Dante's "Inferno": Father and Son

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how in Dante's "Inferno", Virgil's function as a character is multiple and how it involves two major components, each of which undergoes a dynamic development over the course of the poem. It looks at how he is Dante's authoritative guide through Hell and up the mountain of Purgatory and how he is also the real, historical author of the "Aeneid". It shows how a biased relationship develops between the two characters, where one individual becomes more depended than the other and how specifically, a father and son relationship forms between Virgil and Dante.

From the Paper:

"It is apparent early in Inferno that Dante needs someone to help him because he is trapped in the dark words, which he describes as a "valley of evil". (Dante p28) Virgil's initial appearance in Canto I establishes his authority as Dante's guide. One may assume Dante's reason for choosing Virgil not as a historical figure in the poem but rather as an 'allegorical expression of Reason' (Hollander Dante's Virgil: A Light That Failed). Virgil decides to help Dante because Beatrice descends from Heaven explaining the situation, and Virgil answers her plea, saying, "so welcome is your command that to my sense, / were it already fulfilled, it would yet seem tardy, / I understand, and am all obedience" (Dante p37)."

More papers on Dante's "Inferno": Father and Son:

• Book Review # 107887 : "Dante Alighieri's "Inferno"
• Dissertation or Thesis # 91756 : "Mary Espoused to The Father, The Son & The Holy Spirit"
• Analytical Essay # 26917 : "Frankenstein and Huck - Like Father, Like Son"

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