Candida is the title character of the play. She has been portrayed as an angle for Morell (her husband), an adorable beauty for Lexy, and a divine creature for Marchbanks. However, she is not liked by Proserpine.
Candida is a frank and truthful woman having a bold character. She is not only physically attractive and beautiful but also intelligent and moral. She is around 33 years of age and is well built.
The play focuses to bring out the maternal aspect of her character as she acts like a mother not only of her children but also of Morell and Marchbanks.
Morell is deeply in love with her and is very satisfied about his happy married life, which he acknowledges to Lexy also. Candida too, is a loving housewife. She takes care of her husband and is devoted to his happiness. She tries to take the burden of household chores and relaxes Morell from them. She wants him to focus on his preaching and addressing the people. Although she is mildly interested in Marchbanks, still orders him to leave their house when she found that Marchbanks is a source of worry for Morell. She is an excellent host too.
She is an intelligent woman. She understands the truth of her husband’s popularity as a speaker. She tells him that people listen but do not understand and follow his words, preaching and sermons.
Some contemporary critics have titled her as ‘a sentimental prostitute’ because of her love for Marchbanks. At some instances she seems to play with feelings of Marchbanks. However, she blindly trusts him. Even when she was all alone at home with Marchbanks, she maintained the privacy between the two. This was the reason she becomes outraged when Morell suspects her.
She has a special individuality of hers. She breaks the myth of Morell that she is dependent on him and makes him realize the fact that it is Morell who is actually dependent on her. He is the Master of the house because she has made him so. She mocks him as even weaker than Marchbanks. She is superior to both Morell and Marchbanks as both of them accepted her choice without any retaliation. She truly represents a ‘New Age Women’.
