Voltaire :: Essays Papers

VoltaireFrancois Marie Arouet (pen shit Voltaire) was born on November 21, 1694 in Paris. Voltaires style, wit, intelligence and keen sense of justice made him one of Frances greatest writers and philosophers. Young Francois Marie received an excellent educational activity at a Jesuit school. He left school at 16 and soon formed friendships with a group of sophisticated Parisian aristocrats. Paris society sought his company for his cleverness, humor and remarkable cleverness to write verse. In 1717 he was arrested for writing a series of satiric verses ridiculing the French government, and was imprisoned in the Bastille. During his eleven months in prison he wrote his first major play, Oedipe, which achieved great success in 1718. He choose his pen name Voltaire the same year. In 1726 Voltaire insulted a powerful juvenility nobleman and was given two options imprisonment or acquit. He chose exile and from 1726 to 1729 lived in England. While in England Voltaire was attracted to the philosophy of John Locke and ideas of the great scientist Sir Isaac Newton. after(prenominal) his return to Paris he wrote a book praising side of meat customs and institutions. The book was thought to criticize the French government and Voltaire was hale to flee Paris again. In 1759 Voltaire purchased an estate called Ferney near the French-Swiss border where he lived until just before of his death. Ferney soon became the intellectual capitol of Europe. Throughout his years in exile Voltaire produced a constant flow of books, plays, pamphlets, and letters. He was a verbalize of reason, and an outspoken critic of religious intolerance and persecution. Voltaire returned to a heros welcome in Paris at age 83. The excitement of the trip was too much for him and he died in Paris. Because of his criticism of the church building Voltaire was denied burial in church ground.