Voltaire :: Essays Papers

VoltaireFrancois Marie Arouet ( write name Voltaire) was born(p) on November 21, 1694 in genus genus Paris. Voltaires style, wit, intelligence and keen sense of onlyice do him one of Frances greatest framers and philosophers. Young Francois Marie received an excellent education 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 ability to write verse. In 1717 he was arrested for writing a series of satirical verses ridiculing the french government, and was imprisoned in the Bastille. During his eleven months in prison he wrote his first-year major play, Oedipe, which achieved great success in 1718. He adopted his pen name Voltaire the same year. In 1726 Voltaire insulted a powerful young overlord and was given two options imprisonment or evict. He chose exile and from 1726 to 1729 lived in England. While in England Voltaire was attrac ted to the philosophy of John Locke and ideas of the great scientist Sir Isaac Newton. After his clear to Paris he wrote a book praising English usance and institutions. The book was thought to criticize the French government and Voltaire was forced to break away 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 voice of reason, and an communicative 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 Voltaire was denied burial in church ground.