Surprises

I never imagined that Candide would kill. I always thought that he was a noble man, a charming and loving man that had gone through a lot of things but was wise enough not to commit such things as murder! Many people surprise me, I get “carried away by the appearances” (Epictetus) and judge sometimes in ways that I shouldn’t, and then that person does something that I did not expect and the whole judgment of that person is changed. Maybe by a comment, an action or a gesture, the person becomes someone else. Well, now I picture Candide differently. “I’ve got into the way of killing people. There’s no time to hesitate.” (pg. 45) He not only kills Issachar, but the Cardinal Inquisitor. But, why did he do it? He killed Issachar to defend himself, “With these words he drew a long dagger, which he always carried, and hurled himself at Candide, without pausing to think whether his opponent was armed.” (pg. 44) In a way, that’s an excuse. In the U.S if you kill someone for self defense you are not charged as a murderer, and are not taken to jail. I forgive Candide for killing Issachar, nonetheless I do not accept the murder of the Inquisitor. He did it just to get rid of a trouble. He knew that he might accuse him for the murder of Issachar, so he just avoided the problem by killing him!

The old lady is another one that surprised me. She happens to be the daughter of a Pope and a Princess, and not only a maid, as she seemed to be. She had to go through the same things or even worse than Lady Cunégonde. And again, do not get carried away by appearances.