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Character Analysis: Is Candide An Opera Or A Musical?

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Over the years the novel Candide experienced many revisions but, the same question still exists in every version, “Is Candide an Opera or a Musical?” Candide is about a boy(Candide) falling in love with his cousin(Cunegonde). However, her family disapproves of this and bans him from the family. However, this doesn't stop him to be with his love of his life. Throughout the story we examine him trying to be united with Cunegonde and there's many songs/dialogue that explains the story even further. In musicals characters, are able to talk and sing but, in operas the characters can only sing. So what is Candide?
One reason why Candide considered as an Opera because musicals tend to be more happy, while operas tend to be tragic or miserable. “The
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The result of Candide’s journey through life is unsatisfactory and unfulfilling while Douglass achieves self-actualization and continues to help others by fighting to right injustices. In his quest to become a free man Douglass is self-reliant, resourceful and focused while Candide in his quest to marry his love Cunegonde is naïve, greedy, and selfish. The

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Candide was more sarcastic while in Beauty Queens it was more direct and straight forward. In Candide, Voltaire choice of words was for the more educated class of citizen in order to understand what he was voicing. For example, “The university of Coimbrahad pronounced that the sight of a few people ceremoniously burned alive …the authorities of that country could find no surer means of avoiding total ruin than by giving the people ad auto-da-fe(Candide p.36).” In Chapter 15 of Beauty Queens “Of course, it’s not right for girls to behave this way. Sexuality is not meant to be this way…

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Candide lost his home and had no where to go or stay. According to Voltaire, " Baron … Drove Candide from the house with powerful kicks on the backside"(page 21). Candide laments that his actions have caused Baron to kick him out and separate him from Cunegonde and his commodities. Candide was forced to leave lady Cunegonde due to the strong feelings he had towards her. Furthermore, Candide was not only kicked out, he had no where to sleep as well as no access to food.

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1. In Chapter 22, Candide and Martin encounter a scholar at the dinner hosted by the Marchioness of Parolignac. What is Voltaire up to in designing this conversation?

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