Devil's Advocate in Dante's "Inferno"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Dante's vacillation between supporting or challenging God's justice during his journey among the dead sinners in "The Inferno." The writer discusses first the argument that there is a decreasing trend of pity in Dante for the sinners, and the texts on which it is based, and then shows how Dante alternates between pity and loathing throughout much of "The Inferno". The writer shows that Dante's personal biases and municipal and political loyalties remain the deciding factor in his interaction with the sinners, not the nature of the sin committed. Dante's pity or lack thereof is also influenced by the words and actions of the sinners he encounters. The writer analyzes Cantos XXXII and XXXIII and concludes that Dante remains as indecisive in the end as he was in the beginning of his journey. The paper includes figures.

From the Paper:

"Before launching into an argument against Dante's decreasing trend of pity for the sinners, let us take a moment to consider the merits of this stance. At first glance, the character Dante seems to become increasingly merciless towards those agonizing in Hell. Early on in his venture, he weeps at the very sound of the suffering souls: "Now sighs, loud wailing, lamentation / resounded through the starless air, / so that I too began to weep" (III.22-24). Without even identifying the sin behind their cries, he grieves at the justice commanded by God and so, as Virgil warns, affiliates himself with the sinners instead of with heavenly sanction."

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• Book Review # 119570 : "Eternal Punishment in Dante's "Inferno"

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