Examples Of Contrapasso In Dante's Inferno

In the novel The Divine Comedy, Dante discusses the idea of contrapasso, or the idea that an equal and fitting punishment must be given for each sinners’ crime. Contrapasso is one of the few rules within Dante’s Inferno, and at first glance it seems as though Dante’s system of justice is related to biblical justice. Contrapasso can be related to the common phrase, “an eye for an eye” although textual evidence shows that the punishment for sins committed are usually metaphorical rather than literal in the way that they are related to the crime. Upon further reading it is revealed that the severity of the sin is not determined by the suffering forced on society because of the sin but rather the offensiveness of the sin itself. The first circle

Similar to lust, gluttony is one of the seven capital sins. Gluttony is defined as “excessive eating and drinking.” (4) While both lust and gluttony are two of the seven mortal sins, they are considered to be the least serious. To some readers, gluttony may seem less intense in terms of sins when compared to lust, however it is important to remember these circles of hell are based only in part on the sins of the individuals occupying the circle. The Divine Comedy is based on religion and the bible, so the concepts of gluttony and lust can be shown within the famous biblical passage of Adam and Eve. In this passage, Eve eats a forbidden fruit even though she has been instructed not to. This represents gluttony or excessive eating and drinking. Eve then convinces Adam to also indulge in the forbidden fruit, which represents the concept of lust. These sins are often seen as interchangeable, however within this novel gluttony seems to be a more serious sin when compared to lust. Within this circle of hell, a three-headed dog is depicted. This dog guards the underworld and is described as “loud, huge, and terrifying (with snakes rising from his neck.)” (4) This represents the idea of contrapasso because gluttony is more of a sin when compared to lust. Thus the three headed dog is introduced into the story on top of the already terrifying Minos or guardians of

This particular sin is especially wrong in the eyes of Dante, “incurring his most scornful wrath.” (5) Dante blames greed for the corrupt ethical and political inequalities that occur within his society. Because of the nature of greed, this sin is burdened with many outside forces. The theme of greed is consistently condemned within The Divine Comedy and Dante accordingly shows no compassion towards those who commit this sin. For example, Dante “degrades the sinners by making them so physically squalid that they are unrecognizable to the travelers.” (Inferno 7.49-7.54) (5) Dante’s Inferno is consistent with Biblical passages, and the bible states that greed or avarice “is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) (5) Dante’s Plutus is an individual created specifically to guard the fourth circle of Hell. Much like other characters described within the text, Plautus is an individual described as the “great enemy” of material wealth. (Inferno. 6.115) He possesses the power of speech and the ability to understand—or at least react to—Virgil’s dismissive words, while at the same time displaying a distinctly bestial range and probably animal-like features as well.” (5) (Inf. 7.1-15) This relates to the idea of contrapasso because on top of the Minos, and the three-headed dog, the fourth circle of hell also possesses Dante’s Plutus. Thus showing the idea that as each sin