For challenging Lisbon's religious authorities, Pangloss is condemned to death by hanging for his heresy, while Candide sentenced to be publically flogged then shot for listening to Pangloss with "an air of approval." After Candide's whipping, he manages to escape persecution and expresses anguish for the alleged loss of Pangloss, leaving him doubting the intrinsic goodness of the world. The painful, tragic experiences Candide and Pangloss faced in the city of Lisbon make it apparent to Candide that, although these events may be horrible, it's the best of all things. This suggests that Candide too believed in the optimistic world view. Despite the pessimism Candide encountered in Lisbon, the reason why he holds on to the ideals of optimism is due to his love for Cunégonde. Without Cunégonde, I believe, that Candide would not so readily accept optimism. His love for her is so strong that it renders Candide naive to the world's horrors. .
In Lisbon, Candide encounters primarily pessimism, but upon arriving in El Dorado, he witnesses optimism. Candide considers the city of El Dorado as the utopia that Pangloss would describe as the "best of all possible worlds." Eldorado society is described as a paradise of happiness. A perfect society, that doesn't suffer from greed, religious persecution, petty squabbles, or social inequality. El Dorado optimistically proposes that human beings are capable of creating a just, peaceful society. However, El Dorado is suggested as a false hope of optimism for Candide, for no true happiness can occur if he is not with Cunégonde. El Doaradian happiness is based around its idleness and isn't a true representation of the real world because mankind is too restless. Its happiness is based of the preposterously perfect society of Eldorado. Candide's desire to reunite with Cunégonde is the driving force that allows his departure from El Dorado.
