Guiding Characters in Literature

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how classical literature often uses pairs of dependent characters to justify the unusual, extraordinary adventures and experiences of the main heroes. The paper looks at Virgil and Beatrice in Dante's "The Divine Comedy" and Olivier in the anonymous "Song of Roland" as examples of guiding characters.

From the Paper:

"The heroes of classical literature almost always have guides who help them or sometimes prevent them from achieving their goals. These character guides are sometimes the peers or friends of the heroes and other times supernatural beings or forces. The role of the guiding figures is obviously that of contributing to the initiating experience of the hero. Because the adventures portrayed in classical literature always have an initiating character, the main hero of the story requires help from other men or forces in his journey. Such guiding roles belong for example to Virgil and to Beatrice in the Divine Comedy, or to Olivier in anonymous Song of Roland."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy, Longfellow's Translation, Complete. New York: Hard Press, 2006.
• "The Song of Roland". New York: Penguin Classics, 1972.

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