Dante's Inferno
The Inferno is a work full of imagery that describes the horrors of hell through the words of the author. What does Dante gain by going through Hell? What does Dante gain by all of this by taking himself through such an experience? I believe there are three elements of life that Dante realizes through his time in Inferno. Throughout the book I feel the three elements Dante learns of are confidence, clarification of his faith, and a release from his own personal hell of isolation.
In the beginning, we see Dante as a somewhat scared and untrusting individual. He questions his worthiness and tenacity several times. As Virgil leads Dante though hell, Dante becomes less frightened and more trusting of his leader. He never seems to become synthesized to the horrors of hell. He becomes more confident and less startled but is still shocked with his experience. Dante allows himself to feel the emotions of the inhabitants of hell without accepting their behavior. This final point takes his confidence to a higher level. The faith of our character seems to be fading in the first canto. He has to trust in his God and does not look to his God for support during the appearance of the three beasts. On the appearance of Virgil, Dante questions why the mother of God would find him worthy of a tour through hell. He claims he is not worthy of such an honor and gains more faith by allowing himself to see how his God has organized the punishments of hell.
As we read the cantos, Dante becomes less questioning and more accepting of the cruelty of the punishments. He moves from questioning the inhabitants to kicking ones’ face near the end of the book. I get the sense that Dante gains faith by seeing his God as a more righteous one at the end of the journey. So what has our author gained from this experience? The pain of isolation from family, friends, and country must be equal to anything punishment found in the Inferno. Family, friends, and country share a common thread.
In the beginning, we see Dante as a somewhat scared and untrusting individual. He questions his worthiness and tenacity several times. As Virgil leads Dante though hell, Dante becomes less frightened and more trusting of his leader. He never seems to become synthesized to the horrors of hell. He becomes more confident and less startled but is still shocked with his experience. Dante allows himself to feel the emotions of the inhabitants of hell without accepting their behavior. This final point takes his confidence to a higher level. The faith of our character seems to be fading in the first canto. He has to trust in his God and does not look to his God for support during the appearance of the three beasts. On the appearance of Virgil, Dante questions why the mother of God would find him worthy of a tour through hell. He claims he is not worthy of such an honor and gains more faith by allowing himself to see how his God has organized the punishments of hell.
As we read the cantos, Dante becomes less questioning and more accepting of the cruelty of the punishments. He moves from questioning the inhabitants to kicking ones’ face near the end of the book. I get the sense that Dante gains faith by seeing his God as a more righteous one at the end of the journey. So what has our author gained from this experience? The pain of isolation from family, friends, and country must be equal to anything punishment found in the Inferno. Family, friends, and country share a common thread.