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.

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.