"That soul," my master said, "who suffers most,\Is Judas Iscariot; head locked inside,\He flails his legs. Of the other two, who twist\With their heads down, the black mouth holds the shade\ of Brutus: writhing, but not a word will he scream; Cassius is the sinewy one on the other side." (XXIV. 61-66)
I find, once again, Dante's choice of who is punished to be odd. Certainly the assassination of Caesar is one of the most well known, but to say that is was as bad as the treachery against Jesus is a stretch to me. I suppose it is not Dante's intention to pick these particular people, but rather the acts they perpetrated. When one thinks of famous betrayals, one will eventually come to Caesar's assassination. It is more the "sin" that I disagree with in this case. Betrayal seems, to me, to be a lesser affront to God than does false worship or other, more direct, defiance towards the Almighty. For this reason, I think Dante chose to place betrayers in the final pit because of his own experience. Perhaps Dante felt betrayed when his political party members' exiles were rescinded, but his was not. He wrote Inferno around the time when his people were allowed back into Florence, but having written some especially violent letters to Henry VII (who reconquered much of Italy for the Holy Roman Empire), he was not allowed to come back to Florence, for fear that he would be politically unstabilizing. Having finished this volume of Dante's Divine Comedy, I am more convinced that much of what he wrote was a commentary on his time and personal situation. I may be reading too much into Dante's work, but I think writer bias is an important thing to consider in any piece of literature.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Dante's Enchanting Inferno!
Dante's Inferno has captivated readers for centuries because, for centuries, people have wanted to know what lies beyond death. Dante addresses this like no one before him, and those after him were hardly even imitations. Because of the time period in which he lived, Dante had a unique view of the religion about which he wrote, and his own personal story of exile gave him a unique perspective into the religion that drove him out.
Inferno follows Dante's character of himself, who, having fallen into a midlife crisis of sorts, finds himself at the gates of hell. Reading into Dante (the writer)'s story, it could be seen that this Hell which he travels through is his own exile, and to return home by reaching "Heaven," he must complete his travel through Hell. Assuming such an interpretation to be true, Dante considers his exile to be justified, if not just. To be "admitted" into Hell, one must truly be an evil person, so while Dante would not normally be allowed in, according to Virgil, his status of "damnation" from his life allows him at least to experience Hell in his own way. This creates the unique perspective that Dante shows us in his travels.
The time in which Alighieri lived was the time of Papal corruption. Indulgences saved one's soul from the wrath of God, favors for the Pope earned positions in government and the church. These circumstances appear in Inferno as those that suffer in Hell. Dante uses such events in the real world to insert his political commentary and take shots at the corruption he sees in the church. These views were widely accepted, as many people took advantage of papal "indulgences" to rid themselves of sin. So when Dante uses those events as reason for damnation, his readership would certainly be even more interested in reading Inferno as a piece of controversial literature. Combining his subtle commentary of the Church and the allegory of his own life, Dante has shown us his own personal Hell which, at some point or another, everyone seems to feel. The perspective given to the reader, along with old fashioned good writing has made Dante's literature a captivating piece for centuries.
Inferno follows Dante's character of himself, who, having fallen into a midlife crisis of sorts, finds himself at the gates of hell. Reading into Dante (the writer)'s story, it could be seen that this Hell which he travels through is his own exile, and to return home by reaching "Heaven," he must complete his travel through Hell. Assuming such an interpretation to be true, Dante considers his exile to be justified, if not just. To be "admitted" into Hell, one must truly be an evil person, so while Dante would not normally be allowed in, according to Virgil, his status of "damnation" from his life allows him at least to experience Hell in his own way. This creates the unique perspective that Dante shows us in his travels.
The time in which Alighieri lived was the time of Papal corruption. Indulgences saved one's soul from the wrath of God, favors for the Pope earned positions in government and the church. These circumstances appear in Inferno as those that suffer in Hell. Dante uses such events in the real world to insert his political commentary and take shots at the corruption he sees in the church. These views were widely accepted, as many people took advantage of papal "indulgences" to rid themselves of sin. So when Dante uses those events as reason for damnation, his readership would certainly be even more interested in reading Inferno as a piece of controversial literature. Combining his subtle commentary of the Church and the allegory of his own life, Dante has shown us his own personal Hell which, at some point or another, everyone seems to feel. The perspective given to the reader, along with old fashioned good writing has made Dante's literature a captivating piece for centuries.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Cantos XXI - XXIII
"...and the devils milled\Toward us, pressing forward, so that I feared\They might not keep the pact. So I once saw\The soldiers frightened when they removed their guard\Out of Caprona by treaty..." (XXI. 90-94)
I think by this time, the references to Dante's home in comparison to events he sees in Hell are a defense mechanism. He creates an image in his mind of something similar happening on Human earth in order to block out some of the gruesome happenings that he encounters in Hell. Virgil's presence also shields Dante from being exposed to the raw harshness of Hell, and by the time he has reached this far into hell, he still retains the same guarded fearfulness. He does not seem to grow more afraid the deeper they go, except in certain instances of terror, because of his feigned calm and Virgil's reassurance. I say this because, at some point, comparing demons and devils to human soldiers is quite a stretch, and I think for any person, it would be hard to draw that similarity, but Dante does it not because he believes it neeccessarily, but because he wants to believe it.
To continue this somewhat the continuity between levels of hell, I address this next passage, several pages later:
"'Stand back, while I enfork him well,'\But to my master: 'ask him what you please-\If there is more you'd like to learn from him\Before he's butchered by another of us." (XXII. 57-60)
At every level, it seems, Dante and Virgil have the opportunity to question damned souls. Certainly I expect them to be trying to have that interaction, as Virgil wants Dante to learn as much as possible about hell, but I don't understand how the responses of the damned have not changed. At every interrogation, they speak to a tortured soul either under duress or under continuous pain and punishment. Despite this, each soul responds levelly and without overly emotional or painful responses. I would think that as one descends deeper into hell, the punishment gets worse, and the souls are more tortured. This, to me, should affect their responses or their willingness to speak to the living, yet in each case, it has not. This lack of change in response or demeanor of the damned souls further down in Hell makes me think that their punishments don't actually get worse, but simply different the deeper into Hell one goes. The other creatures inhabiting each level of Hell seems to be one changing facet, as the demons and devils become more prevalent the further one goes into Hell; however, even the devils don't seem to gain much ruthlessness as Dante's journey progresses, but instead retain the same level of cruelty as when they are first seen.
I think by this time, the references to Dante's home in comparison to events he sees in Hell are a defense mechanism. He creates an image in his mind of something similar happening on Human earth in order to block out some of the gruesome happenings that he encounters in Hell. Virgil's presence also shields Dante from being exposed to the raw harshness of Hell, and by the time he has reached this far into hell, he still retains the same guarded fearfulness. He does not seem to grow more afraid the deeper they go, except in certain instances of terror, because of his feigned calm and Virgil's reassurance. I say this because, at some point, comparing demons and devils to human soldiers is quite a stretch, and I think for any person, it would be hard to draw that similarity, but Dante does it not because he believes it neeccessarily, but because he wants to believe it.
To continue this somewhat the continuity between levels of hell, I address this next passage, several pages later:
"'Stand back, while I enfork him well,'\But to my master: 'ask him what you please-\If there is more you'd like to learn from him\Before he's butchered by another of us." (XXII. 57-60)
At every level, it seems, Dante and Virgil have the opportunity to question damned souls. Certainly I expect them to be trying to have that interaction, as Virgil wants Dante to learn as much as possible about hell, but I don't understand how the responses of the damned have not changed. At every interrogation, they speak to a tortured soul either under duress or under continuous pain and punishment. Despite this, each soul responds levelly and without overly emotional or painful responses. I would think that as one descends deeper into hell, the punishment gets worse, and the souls are more tortured. This, to me, should affect their responses or their willingness to speak to the living, yet in each case, it has not. This lack of change in response or demeanor of the damned souls further down in Hell makes me think that their punishments don't actually get worse, but simply different the deeper into Hell one goes. The other creatures inhabiting each level of Hell seems to be one changing facet, as the demons and devils become more prevalent the further one goes into Hell; however, even the devils don't seem to gain much ruthlessness as Dante's journey progresses, but instead retain the same level of cruelty as when they are first seen.
Cantos r-r-r-reWRiTe
stupid blog erased my post.
*in progress*
something about his sympathy for all the burnin fools...
dante@emotional!
*in progress*
something about his sympathy for all the burnin fools...
dante@emotional!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Cantos VI - XII
"Those bare of head\Were clerics, cardinals, popes, in whom the passion\Of avarice has wrought excess." (VII.40-42)
Dante sees this group of people as he descends into the 4th circle of hell. I find it ironic that he "saw more souls\ than elsewhere, spreading far to the left and right" (23-24). I would have thought the further into hell one goes, the fewer people you would find. Perhaps Dante was sniping at the church, but fact that this level has more people, many of whom are related to the church, is ironic- members of the church are supposed to be the most holy men, teaching the followers of their religion to be virtuous and good. By placing so many religious men, including the most powerful of them, the popes, into hell seems to be a great irony. Perhaps it was meant to be a powerful irony that shows how hard it is not to make it into hell, but due to Dante's experiences with the church, it is not hard to see him subtly pushing his political agenda.
"Now canst thou, son, see the brief jest of the goods that are committed unto Fortune, for which the human race so scramble; for all the gold that is beneath the moon, or that ever was, of these weary souls could not make a single one repose." (VII. 55-59)
The reason behind the presence of the holy men is avarice, better known as greed. This is certainly a nod to the times Dante was living in - where the popes were so corrupted that they would accept monetary payments to "wipe away" sins. This evidence also shows that Dante Alighieri was writing about more than just the events in his journey through Hell, making more likely the fact that he is suggesting a political commentary or position. More striking to me was Virgil's explanation for the cause of the men present to be avaricious in the first place, as it seems contrary to what Christian religion preaches (yay puns!). Virgil explains that fortune is the "god" that doles out the material wealth in life, and is responsible for those who receive fortune and those who don't. My first issue with this is the direct contradiction to the christian faith. I understand that since Virgil was not a christian and was not baptized, he is not punished as one who strayed from God - he is punished as one who was never in God's graces. However, according to the placement of people in hell, those who worship false gods or who are blasphemous are sent to lower circles of Hell. I wonder then, why Virgil was not in one of those circles. Perhaps to be punished for any reason, you have to have had knowledge of the christian faith, and/or have been baptized under it.
Dante sees this group of people as he descends into the 4th circle of hell. I find it ironic that he "saw more souls\ than elsewhere, spreading far to the left and right" (23-24). I would have thought the further into hell one goes, the fewer people you would find. Perhaps Dante was sniping at the church, but fact that this level has more people, many of whom are related to the church, is ironic- members of the church are supposed to be the most holy men, teaching the followers of their religion to be virtuous and good. By placing so many religious men, including the most powerful of them, the popes, into hell seems to be a great irony. Perhaps it was meant to be a powerful irony that shows how hard it is not to make it into hell, but due to Dante's experiences with the church, it is not hard to see him subtly pushing his political agenda.
"Now canst thou, son, see the brief jest of the goods that are committed unto Fortune, for which the human race so scramble; for all the gold that is beneath the moon, or that ever was, of these weary souls could not make a single one repose." (VII. 55-59)
The reason behind the presence of the holy men is avarice, better known as greed. This is certainly a nod to the times Dante was living in - where the popes were so corrupted that they would accept monetary payments to "wipe away" sins. This evidence also shows that Dante Alighieri was writing about more than just the events in his journey through Hell, making more likely the fact that he is suggesting a political commentary or position. More striking to me was Virgil's explanation for the cause of the men present to be avaricious in the first place, as it seems contrary to what Christian religion preaches (yay puns!). Virgil explains that fortune is the "god" that doles out the material wealth in life, and is responsible for those who receive fortune and those who don't. My first issue with this is the direct contradiction to the christian faith. I understand that since Virgil was not a christian and was not baptized, he is not punished as one who strayed from God - he is punished as one who was never in God's graces. However, according to the placement of people in hell, those who worship false gods or who are blasphemous are sent to lower circles of Hell. I wonder then, why Virgil was not in one of those circles. Perhaps to be punished for any reason, you have to have had knowledge of the christian faith, and/or have been baptized under it.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Cantos I - V
"You living soul, stand clear of those who are dead!\And then when he saw that I did not obey:\By other ports, in a lighter boat," he said,\"You will be brought to shore by another way." (III. 73-78)
This passage proposes the boats to be a metaphor for the emotions and thoughts of the damned that wait to cross the river. As the boat draws nearer to Dante on the shore, the dead around him begin to change from human and curse their upbringing in the human world and their human lives. This metamorphosis coupled with Charon's description of the boat suggests that the boat in which the dead cross is heavier due to the fact that the burdens of its passengers are greater than any the living could have. The dead forced to cross the river in Charon's boat carry with them wrath against God and their lives as human beings. These people are also characterized as the "evil seed" (95) of Adam, embodying all the evil of humanity. Charon himself embodies some of the same, as he is
often characterized as an angry old man who impatiently ferries the dead across - leaving those too slow or, according to some mythology those who could not pay the fee to cross (Callimachus). These characteristics of the dead crossing the river weigh down the boat with the despair of the underworld.
Charon's words also made me wonder what the other method of crossing the river was. If there was a way for the living to crossby"lighter" means, why wouldn't they take it. Aeneas crossed in Charon's boat, as did Dante - why shouldn't they? what other option is there?
"Among these giants: he is Homer, their lord the sovereign poet; the satirist follows him- Horace, with Lucan last, and Ovid third." (IV. 73-75)
Another nod to his time period, Dante includes the famous classic poets and writers who were such popular figures at the time. I think it strange, however, that these people were chosen to be saved from Hell. The may be master writers and poets, but what moral standing does that give them to be saved by God? Clearly, Dante is biased towards writers, as seen in his guide, Virgil, the famous italian poet, whom he idolizes and follows, regardless of the situation. The reverence he shows classical writers, for me, detracts somewhat from his point and even makes the narrative more shallow.
This passage proposes the boats to be a metaphor for the emotions and thoughts of the damned that wait to cross the river. As the boat draws nearer to Dante on the shore, the dead around him begin to change from human and curse their upbringing in the human world and their human lives. This metamorphosis coupled with Charon's description of the boat suggests that the boat in which the dead cross is heavier due to the fact that the burdens of its passengers are greater than any the living could have. The dead forced to cross the river in Charon's boat carry with them wrath against God and their lives as human beings. These people are also characterized as the "evil seed" (95) of Adam, embodying all the evil of humanity. Charon himself embodies some of the same, as he is
often characterized as an angry old man who impatiently ferries the dead across - leaving those too slow or, according to some mythology those who could not pay the fee to cross (Callimachus). These characteristics of the dead crossing the river weigh down the boat with the despair of the underworld.
Charon's words also made me wonder what the other method of crossing the river was. If there was a way for the living to crossby"lighter" means, why wouldn't they take it. Aeneas crossed in Charon's boat, as did Dante - why shouldn't they? what other option is there?
"Among these giants: he is Homer, their lord the sovereign poet; the satirist follows him- Horace, with Lucan last, and Ovid third." (IV. 73-75)
Another nod to his time period, Dante includes the famous classic poets and writers who were such popular figures at the time. I think it strange, however, that these people were chosen to be saved from Hell. The may be master writers and poets, but what moral standing does that give them to be saved by God? Clearly, Dante is biased towards writers, as seen in his guide, Virgil, the famous italian poet, whom he idolizes and follows, regardless of the situation. The reverence he shows classical writers, for me, detracts somewhat from his point and even makes the narrative more shallow.
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