Compare Hell in Dante’s Inferno and Odyssey Essay Example

and hell as well as the intermediate purgatory.

The inferno and the Odysseus are credited as one of the literary pieces that practically provide an in-depth analysis of the events that one goes through in the struggle to achieve the ultimate maturation despite the difficulties in the process. The differences that couple the literary pieces are alive but also they happen to subscribe to a considerable number of similarities. The structures and interaction of the spiritual and the underlying life teachings learned in the analysis of sin.

The period under which the epic literary work of art was penned down, the Italians subscribed to the Christianity doctrine while on the other hand the Greeks were considered to hail from the polytheistic belief. In spite of the religious differences that characterize the two literary pieces, Dante deviates from the Christian afterlife by executing a decision that made him resort to throwing the pagan gods and Greek monsters into the inferno.

It is imperative to underscore the enormous contribution that is elicited from both the fascinating literary pieces in the well-done literature that uses the journey as a metaphor of maturation. In the Odyssey, the hero who is Odysseus finally has set on a voyage to the successful triumph from war.

Odysseus has not been home for the last twenty years, and he stands out as a hero who engages the external forces in the desire to win over the external enemy. Odysseus receives credence as a person who is in possession of supernatural courage to counter the external challenges that come before him in his experiences. In most cases, Odysseus is seen to be armed with supernatural courage thereby going

ahead to tackle and deal with the fight against the supernatural forces.

One paramount distinction to note in Dante's journey from the one of the Odysseus is the direction and efforts that are mobilized to fight the forces as Odysseus is embroiled in a war against external forces, unlike Dante, who has to contend with himself and the challenges that are premised on his personality. Odysseus journey is coupled with a series of challenges and difficulties, which are elicited from the story in a metaphoric expression to delve into the actual tribulations that he had to undergo in the process of achieving ultimate maturity.

To understand the hard situations first from the literary piece, we take a sharp look at the journey Odysseus is described as an individual that is cast on an island. He is caught in a limbo where he is surrounded by waters, the casting that is metaphoric to symbolize the experiences one has to contend with in the process of transition to maturity in life. There are instances whereby some of the experiences exhibit an occurrence that cannot yield immediate solutions as one finds themselves surrounded by myriad problems in their daily living.

The life of Odysseus is full of challenges as for instance in another experience he finds himself facing strong opposition from the god Poseidon together with the seas. The opposition he faces was solidly contributed by a grudge that existed between him and the god Poseidon in the past. Odysseus in his journey as he approaches home, he is engaged in a fierce confrontation with suitors who had encroached in his home where he was determined to reclaim what rightfully belongs

to him. Odysseus courageously fights the suitors and finally he manages to get the home back in his possession together with her beloved wife Penelope under her command to control his home.

In contrast to the tribulations of Odysseus, Dante on the other hand in the epic the Inferno suffers an unfortunate exile from his home because of the persistent agitated political beliefs that did not impress some of the people around him. Dante then makes a decision to embark on a journey that has him set out on an experience that will provide an opportunity for self-pursuance to reflect on a host of issues in his mind.

Unlike Odysseus, who goes out on a physical journey, Dante made a decision to go on a journey that involved events that happened in his mind that is more of a spiritual expedition to establish the distinction between good and evil? Dante identifies his heroic title in a different form that involves the sense of humanity. Dante's supernatural courage is not exhibited through fierce rigorous physical battles but instead the courage is manifested through the pursuit to test his inner strength.

The occasions that elicit the efforts of Dante in the struggle in his journey that is distinct from the expeditions that Odysseus had to go through in the course of his physical journey are the settings include the hell in Inferno, heaven, and purgatory. The fact that stands out from such a demonstration is that both Dante and Odysseus were engaged on a distinct journey, as Odysseus was physical with external forces whereas the journey of Dante was within himself as he sorts to understand the difference between good

and evil

Moreover, besides the nature of their journeys that were distinct from each other there exists some other factors that inform the comparison that exists between hell in Dante's Inferno and the Odyssey. The factors are very clear in drawing a sharp distinction that exists between the two epics in explaining the process of maturation. In the course of Odysseus journey he consistently at some point goes ahead to articulate several speeches.

He engages on a blend of both the physical strength to fight his battles and also does not live out the use of speeches to win the physical battles ahead of him. The articulate use of speeches is evident when during the time when he reaches his form and finds the suitors who had taken over his home he asserts, "You yellow dogs you thought I would never make it home from the land of Troy. You took my home to plunder, twisted my maids to serve your beds. You dared bid for my wife while I was still alive (Pope, 495).

Hell in Dante's Inferno does not provide any evidence to suggest that Dante did articulate any speeches in the course of his journey. Dante was on a mission that involved an inner fight as he struggled to understand and establish equilibrium between what is good and evil. Dante in the struggle to strike the balance between good and evil indicated, “Therefore look carefully; you would see such things as would deprive my speech of all belief" (Hollander and Hollander, 1873).

The two heroes in their battles exhibit another significant difference in their voyages that is premised on the religious beliefs of both Dante and

Odysseus. In the times of Odysseus, the society was fashioned on a polytheistic doctrine. The people believed and worshiped many gods that they asserted allegiance to in their religious conviction, as the gods were instrumental in representing various purposes in society. A case in place is that there was a god of harvest, a god of animals, god of the sun, and many more other gods serving different purposes that affect the people in society. The epic Odyssey believed so much in the ideology perpetrated by polytheistic practices.

Odysseus is aided by the goddess Athena in his journey to reclaim his territory. He also suffers spirited opposition and challenges because of the grudge that was alive between Odysseus and the god Poseidon. Odysseus said, “Only the god who laps the land in water Poseidon- bears the fighter an old grudge since he poked out the eye of Polyphemus” (Pope, 227). Conversely, Hell in Dante's Inferno was an epic that was written in the Christian era. Dante was very vocal and was of the view that indeed the polytheistic beliefs of the past were only well to be equated to a sinful practice. He goes ahead to reflect on the past figures like the poet Virgil together with the great hero Odysseus of being hell for their religious affiliations beliefs that are contrary to the Christian beliefs and practices.

Nonetheless, in another spectrum of the Odyssey, the literary text only recognizes the gods and heroes associated with Greek mythology and their cultural practices are well enumerated in the text. The works of art done by Homer is always limited to the cultural practices and beliefs of his people

whereas Dante does not in any way write in limitation to the affiliation of his people.

The action of subjecting the pagan gods to Christian hell paints a picture that symbolizes the fact that Christianity was a superior and mainstream religious faction at the period when hell Dante's Inferno was put down on paper. The Odyssey and hell Dante’s Inferno both are constituted with the same characters but act on diverse corresponding roles in their afterlives, however, Dante engages characters such as Minos and the three-headed-dog with Cerberus all from the Greek mythology.

Furthermore, as Minos plays a crucial role as the judge in both literary pieces, his duties in the inferno appears to be more descriptive and impactful in comparison to the Odyssey. In the Inferno, Minos demonstrates an occurrence that displays the impact he instigates on the hell's structure. Minos executes punishments on the spirits based on their confessions and subjects them to appropriate circle reminiscence to the number of times that he wraps his tail around himself.

Therefore, in a twist of events, it is evident that Minos is the organizer of the inferno and carries out the responsibility to group the souls concerning how they have committed sin in their mortal living. In contrast, when it comes to the Odyssey, Minos who is the son of Zeus is portrayed as having the single role of judging the dead in the underworld, without any mention of specifications of his duties or even tasks. The structure and function of the inferno and the underworld exhibit fundamental differences (Puchner, 2012).

The Odyssey and the inferno despite the range of distinctive features that characterize the literary work, there are

a myriad number of similarities that the two have in common. They share some similar features that are existent on both the literary pieces. On both the heroes Dante and Odysseus, they enumerate the theme of love that exists in both occasions they resort to going on a journey because of love. Dante in his volition goes on a voyage through hell to ascertain what will happen to his life and soul if he does not make a decision to change his ways.

Beatrice, who pledges an everlasting love without end to Dante, is also a cogent reason that informed his decision to go into the inferno. Beatrice puts it clear in Canto 2, "For I am Beatrice who sends you on; I come from where I most long return; love prompted me, that love which makes me speak”. Beatrice was motivating Dante to go through hell for him to be able to get the spiritual understanding that will make him change his ways of life that did not interest her. Besides Penelope's love also works out as a motivating factor that inspires Odysseus to travel back to his territory and reunite with her.

Odysseus motivated by the love for Penelope was determined to surpass the challenges he faced to achieve the joy of being united with the love of her life. Another similarity is elicited from the two epics is that it is evident that both in the course of their voyage they are at some time decide to seek guidance from the people that lived before them.

Odysseus had to travel to the underworld just to inquire from her mother about the well-being of her wife, and

her mother answered, "Still with her child indeed she is a poor heart, still in your palace hall. Forlorn, her night, and days go by; her life used up in weeping” (Pope, 351). On a similar move, Dante also learns from Virgil while in hell and goes a step to teach and explain to him further on matters regarding sin and resurrection. He states, “Remember how your science which says that when a thing has more perfection so much greater is its pain or pleasure” (Hollander and Hollander, 1854).

In conclusion, it is evident from the two processes that indeed it was a journey symbolic of a process that is fundamental to achieve ultimate maturation. The two literary pieces can achieve maturation in different ways from the journey of both Dante and Odysseus. One important fact that is predominantly exhibited from the two journeys is that both Dante and Odysseus are heroes who go ahead to achieve the set goals to attain the ultimate level of maturation. The end of the journey is a precise comparison of how Dante explains the issues that have some impetus on humanity while on the contrary Odysseus can recapture and retain his territory at last.