Abstract This paper discusses DanteAlighieri's allegorical tale, "The Inferno." It describes the concept of Divine justice within the work and discusses how the work can be seen as a journey to one man's acceptance of Divine judgment, as part of the objective will of God. The paper discusses the journey that Dante goes through and how it affects him.
From the Paper "Even to the very monsters of hell does Dante Alighieri extend his belief in divine justice, as is seen in the wood of the suicides. He describes the woods as "the nesting place of the foul Harpies." (Dante, Cant. 13), who, according to ancient Greek lore, were "fierce, filthy, winged monsters, with the faces of women, bodies of vultures, and sharp claws who served as ministers of divine vengeance, and punished criminals." (Harpies, Par. 3). Undoubtedly, the Harpies are most appropriate guardians of the wood of the suicides, as they are ministers of divine justice, and, in addition, there exists a strong contrast between the Harpies who are prophetic, and the suicides who believed themselves to be prophetical in assuming that there was nothing left to live for in their futures, furthering the idea of contrapasso in The Inferno, and providing a delicate and profound example of divine justice."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the poem "Inferno" by DanteAlighieri. The author discusses the comedy in 'Inferno" and the importance of its style of writing and use of language for the times it was written in.
From the paper:
"When a man steps up to construct a work of art, they do it for a plethora of ideas. These can be either to change viewpoints, express personal ideas, or insure their name in the years to come. Yet the creator cannot simply be the only one to make a work of art one of importance. It must include the passion of the times and the eagerness for something new and vivacious. To break traditions from the past is to set traditions for the future. DanteAlighieri created a poem in the 1200's that Florentines and the world had never conceived up."
Tags:alighieri, dante, florence, italy, literature
Abstract This paper examines the scholars and the de-contextualization of Dante's "Inferno" - with special emphasis upon canto III. The paper summarizes the scene when a fearful Dante first enters Hell and discusses its significance in terms of understanding Dante and his world. The paper also looks at how intellectuals view Dante's "Inferno". The writer believes that the work stands out as a classic example of the medieval allegory play taken to new rhetorical heights. The writer concludes that it is also an example of how even the simplest works, if powerfully wrought, can spark wide discussion among academics who seek out meanings unimagined by the author.
From the Paper "Ultimately, the canto, like the rest of the cantica, is a potential mirror into the world in which Dante Alighieri lived as well as a mirror into his own inner turmoil as a devout Christian seeking a purpose to his life as well as answers to questions that presumably many devout Christians were asking in the fourteenth century. To start with, the canto (in the original Italian, anyway) was written in the demanding terza rima rhyme pattern (Scott para.2) and, even in English translations, the text can be difficult to follow as Dante tries to bend the language into shapes and forms to which it does not adhere willingly."
Abstract This paper suggests that, while the notion of Heaven and Hell perhaps has its origins in Dante's "Inferno", there is, in actuality, a far more intimate duality to be examined: the paternal relationship between a father and son. The paper relates that Dante establishes Virgil the guide as a father figure to the pilgrim Dante. Yet, as in all father-son relationships, there is a metamorphosis. Virgil progresses from a strict father to becoming tempered by love and maternal instincts, while his son Dante, progresses from a helpless child to a rebellious teenager. The paper discusses this metamorphosis and concludes that the tender and affectionate relationship the two characters share is a counter-point to the nightmarish discourse of heaven and hell.
From the Paper "However, as in most parenting relationships, children grow to the rebellious stage of adolescence. Dante begins to experience great fear and doubt concerning Virgil's power. In the beginning of Canto IX, Virgil is unable to open the gate of Dis. The all-knowing Virgil has failed. Dante thinks to himself, "the colored cowardness displayed in me when I saw that my guide was driven back..."(9.1-2), "Nevertheless, his speech made me afraid, because I drew out from his broken phrase a meaning worth- perhaps-then he'd intended" (9.13-15)."
Abstract The paper compares the works of DanteAlighieri and Giovanni Boccaccio. The writer describes how they both derived much of their view of the world and its relation to the next world from their Catholic faith. The writer further examines how the two writers look at the world in different ways, though both are Italian, both Catholic, and both medieval in world view for the most part. The writer concludes that Boccaccio tends to be more humorous, more expansive, more varied, and more secular in his stories, while Dante is more spiritual and more focused on the darker aspects of the human spirit.
From the Paper "This is one reason why Boccaccio is more often compared to Chaucer than to Dante. Of course, Chaucer derived a number of plots from stories in The Decameron and also used many of the same story forms, notably the fabliau derived from the French. The love triangle is the most common plot for both Chaucer and Boccaccio, with numerous variations, while Dante's unrequited love for Beatrice never involves a third party but only shows that distance is maintained between the man and the woman he loves from afar."
Abstract This essay compares and contrasts the classic poets, DanteAlighieri and John Milton. It first details the time periods during which each lived, Dante in the medieval era and Milton in the Renaissance. The writer looks at the similarities and differences in their lives. Then the essay takes a short look at Dante's 'Inferno' and Milton's 'Paradise Lost' to further see issues on which they thought alike, despite the time and geographic differences between them.
From the Paper "In these modern times, this modern era of literature and thought, it is easy to lump all ancient writing together. Chaucer, Milton, Dante, even Shakespeare, are so long dead that they all seem to have come from the same distant, canonized, unreachable time. Yet, each of these old writers lived in his own time and wrote for his own reasons about specific and relevant themes. This essay looks at Dante Alighieri and John Milton, two famous writers from differing time periods and differing circumstances. A work from each writer, Dante's 'Inferno' and Milton's 'Paradise Lost', each similar in theme, will be studied in order to better compare and contrast these two heroes of Western literature. Dante Alighieri came from medieval Florence, Italy. Born in 1265 to a family of money, Dante was raised within Florence's intricate political network."
Abstract This paper discusses how in Homer's The Odyssey" and AlighieriDante's "The Inferno" we see the universal quest of the hero. It looks at how "The Odyssey" is an epic adventure that would certainly be deemed heroic in its very being. In comparison, it discusses how "The Inferno", is less overtly so and how it is more of a personal journey, told in first person by the writer himself, DanteAlighieri. The paper contends that the theme for both is one of transformation and enlightenment. Both "heroes" of these stories had a need for personal fulfillment and reunification with their own spirit.
From the Paper "One of the striking differences in these two quests is that one is full of a pantheon of gods and goddesses and the other is full of people. Homer gives us a lesson in Greek mythology and introduces us to many of their gods, yet they are somehow familiar. These gods have all too human attributes of love, greed, jealously, pride and so on. They are in essence human except for the fact that they are immortal and have power over nature. This reminds one of Jungian Archetypes, large scale emotional and psychological myths that represent the subconscious in human beings (Jung), except that these gods have the power to make their needs a reality, while humans may only be able to dream about it. However, this dreaming, these myths, reveal a panorama of psychological depth that is unattainable otherwise. "
Abstract DanteAlighieri's "The Comedy "is one of the most recognized pieces of literature in the modern world. Dante completed the first of the three books contained in "The Comedy" in 1314; "Divine" was not added to the title until much later. The other two books, "Pergatorio" and "Paradisio", would soon follow. But it is "Inferno" that brings forth imagery so intense that it has seldom been rivaled. This paper takes a look at Dante's "Inferno", specifically his description of the different levels of hell.
From the Paper "As the story advances we begin to see with much more clarity Dante's structure of Hell. Descending down through the lower circles of Hell, Virgil shows Dante the increasing brutality of the punishment. Until the fifth circle, Dante is still in the upper section of Hell. In this segment the penalties seem almost tolerable, considering what is witnessed later on. In the first circle, which houses the un-baptized infants and virtuous Pagans, the inhabitants merely pine away in a state of melancholy, a world of desire without hope. While this would be enough to drive anyone mad, especially such great thinkers as Plato and Socrates who are witnessed there, this is but a day in the park when compared to the constant torture of the residents of the lower levels of Hell."
Abstract This paper discusses how goodness is viewed in two distinctly different historical and cultural contexts, namely, Dante's "Inferno" and Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics." The writer explains that Aristotle is primarily concerned with the practical dynamic of relationships between behavior and human interaction, while the "Inferno," an intellectual descendant of the rationality of "Nicomachean Ethics," reflects equally the influence of medieval Christian ideas of justice and goodness. The writer shows where Dante concurs with Aristotle and where the 'good of intellect' in Dante does not refer to a core morality but to goodness as part of Christian morality. The paper concludes that although Dante's Christian ideology provides a stark contrast in perspective, the works remain equally committed to the idea of goodness as a function of human interaction.
From the Paper "Indeed, morality is the underlying matter of consideration in Dante's Inferno, with the human interaction being an extension of Christian justice. Any divergence therefrom represented an idea that, while not necessarily erroneous in its nature, was presented to be an emanation from error. The unwavering and mathematically unbiased law of God as in Dante's work is the body to which human beings are the nearly vestigial extremities. As Socrates' and Plato's presence in Hell illustrates, such extremities could often even be counter-intuitive to the necessary functions of this body."
Abstract In this article, the writer studies the writings of DanteAlighieri and notes that he makes comment of the current political and religious world in which he lived. The writer points out that in so doing, Dante created a likely unintended controversy, with regard to the way in which things were done in the church and politics. Further, the writer notes that Dante disagreed with this in many ways, but attempted to pacify this controversy through his works, especially with his 'Inferno'. The writer concludes that through Dante's inclusion of many ideals and standards of his faith, some have seen his works as spiritual and worthy quests, yet his emphasis on self-determination and self-judgment was contrary to the validity of the central authority of the Catholic faith, regardless of his desire to embrace it.
From the Paper "Dante, traced his own personal economic and political trials through his experiences in a system, not unlike that described by his Catholic faith, and yet in so doing he must have known that he would challenge the Catholic ideal of centralized authority and power. Though some say his intention was to make sense of his problems and his seeking of salvation through this exercise with no intention of harming his faith or its standards but he hesitated in his debates, as if uncertain that he held any or all of the answers he was seeking in his pilgrimage of the mind."
Abstract The episode of the barrators and demons in Cantos XXI and XXII of Dante's "Inferno" has often been commended for its comic element. Is this a modern imposition on the text? Does Dante find barratry funny? The paper answers these questions and looks specifically at the barrators and the treatment they receive in the fifth bolgia. It also discusses Dante's views on morality and how he reflects them in his work.
From the Paper "There have been allusions made between the events in the Baratteria and a tragic incident in Florence in 1303. According to Gabriel Rossetti there was a pageant held in honour of the Cardinal da Prato; where an imitation of the Inferno complete with all its demons ended, when a bridge collapsed under the strain of a mass of revellers, and many were drowned in the water. Rossetti believes the episode of the barrators in the Inferno to be a parody of this disaster."
Abstract This paper explores how the work combines and expresses Dante's knowledge of the classic writer Virgil, Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, and the Medieval Christian Theory, predominantly Catholicism and the Bible. The author also demonstrates how Dante addresses the subject of love.
From the Paper "Dante draws on Aristotle for his conception of love in the case with Beatrice, who later escorts him into Paradise. Aristotle pictures the source of the universe not as love itself, but as the simple first cause, toward which all things aspire through love. In the same way that a moth is drawn toward a flame, the planets and celestial spheres are pulled toward the perfection of the first cause, and through this desire they are moved to participate in a circular dance. When Dante speaks of "The Love which moves the sun and the other stars" in the final line of The Divine Comedy, he is referring to Aristotle's idea that cosmic desire for the first cause energizes the motion of the entire universe."
Abstract This paper analyzes DanteAlighieri's testament to romantic love and his own love for Beatrice in "La Vita Nuova". Through an analysis of the theme, tone and structure of the 25 sonnets contained in "La Vita Nuova", the paper explains that Dante uses the poignant sonnet form to convey the nature of his love for Beatrice and that his use of the the phrase "love and the gentle heart" refers to the type of mature love shared between the spouses in an old married couple.
From the Paper "The third and fourth lines of the poem use a teasingly sardonic analogy to emphasize the poet's main point. "...each from the other one as well divorced / as reason from the mind's reasoning." The use of the word "divorce" serves as a double entendre, referring both to two ordinary objects being rendered as well as to two persons dissolving their marital vows. As divorce is the exact opposite from union, the poet creates some dynamic tension through the use of phrases like "one thing" and "the other one" in conjunction with the word "divorce." The repetition of the word "one" in lines one and three acts as a unifying devise in this initial stanza. Similarly, the last line of stanza one contains another word repetition: "reason" and "reasoning." The poet could have easily selected a synonym for either "reason" or "reasoning." Dante's choice implies a conscious use of word repetition that parallels the repetition of the word "one." The repetition helps emphasize the poem's central themes. Finally, the concept of reason differs greatly from the concept of love." Love and reason are in fact often in direct opposition to one another. The irony of love being compared to reason mirrors the contrast between love and divorce in this first stanza."
Abstract This paper discusses how, with his works as complex and meaningful as they are, there is no doubt that DanteAlighieri's "Commedia" presents a political and moral message. Through an analysis of "Commedia" and its political messages and a comparison to the political theories of the time it was written, the paper concludes that Dante wrote a complex narrative beaming with a political undertones.
From the Paper "Beyond separation of church and state, Dante takes other cues from Aristotle. Among these are his views on classical morality as it relates to political productivity. It is important then to remember why Dante needed to create a new political system. He was at war with a theory that he was opposed to in every sense, and was banished from his home because of it. He had grown up at a time of much disaster and violence, and as such deeply searched for a new political system where peace and productivity could flourish. This system would obviously be based on Aristotle, as he talked at great lengths about morality and the prerequisites of a stable nation."
This paper analyzes the theme of morality, which is clearly evident in the "Aeneid" by Virgil, "Inferno" by DanteAlighieri and the "Book of Jonah" from the Bible.
831 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 0 sources, 2006, $ 29.95
Abstract This paper illustrates how all three works have used journeys as symbolic representations through which each story's protagonist has learned that suffering is inevitable when surrounded by evil. In the "Aeneid," Aeneas is characterized as a mortal who has witnessed, discovered and explored the life of other mortals in what was later identified as hell. A similar scene is depicted Dante's tale, wherein the title character must witness the suffering in the City of Dis. In the Bible, the reader understands that Jonah's journey is in the form of repentance and humility. Suffering was illustrated through Jonah's ordeal when he was swallowed by the whale. The writer contends that despite the differences in the cultural contexts of the three journeys, each had similar themes that entailed suffering in either hell or the underworld, which was the result of man's moral decline.
From the Paper "Thus, Aeneas' journey in the underworld is but a manifestation of the state of mind when evil acts dominate one's soul or self, which is full of suffering. Apart from suffering, Virgil also identified Revenge, Diseases, Want, Fear, Famine, Toils, Death, Sleep, Pleasures, Frauds, Force, Furies, and Strife as other elements that, when committed excessively by the individual, leads ultimately to the descent of the soul in the underworld. A similar scenario was presented in Dante's "Inferno," wherein he portrayed Limbo as a place wherein suffering also prevails."
