Inferno Essay

The Influence of Dante's Inferno Essay
Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy is an epic poem that begins with the Inferno. The Inferno is an
extremely influential part of European literature. The structure of story is for many people a piece
of the vision of Hell. Religiously, this poem has had great prevalence. Dante paints a picture of the
Hell that is both unsettling and justifiable. A whole world is created through his poem. The levels
and intensity of sin is pondered. Crime is put to a level of small to large scale. Those that are
intentional and calculated are deemed more heinous than those that are out of passion. There are
many reasons why this piece of literature make me think and develops my own ideas of what lies
beyond this world. Dante's Inferno causes...show more content...
The idea of eternal punishment definitely helps to fuel my own religious intent. "...what sort of
souls are these you see around you. Now you should know before we go farther on, they have not
sinned. But their great worth alone was not enough, for they did not know Baptism," (Dante 32–35)
this quote from the Inferno is troublesome (Dante 32–35). This is from the First Circle of Hell,
Limbo, which is not full of sinners. Yet, their souls are considered to be unclean because they
were never baptized because of this they are never allowed to see Christ's face. This is
emotionally up heaving for those that do have religion. True Christians have great hope that they
will see the face of God. My religion is tested through this because I know sin. Even this fictional
depiction of Hell, which helps me to visualize what that place would be like, is mortifying. Will
my sin take me to a level of Hell, where I will be tortured throughout eternity? The people of
Limbo were simply placed there because they were never baptized. Those in Limbo suffer with
their desire, but in life they did no true wrong. This idea that those that do not commit sin still do
not see God's face makes the question of religion even more imperative. A person can do so little
wrong, but from Dante's perspective have no moral ground to be considered worthy of redemption.
This vision of Hell is very captivating in terms of religious questioning. The model of Dante's vision
of hell is
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Dante Alighieri 's The Inferno Essay
Dante Alighieri's, The Inferno, is autobiographical account of his journey through hell. This story
is the first part of a larger account known as The Divine Comedy. Dante wrote this passage during
the Late Middle Ages, a time in Europe where the Christian faith was a central influence in life. His
story describes what life after death was like for those who had sinned here on Earth. Dante Alighieri
used The Inferno to teach both people then and now about the horrors of afterlife for those who went
to hell.
Dante begins his story by telling how he "has strayed from the way the True Way into the Dark
World of Error." This opening line allows the reader to easily relate to Dante himself. Straying
from the true way is a way of expressing that he has not been following the correct path set by
God for all living people to follow. Just as Dante had failed to follow the way, many others of his
time and today still fail to follow it. Dante then describes how three monster–like creatures blocked
his path up the hill and he needed to find another way. It is at this time that Virgil appears and offers
to lead Dante. Their journey takes them directly through hell itself. This journey through hell can be
related to a religious pilgrimage. At numerous times throughout the nine levels of hell, Dante
questioned Virgil and his faith itself. The purpose of this pilgrimage was to teach Dante what would
happen if he continued to live on the sinful path he lived at the time. At each level

Write An Essay On Dante's Inferno
Though it is not technically a level of Hell, I could not help but think of myself when Dante and
Virgil traveled through the Vestibule. This antechamber is the eternal home to "the opportunists."
Here, these souls are condemned to forever chase after a banner, punishment for leading their lives
only following themselves without ever taking the side of good or evil. They are constantly being
stung by hornets, representing their guilty consciences that always swarm them. Souls here do
things only to further themselves, regardless of anyone else. Contrary to those dwelling in the
Vestibule, I do things less because I want to get ahead and more because I do not want to fall
behind. My daily goal is to blend into the background, to not stand out...show more content...
I am extremely conscious of my inability to voice my opinions or take sides. I know it is wrong,
but I cannot get up the courage to do anything about it. Despite this, I feel guilt constantly at the
fact that I am so selfish and cowardly that I am able to let things slide without calling anyone out
over anything. I get broken up about being this way, but the fact that I have not done anything to
change says a lot. I am willing to stay this way, wracked with guilt while others are hurting, just to
secure my spot on any side but the losing one. I cannot point out a single time where I have
openly and vehemently argued or debated with someone. One may say it is because I am a
peacekeeper, but it is really because I am too afraid of losing the argument and looking like a fool.
When asked about my opinions on things, generally I will simply reply that I am a neutral party
with no say in the issue. This fits right in with those in the Vestibule, going so far as to keep silent
about their views on good or evil just to keep from being on the losing side of the battle. Like the
souls trapped in the Vestibule before Hell, I prefer to stay neutral for the betterment of myself. I do
have morals of course, but my cowardice and selfishness wins out over my need to express them.
Though not to an extreme extent, the dwelling of the opportunists, the Vestibule, is the level in
which I relate to myself the

Dante?s Inferno Essay examples
Literature is an art. It demands the imagination of the reader, and in return the literature will
communicate the message at whatever level is desired. It is not uncommon for many literary works
to operate on more than various level; there are facts and truths, which are immediately apparent, and
in contrast, the symbolism or allegories that may be present upon deeper investigation and
exploration. In works regarding religion or spiritual matters, oftentimes it is very common to find
symbolism, and this is very true of Dante's 'Divine Comedy,' a work so full of symbolism that there is
only time enough to concentrate on the first two cantos of the first book Inferno.
When putting this work into context so...show more content...
It is interesting and symbolic that the poem starts in a representation of spring, and spring is often
seen as the beginning of things, a time when life comes back to the earth and is seen in the old
traditions as "a season of creation" (Dante). It is also well to remember that at this time Dante
would have believes the sun to be a planet that orbited the earth and not visa versa as we known
today (Dante).
So we are starting at the beginning, and the first event that occurs is on his walk he meets three
animals " concerning that wild beast with the dappled skin...... of a lion ...... And a
she–wolf" (Dante). These are symbolic, although it is not until later (canto XI) that we find
out why, and that there forms represent forms that we may associate with hell, which is also the
inferno. In the later canto we find that this is a symbolism of the
"triple division of sins" these are the beasts of incontinence, violence and

Dante's Inferno Irony Analysis
Dante Alighieri, as you know, was a religious Italian poet during the late middle ages who wrote on
of the most famous poems of all time: Dante's The Inferno. In The Inferno, like many of Dante's
other poems, he uses an array of literary devices that give his poems more depth and make a specific
point to the reader. One of the many literary devices that Dante utilizes throughout the Inferno is
irony. Dante uses irony in two ways in the Inferno; first to illustrate to readers that what you do in
life comes full circle and haunts you in hell. The second way Dante uses irony in this poem is in
specific characters Dante encounters in hell to add some comedy to the poem. Both forms of irony,
however, serve the purpose of touching the reader and...show more content...
This usage of irony is used in certain characters in hell and it often has to do with why they are in
hell. Furthermore, the irony is portrayed in the stories that the sinners tell Dante about how they
wound up in hell. One example from the poem that shows this irony come from canto V where
Dante and Virgil talk to Francesca and Paolo who tell them their story about how they wound up
in hell. Dante recounts their story, "On a day for dalliance we read the rhyme of Lancelot, how
love had mastered him. We were alone with innocence and dim time. Pause after pause that high
old story drew our eyes together while we blushed and paled; but it was one soft passage overthrew
our caution and our hearts. For when we read how her fond smile was kissed by such a lover, he
who is one with me alive and dead breathed on my lips the tremor of his kiss. That book, and he
who wrote it, was a pander. That day we read no further."(Dante 39–40). In this passage, Dante
recounts the story of how Francesca and Paolo (Francesca's brother–in–law) read a book and fall in
love. Shortly thereafter, both of them are killed by the husband and they end up in hell. In Christine
Perkell's, Irony in the Underworlds of Dante and Virgil: Readings of Francesca and Palinurus
Author(s): Christine Perkell, Perkell exclaims, " To summarize: As Francesca tells her story, she
inadvertently – ironically – reveals thГЁ justice of God's judgment in placing her in Inferno. She
fails to confess; she fails to take responsibility as a moral Christian agent; she fails to see herself
or her sin as God sees her and it." Perkell sees the irony in Francesca's story just as Dante intended
it to be. What is ironic about Francesca's story is that while she tries to make Dante feel pity for
her, she reveals to Dante the truth as to why she is in hell and the

Literary Analysis: Dante's Inferno Essay
Dante's work Inferno is a vivid walkthrough the depths of hell and invokes much imagery,
contemplation and feeling. Dante's work beautifully constructs a full sensory depiction of hell and
the souls he encounters along the journey. In many instances within the work the reader arrives at a
crossroads for interpretation and discussion. Canto XI offers one such crux in which Dante asks the
question of why there is a separation between the upper levels of hell and the lower levels of hell. By
discussing the text, examining its implications and interpretations, conclusions can be drawn about
why there is delineation between the upper and lower levels and the rationale behind the separation.
Canto XI serves the purpose in a twofold way;...show more content...
These questions rouse the idea of a divine and perfect punishment by the ultimate judge God, and
implications of possible imperfections of God's judgment. Also the way in which the question is
answered poses another question, why is Aristotle, a human, and a Pre–Christian is thinker is used to
explain God's divine and perfect judgment? The text answers the question in a direct way using the
works of Aristotle, "How his Ethics describes, and deals with at length, the three dispositions
rejected by Heaven, Incontinence, malice, and bestial rage and how one of these offends God less
and so incurs less blame?" (Canto XI 80–83). At this explanation a reader could draw the conclusion
that God's judgment is merciful and perfect. The question though still remains, if those of
previous levels offend God less why do they still incur such a horrible punishment? This question
leaves implications that God's punishment might not be perfect and just. In previous cantos Dante
seems to have developed some pity for those shades he has met in previous circles, such as
Ciacco, and Francesca. He sympathizes with those damned almost as if he is realizing his own sins
of his world. The implications of an imperfect and unjust God can ripple right to the very core of
our own existence. If god is not perfect then

Dante's Inferno
Reading– Hell (Inferno)
Summary– Dante's Inferno follows the tale of Dante, who finds himself in a dark forest alone. He
finds light and attempts to go further into it, however he is thwarted off by a lion, a leopard, and a
wolf. He eventually finds Virgil who informs him that his love Beatrice is waiting for him in Heaven
and that she has sent Virgil to guide him to her. Virgil informs Dante that they will be taking a path
through Hell and their journey commences Virgil guides Dante through the gates of Hell. In their
voyage, they go through the Nine Circles of Hell, each one having distinct punishments for the dead
souls inside. These punishments range from the greedy lying in a pile of mud while excrement
constantly falls upon them to

Dante's Inferno Research Paper
In–class Essay Test–The Inferno
Dante Alighieri was a white guelph who wrote The Divine Comedy after being exiled from
Florence. Dante wrote the Divine Comedy in 1308 and finished it in 1321. The Inferno which is a
book in The Divine Comedy is about Hell. Sin to Dante is pride, avarice, and fraud. Dante punishes
the sinners in a very non forgiving way. The way Dante places the sins is very strategic. Dante's The
Inferno was not only successful in his time, but it is also successful in modern time. The deeper
circle sins are morally worse than the higher circles because the sinners are so morally corrupt that
they have pushed themselves away from God. Upper Hell consists of circles 1–5. The sins of circles
1–5 are: born before christ, lust, gluttony, hoarding, and wrath. The punishments for those circles
are: separated from God, can never see lovers, eating waste, can never move a boulder, and floating
in water. The sins in circles...show more content...
People could argue that circle 9 which sin in betrayal should be violence. This point of view makes
sense because God makes it clear that violence against others is a major sin and violence among
God is an even worse sin. However, betrayal is in the lowest circle as it should be because Lucifer
betrayed God and lost his grace. Lucifer betrayed every level in the the 9th circle and is at the lowest
point of the lowest circle. Therefore, Dante's hierarchy of sins is in a correct order because of what
Lucifer did.
In The Inferno Dante wrote a message about sin and a solution to humanity's problems. Dante's
message is, it is not too late to change your life and ask for forgiveness from God. This message is
very effective because students still read The Inferno, and if the circles of Hell shaped how people
imagine Hell, can it not shape how people avoid Hell? The fact that schools still require high
schoolers to read The Inferno shows how effective it still

Dante's Inferno: Contrapasso Essay
Expect No Mercy What goes around comes around. When sinners reach hell they are forced to
experience the counter–suffering of contrapasso. For each sin, Dante gives a specific punishment
relating to that sin. Some of these sins include violence towards self, violence towards God,
sorcery, and hypocrisy. For the despicable lives they lived on earth, they are doomed to suffer
relating consequences for all of eternity. "No green leaves, but rather black in color, no smooth
branches, but twisted and entangled, no fruit, but thorns of poison bloomed instead." (XIII, 4) No
longer humans, but trees, they stand in a fruitless wood, being eaten by half–woman, half–bird
creatures called...show more content...
But even deeper into hell the sins get worse, as do the punishments. There are things that people
are not supposed to see during their lives on earth. The future is one of these things. The first
sinners found in the eighth circle of hell attempted to see the future using forbidden means such as
black magic. The punishment that these fortune tellers are forced to endure is they walk around
forever with their heads twisted facing backwards, only able to look behind them. Their eyes are
filled with tears so anything that they could see is completely blurred. "You see how he has made
his back his chest: because he wished to see too far ahead, he sees behind and walks a backward
track." (XX, 37) These punishments are perfectly fitting to the sins they have committed. These
so–called sorcerers spent their lives in the twisted world of magic, so it is only fitting that they are
twisted themselves in hell. This is the torture that awaits them in hell, and they've earned every bit
of it. Deeper into hell there are sinners who twisted the truth, this is where the hypocrites are found.
They deceived people during their lives by pretending to have beliefs or virtues that appealed to
others. Now they slowly trod around wearing cloaks that look beautiful on the outside, but on the
inside they are lined with heavy lead, that weighs the sinners down. "'The orange–gilded cloaks are
thick with lead so heavy that it makes us,

Dante's Inferno
In The Divine Comedy Volume1: Dante's Inferno, opens with a terrified Dante alone, and lost in a
dark wood, he tries to climb a hill towards sunlight but a three–headed animal runs interference
causing Dante much despair (67–71). As Dante sinks low into a depressive state of fear, and
hopelessness so Beatrice sends Virgil to help him. Virgil's appearance in the story validates how the
author's characters serve symbolic and dynamic purposes within his poem. For example, Virgil was
esteemed as a literary legend–a great poet of his time (44;100). Before Dante can begin climbing that
mountain called Purgatory he must go through Hell–literally. Dante's Inferno comprises 34 Cantos,
and nine levels of Hell, although, the first level is the calmest

The Tragedy Of The Odyssey And The Inferno Essay
Although in both works human suffering is a key part of the story, the different characters of the
divine in the Odyssey and Inferno result in a unique take on the role of suffering. We see that people
who suffer in the Odyssey sometimes do not deserve their punishment, whereas in the Inferno we see
that the people who suffer are suffering justly.
Suffering is a very important topic when it comes to writing tragedies or similar genres. It is a topic
that authors take very seriously and are meticulous when implementing it in their works. Suffering is
the experience of physical or mental distress. It can occur internally or externally. There are many
ways in which human can suffer, for instance, human can suffer through physical pain, or going
through mental hardships. When we look at both the Odyssey and the Inferno, we will find that
without suffering, the story will lack its meaning and that is because suffering is arguably the
central piece in both plots. Joye states, "The causes or the events of suffering are often situated
outside of the human control or will of the sufferer." (4). Many times, in the works we are going to
examine, suffering is caused by God, but other times, it is caused by the actions of the sufferer.
Certain questions emerge when people in both works suffer or witness suffering, like, why would a
deity allow such thing to happen or exist? But there are deeper meanings in suffering and we are
going to examine those meanings in both works.
There are

The Inferno And The Systems Theory
Dante's Inferno is an allegorical tale that reflects a tumultuous time in Florence. The Inferno reflects
the common thinking of religion and Christianity at the time and through examination of both the
Inferno and the systems theory, a better understanding of life in Florence, at that time, can be better
comprehended. The systems theory is a model that explores the intertwined aspects of a given
civilization. Dante's Inferno details aspects of the systems theory that can be used to better
understand the world in which Dante lived, especially the political chaos and religious values,
through the allegorical use of political figures, varying degrees of eternal punishments, as well as the
hierarchy of punishments and levels of hell.
One of the elements of the systems theory that is made apparent in the Inferno is the social and
political spectrum. The story is set a few years before the multiple political debacles occur,
allowing Dante to seemingly predict what is to be the future demise of Florence. Dante describes
the political hell of Florence by using political figures and enemies as inhabitants of various levels
of hell, some serving as prophets, and occasionally Dante himself serves as a prophet. "...until the
Greyhound comes, who shall make her perish in her pain. " Dante predicts in the early pages of the
Inferno that a Greyhound will rise up and slay the She–wolf, which is a representation of the corrupt
papacy. Throughout the story, Dante refers to Florence as the

Research Paper On Dante's Inferno
The Inferno
Dante's Inferno is an epic tale of a journey through Hell to find spiritually and peace whole. The
beginning of the poem starts with how Dante is lost in sin, moving on to the ancient poet from
Rome Virgil who appears to Dante as a spiritual guide. Virgil's message to Dante is that the only
way for him to alleviate the darkness within himself is to take a journey through Hell, this will be an
aide to Dante in order to recognize the impact of his actions. During the trip, Dante witnesses the
unfathomable punishment that happens to those that have been damned to hell, along with several
faces that are familiar. The interactions that Dante has with several people have told him of the
predictions they have had about him and what horrors lie ahead if he continues to follow the path
that he has been on. Soon after several horrendous close calls and interactions Dante finally makes it
to purgatory with Virgil....show more content...
You can see that the Inferno was influenced by Augustine and Virgil, they are noticeable throughout
Dante's Poem. As an example in the beginning of Inferno Dante is overcome with despair and
struggles. In the forest of darkness where Virgil finds Dante and their journey begins. This scene is
influenced by the description Augustine gives about being lost spiritually during his early years,
when he gave in to the temptations before him, lived in misery and turned away from God. Another
similarity between Augustine and Dante was the journey Augustine's soul took becoming close to
God. The trip Dante's took through Hell is figurative and literal. Whereas Augustine's in more
metaphorical than is it physical. Even though the way that the achieved their objective was different,
both of them, in the end, were looking to being close with

Dante's inferno was much more than just a journey through hell. Readers were able to take this
journey with him as well. Readers got a first hand account of how an average Catholic man from
the 14 century experienced hell. This journey was meant to be a lesson learned for all every single
reader; this was a wake up call for everyone. Dante's Inferno accomplished something that no other
author had ever done, and that's portray hell. No living man has ever witnessed hell for himself, yet
due to this poem they actually have. Dante did much more than just give an overview of hell, but
he gave a full scripted map of what hell was actually like. There was tons of detail that went along
with the poem which made this journey so great. Dante lived during

Dante's version of hell, which is the nine circles of hell. Along with Milton's version of hell as
being dark, are used very often in today's society. Even with that being said, although both versions
can be observed, Dante's influence can be seen in books, television shows, movies, and even art.
The main factors influenced by him are by the levels the character has to go through. On a 1997
episode of Futurama, named "Hell is Other Robots" in, one of the main characters, Bender, is
dragged to robot hell. The entrance is an abandoned carnival ride named "Inferno". From this first
reference, Dante's mark was put on this episode by putting the pieces together of Dante's epic name,
as well as the fact that Bender was going down to hell. As the episode progresses in a musical form,
characters go through all the levels of hell with ironic punishments on each of them....show more
content...
In an article by Serge Basset printed in 1890, Auguste said, "For a whole year I lived with Dante,
with him alone, drawing the circles of his inferno. At the end of this year, I realized that while my
drawing rendered my vision of Dante, they had become too remote from reality. So I started all
over again, working from nature, with my models." "The Thinker" , also called "The Poet", is
located above the door panels, which open into a painting. One explanation proposes that it might
represent Dante looking down to the characters in the

Inferno Research Paper
Inferno Research Paper Anthony K. Cassell stated in his critical essay titled "Farinata" that "the
methods of punishment in Dante's Hell are exquisitely diverse." The cantos in Inferno are focused
on Circles or subdivisions of Hell that describe specific punishments for the suffering souls based
upon the sin they committed. The deeper into Hell, the worse the sins that were committed, therefore
the agonies of the punishments are greater. In Inferno, Dante brings the issue of sin into light by
giving instances of sins he has taken note of. He places the guilty souls at different levels of Hell,
depending on which crimes he believes are the worst to commit, showing "how Dante portrayed his
understanding of God's justice" (Cassell)....show more content...
Pope Nicholas says he is guilty of simony, so Dante does not pity him. Dante tells him to "stay
stuck there, for you are rightly punished" (XIX.97). This is when Dante first begins to realize that
God's justice is present is Hell. He then speaks out against all corrupt churchmen, and claims if he
were not restrained, he would use even harsher words. Dante then becomes amazed, if not
pleasured, with some of the punishments. In the Circle containing Thieves, Dante watches in
amazement as a serpent bites a sinner between the shoulders, causing the soul to instantly catch
fire, burn up, and then rise from the ashes to return to the pit of the serpents. In the First Ring of
the Ninth Circle of Hell, called Caina, named after Cain who killed his brother Abel in Genesis,
those who betrayed their kin are punished. The souls must stand in ice frozen up to their heads.
Dante witnesses twins frozen face to face, butting their heads against each other in rage. Dante
accidentally kicks Bocca degli Abati in the face, then leans down to apologize. Once he recognizes
this soul, he tears out his hair before leaving him in the ice. With the constant rebuking from Virgil,
Dante has learned to not pity the damned souls. He learns to reconcile his sympathy for the suffering
with the harsh violence of divine justice as he begins to see that the punishments fit the crimes
committed. In Canto VI of Inferno, the Third Circle of Hell rains filth and excrement, and

Dante's The Inferno was very important when it comes to the development of literature. It has made
such a large impact on literature because it helped standardize Italian as a language of literature, it
is a work that many people draw inspiration from, and helped to introduce Dolce Stil Novo.
To begin with, The Inferno was the first Italian epic to be written in the vernacular, the common
language of the people, of the Florentine dialect of Italian. It is now considered by some to be the
greatest literary work in the Italian language and a cornerstone in transforming Italian into an
established literary language. Before Dante used the vernacular language Latin was the language
that was most commonly used in literary works. By using this language instead of Latin he helped
to standardize and unify the Italian language. This made it so literature was accessible to a new
group of people widening the audience for literature. This also made a large impact...show more
content...
Dante goes into great detail of the structure of Hell including things like the type of sinner that
goes into each of the different levels and what there punishment is. This presents the spiritual
journey of recognizing your sins, repentance and penance for your sin. The spiritual significance is
made very obvious throughout the whole work even in things like the structure. As it is split into
three sections, The Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, and within these three sections there are 33
cantos each. This makes the divine number of three, the holy trinity, evident even in the structure.
This religious journey of recognizing the error of your own sin and trying to pick yourself up and
make things better is still very relevant and relatable to this day. This makes it so the work of
literary is something that many people will always be able to draw inspiration from as many have

Analysis Of ' Inferno ' By Dante Alighieri
Inferno, written by Dante Alighieri illustrates the idea of justice through the belief that with each
action arise a consequence. What you sin above ground, you deal with under. Through this he
gives examples of the sins done and the punishment that is inflicted from doing such thing as a
disgrace to God. All through Dantes imagination and his views as to how it should be done, there
is a punishment for each area of sin committed which is why a person who bribes will be in the
further in the level of hell, as compared to someone who has killed an innocent. As demonstrated
would be the second circle of hell which consists of the lustful. As their punishment for their unholy
desires, they are being blown violently back and forth by strong winds which prevents them from
getting rest in comparison to a higher level such as the fifth circle which contain the wrathful who
live in the mud river and is constantly fighting and hurting each other because they could not
manage their anger in life. The punishment reflects the type of sin committed during their lifetime.
All of this organized based on the severity of the sin. Dante teaches us that whatever you do will
always come back regardless. Justice is considered one of the most important theme and concept
that it comes with. The term "right of law" means that a person does what is "just" or " morally
right" and for things to be overall fair which ties in with the concept that involves people getting what
they had coming for them.

Dante's Inferno Essay
Dante's Inferno
It was sometime in the middle of the 17th century that British cleric Thomas Fuller wrote, "He that
falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it, is a saint; that boasteth of it, is a devil." If Fuller was right,
where does one place Dante, the pilgrim who bravely wandered where no man had wandered
before? Certainly, the sojourner precisely written by the poet of the same name was a man.
Certainly, also, he repented his sinful ways (how could one not after braving not only the depths of
Hell but later the stretches of Purgatory and the "many waters" of Heaven?), but he was no saint.
Indeed, Inferno itself can be easily construed as a boast of sorts–made it through hell, met Lucifer,
bought the t–shirt. But in reality,...show more content...
In Canto 3, Dante is so overwhelmed by his surroundings that "overcame all feeling in me" [ln
135] and he faints, saying dramatically, "I fell like one whom sleep is taking" [ln 136]. Not much
later, in Canto 5, the traveling duo comes upon a pair of lovers, condemned to an eternity of
suffering due to a small case of incontinence. Dante is overcome with sympathy as he listens to
their story, and promptly blacks out again, this time with even more dramatic flair: "for pity I
fainted as if I were dying, and I fell as a dead body falls" [ln 141–142]. Before he hits the dust, he
manages to express his sympathy to Francesca, one of the lovers: "Francesca, your sufferings make
me sad and piteous to tears" [ln 116–117].
This sense of pity is an important indicator of his progress, or lack thereof, through Hell. At this, the
beginning of his journey, Dante identifies with the condemned and thus has not only sympathy, but
empathy toward them. He understands a life of sin and can picture himself in their place. As time
goes by and the pilgrim's journey continues, Dante gets hardened against the strife and pain inflicted
upon the sinners. Of course, seeing enough of anything begets tolerance, but in Dante's case his
lessening sympathy shows lessening empathy as well. His thoughts and ideals have become
progressively more pure and pious, and he's started to lose his identification with the life of sin and
contempt. Virgil encourages his displacement

Essay about Inferno
The Inferno by Dante is a story of a mans voyages through the treacherous depths of hell. Dante is
a man who has strayed from the path of a catholic way of life. Now he needs to travel through hell
to reach the virtuous path that will take him to heaven. He is guided through hell by a man who is in
limbo, the first circle of hell, named Virgil. Virgil takes him through hell and shows him people
suffering for the sins that they have committed. Together they travel through the nine different stages
of hell observing who is in each stage, what there punishment is, and what sins they committed to
get there. Virgil was sent to guide Dante through hell by Beatrice who is the love of Dante's life.
Beatrice plays a...show more content...
As Dante travels deeper into the pit of hell he finds much more horrific places which climaxes in
the fourth ring of the ninth circle, Judecca the lowest part, of hell were people go who betrayed their
benefactors. These people spend eternity completely
submerged in ice. These people "lie completely sealed in ice, twisted and distorted into every
conceivable posture" (Ciardi 282). This journey gives a description to the reader a severity of the
punishment for sins.
Judging by the character in the story Dante is a god fearing man who has moral issues in his life.
He seem to be in a constant fight with himself about the right way he should live his life. By the
end of the story Dante gives the impression that he a is strong believer in the theory of "you reap
what you sow". By the end of the story Dante gives you the impression that he does not feel pity for
sinners being punished because he looks at it as a form of divine intervention.
Dante Gives off a obvious bias in the story that he is a Christian. One way he shows that is that fact
that the story is a journey through hell which shows a obvious relationship to the bible. Another
clue that he has a Christian bias is the he believes that people in limbo "were born without the light
of Christ's revelation" (Ciardi 49). This show that he obviously believes in Jesus Christ. Another
way that he leads the reader to

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