Pangloss in Candide is the image of Voltaire's philosophical ideas and Candide is the voice. The theory that Candide believes in so strongly, "It follows that those who maintain that all is right talk nonsense; they ought to say that all is for the best", or everything happens for the greater good, is the basic view of how strongly Voltaire believes in the notion of fate. By using a character other than the protagonist to explain why Candide believes the theory, Voltaire can use the protagonist to question and play with the theory.

This is to be compared with Sophocles who expresses his notions of fate not with a theory but instead a character's actions in

woman] 'That's a difficult question' said Candide.

"'I should like to know what is the worst,

I am convinced by your courteous behaviour

This theory does seem to take a great deal of effect upon him and the way he thinks and acts in the different situations he finds himself in. He expresses how strongly he believes in Pangloss's theory when he accepts the loss of his dear Lady Cunegonde;

Oedipus lived out his fate in the way the Oracle told, therefore by marrying his mother and murdering his father

In the end there has to be a choice or decision in which Voltaire expresses his final feelings of how he sees fate. This is expressed not through Candide but through the eyes of the Old Woman and confirmed by Candide with a question that goes as such;

to be ravished a hundred times by negro pirates,

Not only does this show how strongly Candide believes in the theory but how the theory is connected with fate the writer's notion of fate and how it is displayed through Candide.

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Approximate Word count = 691
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)