The Pot and Kettle: Religious Hypocrisy in Candide Matthew Goulian College

If satirical comedy can accurately shed light on the flaws of society, it seems that hypocrisy in its many forms, is the first and hardest of them to fall. Voltaire’s 1759 satire, Candide does just this as it pokes holes in the many dysfunctions of 18th century Europe; a period where violence and disaster was common, and a charitable expression of religious beliefs was the opposite. In this novella, Voltaire accurately displays religious hypocrisy in the clergy and those who hold power through characters such as Cunegonde and her contemporary the old woman. Similarly, he demonstrates that this type of hypocrisy is present in the average, everyday person through narrating the plot line of Candide and the protestant minister.

Candide’s lover, Cunégonde’s storyline seems to be the epitome of religious hypocrisy in Voltaire’s satire, especially among the clergy. Upon finding Cunegonde, Candide comes to learn that she is at the mercy of the Grand Inquisitor for one half of the week, who as she describes, “ogled at me persistently’ (ch. 9), and Don Issachar, a Jew, the other half. Though Christianity was dominant in 18th century Europe, Voltaire demonstrates that religious hypocrisy was widespread and not exclusive to a certain...