Zadig, Chapter 9 summary
Chapter 9 of 18 · 6 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 9, Zadig receives a sentence of slavery for killing Cletofis in self-defense, and the merchant Setoc buys him and his attendant. His practical knowledge wins his master’s respect, and his clever use of a stone as evidence forces a debtor to acknowledge and repay Setoc’s loan.
What happens
- An Egyptian crowd accuses Zadig of abducting Missouf and murdering Cletofis, but questioning clears him of deliberate murder.
- The law still condemns Zadig to slavery, and Setoc buys him and his attendant, valuing the stronger attendant more highly.
- During their journey, Zadig explains balance and shares useful knowledge, gaining Setoc’s respect and confidence.
- Setoc seeks repayment of a loan, but his debtor denies it because both witnesses are dead.
- Zadig requests the lending-site stone as a witness, and the debtor exposes his knowledge of its location and size.
- The debtor admits the loan and pays after being restrained at the stone, while Zadig gains fame throughout Arabia.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The stone cannot speak, but the debtor’s response reveals knowledge of the lending site. Zadig turns that response into evidence against him.
Quick check
How does the debtor expose his knowledge of the stone?
Cite this page
“Zadig, Chapter 9 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/pages/zadig-chapter-9-summary.
Library of Alexandria. (2026). Zadig, Chapter 9 summary. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/zadig-chapter-9-summary
“Zadig, Chapter 9 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/zadig-chapter-9-summary.
@misc{zadig_chapter_9_summary_2026,
title = {Zadig, Chapter 9 summary},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/zadig-chapter-9-summary}
}
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