Dante Aligheri's Divine Comedy

He could be placed in his own circle of the hypocrites, for placing people in hell, while he himself has committed their sins. Despite the obvious flaws of Dante himself, he does give a clear vision of how punishments will be taken forth in the afterlife. He gives reason to fear and respect the law of God lest eternal punishment be your only promise in the afterlife. These punishments are as relevant as can be, so he offers a very vivid picture of hell. The men that he puts in hell give it a realistic twist, enhancing the fear that is felt upon reading this work

In The Inferno, Dante journeys into Hell to find redemption for his sins because he chose to live a life less virtuous. His trip to Hell is to help him conquer his sins and discover God’s love. Dante represents the everyday sinner, and The Inferno is a poem that gives the reader hope for redemption while also depicting the what happens when redemption is not reached, the wrath of God’s perfect justice. Dante’s tour of Hell is to gain insight of the very difference between sins on Earth and the punishment for sins in Hell, or contrapasso. In order for Dante to elude contrapasso, he must go through Hell and see God’s punishment for each sin and truly repent to avoid the fate of sinners.

Despite having the grandiose honor of being the main character of The Inferno, Dante is still a normal human being. He is lead by his mentor, Virgil, who attempts to guide him through the perils of sin. The ultimate goal is for Dante to hate sin, and he steadily progresses from initially feeling pity to aggressively terrorizing the sinners. This can be seen through his journey from swooning to the Lustful to ripping the scalps of sinners. The Everyman's actions and viewpoints for sin changes as he ventures through Hell with the aid of Human Reason.

He also gives his readers a glimpse into his own perception of what constitutes sin. By portraying characters in specific ways, Dante the writer can shape what Dante the pilgrim feels about each sinner. Also, the reader can look deeper in the text and examine the feelings that Dante, as a writer and exiled Florentine, may have felt about his particular characters. Dante shows through his poetry some admiration for certain sinners, as if in life he had reason to respect their actions on earth, only to mourn their souls' fate. In the case of Pier Delle Vigne, it is clear that Dante wishes to clear the name of the damned soul that has been conscripted to hell for the shame of unjust dishonor.

Dante uses over the top examples of punishments for sins committed and the differing levels of shame the sinners feel to cause the reader to reevaluate his or her own life in the context of religious wrongdoings. The over the top punishments and shame are needed in this work of art to relay the predominant meaning. The intense and imaginative punishments Dante relays to the reader cause the reader to look at their life and think about the sins he or she has committed. The punishments for sin in The Inferno increase in severity with the greater the sin. In the vestibule of Hell, Dante come across the opportunists.

Milton is able to do this because it is always worse, and more shocking to see a liked individual reveal himself to be bad, than to always know a bad individual to be bad. Thus, the initial support that Satan gains from readers is designed to alienate him further when his evil side prevails. As the character of Satan progresses, the reader becomes less willing to accept Satan’s goal of freedom of choice. This is... ... middle of paper ... ...n. Satan’s goal of freedom of choice has been lost in his hate. This aspect of Satan serves as the final stage in a reader’s transition from viewing Satan as the brave leader of a just cause, to viewing him as a lowly coward.

The Middle Ages was a time of instability and corruption, which was when Dante Alighieri lived. Dante wrote about the horrible era because he wanted to show his hatred towards the current leaders. In the Inferno, he illustrates the unethical community vividly by the use of influential figures that disobey the laws. Additionally, Dante uses imagery in Hell that shows the connection between the Earthly sins and gruesome punishments that portray a vivid image emotionally attached to the church. Furthermore, Dante’s orthodoxy expresses mockery because the church did not always have a clear interpretation for the placement of a multiple sinner, thus exposing the inconsistent church.

The justice that exists there consists of eternal punishments handed down by God. God sentences the unrepented to different circles of hell due to the severity of the sin they committed. God also correlates the punishments of each sinner to the individual sin. Man can see justice in the punishments of each crime and one can see that Dante portrays an image of a just God because the image Dante presents represents the essence of true justice. Dante’s definition of justice is fascinating because it incorporates many aspects of Philosophy and Catholicism.

Dante also uses Aristotle’s philosophical work to shape the structure of Hell. Undergoing a journey through Hell as himself, Dante places famous literary icons to assist in questioning the acts of justice. Dante builds and contrast between the sinners who are innocent, and those who deliberately perform evil deeds. Virgil, a fellow poet and pagan, exemplifies wisdom and clarity that which Dante must learn through his endeavor. Virgil’s guidance will provide contrast and the necessary guidance to reach Paradise.

This divine justice inflicted by God chooses to punish the souls in hell in a way very similar or representative to how the souls sinned on Earth. For instance, those guilty of the sin of wrath "tear each other limb from limb" (133), a punishment which directly relates to the actions of the sinners. However, there are also punishments that are more symbolic of the actions of the sinners, such as th... ... middle of paper ... ... a deep change. He is now hardened towards the sins of others and understands the meaning and presence of God's grace. He has overcome the perils of hell on his path towards paradise, and is well-adjusted for the next step of his journey.