Dantes Inferno Essay - 1447 Words

At the start of the poem we find Dante in the dark forest(Inf. 1.2). Not much description is given maybe to show Dante’s disorientation. Whether the disorientation is spiritual, physical, moral or political; that is unclear at the start of the poem. The poem us written this way so reader can identify with Dante. It is also written in such a way that sometimes it is difficult to understand some parts, you sometimes have to read it backwards to get a better understanding. The way Dante characterizes the dark woods has a lot of ideas taken from various traditions. This ranges from the medieval Platonic image of chaos, this is shown as a type of primordial wood. There is the enterance to the classic underworld (Hades), which is in the†¦show more content†¦Virgil also wrote ten pastoral poems; Eclogues, the fourth of which talks about the birth of a wonderful child and that was thought to be a prophet of the birth of Jesus. Circle 7-9 In Canto 11 of the Inferno Virgil explains to Dante that violent sins, sins of violence, takes three forms other people, ones self, and God (28-33). The people who commit crimes against other are punishes in the first ring of the seventh circle, a river of blood (Inferno 12) Those people who commit suicide, those who commit crimes unto themselves are punished in a horrid forest (Inferno 13). The ring for the people who commit crimes against God, the third ring is a barren places all of sand ignited by flakes of fire. To break this circle down more, there are those who offend God directly(blasphemers), those who violate nature(sodomites) and those who are users(Inferno 14-17). The way Dante shows sodomy, it is understood that it is sexual relation between males, but that doesn’t make it homosexual. At that time in the Middle Ages it was seen as extremely wrong both legally and theologically. The crime could end with loss of property and/or even capital punishment. Usury was similarly condemned, as it goes with and equated with heresy in 1311, at the Council of Vienne. Fallen man must live â€Å"by the sweat of his brow† and Jesus said ’lend, expecting nothing in return†( GenShow MoreRelatedThe Story in Dantes Inferno910 Words   |  4 PagesIn the story Dante’s Inferno we as readers get to experience hell in a whole light. Throughout the narrative we find out that hell is not only what we know of it from the Christian bible. According to Dante Hell is a complex situation that is nothing like anything we have read earlier. There are many people who have read at least some portion of the Holy Bible. Whether it be because of personal reasons or educational ones, the holy bible most read (and sold) books in existence. Through readingRead More Dantes Inferno Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesDantes 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 theRead MoreThe Odyssey and Dantes Inferno1300 Words   |  5 Pagesheart of a poet, whether it be romance, adventure or simply a story from experiences. And perhaps there are no better poets that are better able to drag their willing audience along a journey than Homer and Dante. 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ThoseRead MoreAnalysis of Dantes Inferno Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesIn Dante’s Inferno, Dante is taken on a journey through hell. On this journey, Dane sees the many different forms of sins, and each with its own unique contrapasso, or counter-suffering. Each of these punishments reflects the sin of a person, usually offering some ironic way of suffering as a sort of revenge for breaking God’s law. As Dante wrote this work and developed the contrapassos, he allows himself to play God, deciding who is in hell and why they are there. He uses this opportunity to strikeRead MoreThe Contributions Of Death In Dantes Inferno1168 Words   |  5 PagesIn the Inferno, Dante journeys along the path that will eventually lead him to God by first passing through Hell. As he goes through his journey in Hell with Virgil, Dante encounters several sinners who are being punished based upon the sins each individual committed. 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Dante’s Inferno allegory is present throughout the entire poem. From the dark wood to the depths of Dan te’s hell he presents the different crimes committed in life as they could be punished in death. One of the first punishments we observe comes from the fifth circle of Dante’s hell, the wrathful and the sullen, as the author expresses his thoughts of the fitting consequence with each sin