and the court of Louis XV once. • Lived in Switzerland because he was banned from Paris in 1754. • He died in Paris in 1778. Life cont.

5. Le Mondain (1736) • Zadig (1747) • The Candide (1759) • Dictionnaire Philosophique (1764) • La Princesse de Babylone (1768) • He also wrote some plays: • Zaire (1732) • Mahomet (1736) • Nanine (1749) • Historical Works • History of Charles XII, King of Sweden (1731) Major Works

6. The name Voltaire is an anagram for Arovet Li, which is the Latinized spelling of Arouet and the initial letters of “le jeune”. • The name is also similar to the name of his parents château, “Airvault”. • He adopted the name after his time in the Bastille. How He Got His Name

7. He influenced the Founding Fathers in creating the 1st Amendment. • He was a deist. • He defended civil liberties. • He wanted citizens to be able to practice any religion. He also did not want the government to establish a state religion. Influence on America

8. The main character, Candide, grows up in a castle and is taught by Pangloss, who teaches him about optimism. Candide falls in love with Cunegonde. • Cunegonde is the daughter of the baron. The baron kicks him out of the castle. Candide then joins the army of the Bulgars. He is whipped for walking away from the camp. • He eventually escapes and travels to Holland. He meets Pangloss and a man who was named Jacques. They all travel to Libson. Candide

9. Once in Libson, they experience an earthquake and then eat dinner. Pangloss discusses his beliefs at dinner and then he and Candide get arrested by the Inquisition. Candide gets set free and sees Pangloss hang. • Candide then meets an old woman who takes him to see Cunegonde. Candide kills Cunegonde’s two masters. Candide, Cunegonde, and the old woman flee arrest. Candide then ransoms Cunegonde and the old woman. • Candide then meets Cunegonde’s brother and asks his permission to marry Cunegonde. The brother denied, but Candide married her anyways. • Finally, Candide buys a farm and he cultivates a garden. Candide cont.

10. Because he refused to retract his criticism of the church, he was denied a proper Christian burial. • His friends managed to get him buried at Champagne. • The National Assembly took his body and enshrined him in Paris. They did this because they viewed him as a forerunner to the French Revolution. Death