Own Life Dante Pilgrim Essay Example
Own Life Dante Pilgrim Essay Example

Own Life Dante Pilgrim Essay Example

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  • Pages: 12 (3260 words)
  • Published: January 6, 2019
  • Type: Research Paper
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Canto I

Dante The Pilgrim awakens in the dark wood, realizing he is halfway through his life.

Terrified at being alone in such a dreary valley, the protagonist roams until he stumbles upon a sunny hill, which gradually alleviates his fear. However, as he attempts to ascend the hill, his way is obstructed by three formidable creatures: initially a LEOPARD, then a LION, and ultimately a SHE-WOLF. These animals instill him with terror and force him to retreat down to the dark forest. In that instant, a man's image materializes in front of him; it is the spirit of VIRGIL, and the Pilgrim implores for assistance.

Virgil informs the Pilgrim that he cannot defeat the creatures blocking his way. These beasts will persist until a GREYHOUND arrives to drive them back to Hell.

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The only way for the Pilgrim to reach the light is by taking an alternative route. Virgil pledges to lead him through Hell and Purgatory on that path. Eventually, a superior spirit will take over and guide him to Paradise. The Pilgrim implores Virgil to continue leading, and the Guide initiates their journey, with the Pilgrim following closely.

  • View a Picture of Dante Lost in the Dark Wood
  • View a Picture of The Lion Confronting Dante

Notes on Canto I

Critics initially believed that the three beasts encountered by the Pilgrim symbolized specific sins: lust, pride, and avarice. However, it is possible that they actually represent the major divisions of Hell. The spotted leopard presides over the Eighth and Ninth Circles, where

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the Fraudulent are punished. The Lion embodies all forms of Violence, which are punished in the Seventh Circle. The she-wolf represents various forms of Concupiscence or Incontinence, which are punished in Circles Two to Five.

The beasts in question must represent the three main categories of human sin and pose a threat to Dante the Pilgrim, who symbolizes mankind. It is essential to comprehend the entire allegory in Canto I by reading the entire Comedy, as this canto serves as a condensed version of the entire work and introduces the major themes that will be explored further. Consequently, this canto holds great significance within the entire work. It explains that Dante must choose an alternative path because in order to reach the Divine Light, one must first recognize the true nature of sin, renounce it, and engage in penance. Virgil, personifying Reason or Human Wisdom, serves as the means through which individuals gain an understanding of sin's nature. With Virgil-Reason as his guide, Dante the Pilgrim will witness the penance imposed on repentant sinners on the Mount of Purgatory.

The moral landscape depicted in Canto I mirrors the overall structure of The Divine Comedy. The dark wood represents the state of sin where Dante the Pilgrim finds himself, symbolizing Hell, which he will soon traverse. The barren slope he attempts to climb represents the middle ground between good and evil that all men must pass through before reaching the illuminated state of love and blessedness at the mountain peak, analogous to Purgatory, the subject of the second part of the Comedy. The blissful mountain, shining under the sun's rays, represents the state of blessedness that mankind

continuously strives for, described in the third canticle, the Paradise.

Canto II

However, the Pilgrim starts to doubt himself and expresses his concerns to Virgil about his ability to undertake the journey proposed by Virgil.

Virgil's predecessors were AENEAS and SAINT PAUL, and he feels inadequate to be in their company. Nevertheless, Virgil scolds himself for being a coward and narrates the events that led him to meet Dante. The VIRGIN MARY took pity on Dante in his despair and instructed SAINT LUCIA to help him. Saint Lucia, due to Dante's immense love for BEATRICE, asked Beatrice to descend into Hell, specifically Limbo, and asked Virgil to guide Dante until the time when Beatrice herself would become his guide. Encouraged by Virgil's explanation, the Pilgrim agrees to follow him.

Notes on Canto II

The second major movement of Canto II includes Virgil explaining his arrival to the Pilgrim and subsequently restoring the latter's courage.

According to Virgil, the Virgin Mary, who symbolizes mercy and compassion in Christian thought, showed sympathy towards the Pilgrim in his situation and initiated the operation of Divine Grace. Saint Lucia, whose meaning is light, indicates the Illuminating Grace requested by the Blessed Virgin, as without Divine Grace, the Pilgrim would be lost. Beatrice, whose meaning is blessedness or salvation, appears to Virgil to reveal to him God's will, who is the ultimate bestower of Divine Grace. The three celestial ladies balance the three beats of Canto I; they represent humanity's salvation from sin through Grace, just as the beasts represent human sins.

The journey of the Pilgrim begins in Paradise when the Blessed Virgin Mary shows him compassion. The Divine Comedy is a circular story that starts

in Heaven and ultimately ends in Heaven with the Pilgrim's vision of God in the last canto.

Canto III

As the two poets enter the vestibule leading to Hell, Dante sees an inscription above the gate:

  • I AM THE WAY INTO THE DOLEFUL CITY,
  • I AM THE WAY INTO ETERNAL GRIEF,
  • I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN RACE.
  • JUSTICE IT WAS THAT MOVED MY GREAT CREATOR;
  • DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE CREATED ME,
  • AND HIGHEST WISDOM JOINED WITH PRIMAL LOVE.
  • BEFORE ME NOTHING BUT ETERNAL THINGS
  • WERE MADE, AND I SHALL LAST ETERNALLY.
  • ABANDON EVERY HOPE, ALL YOU WHO ENTER.

Dante hears the cries of torment from the damned souls who are rejected by God and not accepted by Hell's powers. The first group of souls is nowhere because they cowardly avoided making choices in life.

Their punishment is to be forever tormented by flies and hornets as they follow a furious pace behind a banner. The Pilgrim recognizes some of these shades but does not mention any by name. Next, they arrive at the River Acheron where they are greeted by the infernal boatman, CHARON. Charon challenges the living man among the doomed souls who are to be ferried across the river, but Virgil asserts that his companion must pass. Suddenly, a howling wind rushes across the landscape, knocking the Pilgrim off his feet and leaving him senseless.

  • See a depiction of Charon ferrying the damned souls across the Acheron

Commentary on Canto III

The words inscribed on the gate of Hell symbolize Divine Omnipotence, Highest Wisdom, and Primal Love.

These three attributes represent the triune God: the Farther, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, the gate

of Hell was created by the Trinity to enact Justice. The first tormented souls that the Pilgrim encounters are not in Hell but in the Vestibule leading to it. In a way, they are the most detestable sinners because they neither performed good nor bad deeds in life. Included among them are the angels who did not choose a side during Lucifer's rebellion.

These souls are appropriately nameless as Dante does not give them any names. They are unworthy of mention due to their lack of action. Heaven has condemned them, but Hell will not accept them. In the Inferno, divine retribution takes the form of contrapasso, which is the just punishment of sin. This punishment is carried out through a process that either resembles or contrasts with the sin itself.

The contrapasso in this canto goes against the sin of neutrality, or inactivity. These are the souls who, in their early lives, lacked a banner or leader to follow, but now relentlessly pursue one. While it is commonly believed that the damned in the Inferno are naked (excluding the Hypocrites), this is only occasionally emphasized. Canto III is a notable example of this. It is worth noting that as part of their punishment, all the damned souls are actually eager for their suffering to commence (they anxiously desire to cross the river).

Those who chose to sin on earth are now in Hell, condemned with a willingness to face their punishment.

Canto IV

Upon awakening from his unconsciousness, the Pilgrim is guided by Virgil to the First Circle of Hell called Limbo. This is where the sorrowful spirits of the virtuous non-Christians reside. Here, the souls, including Virgil himself,

do not endure any physical torment. However, they live with a longing, devoid of any hope of beholding God. Virgil recounts the story of Christ's descent into Hell and His redemption of numerous figures from the Old Testament.

The poets observe a radiant light in the midst of darkness and, as they approach it, they encounter four esteemed pagan poets: HOMER, HORACE, OVID, and LUCAN. These poets include the Pilgrim in their group. As they get closer to the light, the Pilgrim sees a magnificent castle where distinguished non-Christian thinkers coexist with other renowned historical figures. Inside the castle, the Pilgrim identifies various individuals such as ELECTRA, AENEAS, CAESAR, SALADIN, ARISTOTLE, PLATO, ORPHEUS, CICERO, AVICENNA, and AVERROES. However, their time within the castle is limited and soon the poets guide them away from the castle's brilliance and into a foreboding darkness.

  • See a Picture of Dante and Virgil Meeting the Poets

Commentary on Canto IV

According to Christian belief, salvation is only possible through baptism, which is the first Sacrament and the entrance to the faith. The souls in Limbo, the first circle of Hell, are virtuous individuals who lived before Christ and therefore had no knowledge of Him or His teachings. They also include those who died without being baptized. In Limbo, there is no physical torment, but the souls experience mental anguish as they are aware of the Christian God, yet cannot have any hope of seeing Him.

Due to his inability to read Greek, Dantes was unable to read Homers works directly and only had exposure to them through Latin commentaries and adaptations.

Homer is associated with the Trojan War, which is why he is depicted in this canto as a poet armed with a sword, known for his songs on warfare and heroic figures. As a result, Canto IV provides direct evidence of the difficulties Dante encountered when studying certain poets and philosophers. Being unable to access their works often led to a limited understanding of these artists and a tendency to assign them a specific portrayal. This is further exemplified by Dantes characterization of Horace as a satirist.

Horace's description lacks any mention of Dante's unfamiliarity with his work Odes, which is the reason for leaving out his role as a moralist.

Canto V

Virgil leads Dante down to the threshold of the Second Circle of Hell, known as Limbo. This is where Dante will witness the damned being punished for their sins for the first time. Minos, a grotesque figure and the judge of the underworld, blocks their path. However, after Virgil confronts him, they are allowed to enter this dark circle. In this circle, the voices of the lustful can be heard wailing as they are forever tossed around in a dark and stormy wind. Dante sees countless famous lovers, including Semiramis, Dido, Helen, Achilles, and Paris. He then requests to speak to two figures he sees together: Francesca da Rimini and her lover Paolo. This scene is perhaps the most famous episode of the Inferno.

At the conclusion of the scene, the Pilgrim collapses to the ground due to overwhelming pity for the lovers.

  • View a Picture of Francesca and Paolo

Notes on Canto V

Canto V is widely known as the

most famous canto in Inferno, mainly due to the captivating encounter with Francesca da Rimini. The complete allegory of this meeting is not addressed here; instead, I suggest you visit the dedicated page on this website.

The fifth canto of the poem is divided into two equal parts with a transitional tercet. The first part focuses on Minos and his activities, the punishment of souls in the wind for their lust, and the sighting of certain shades of royal figures appearing like flying cranes. The Pilgrim has been informed (presumably by Virgil) about Minos' role, and he will be taught by him about the specific sin being punished, the form of punishment, and the names of many of those present. Primarily, Virgil intends to educate the Pilgrim about three lessons in the first part of this canto, all centered around the nature of lust - a grave sin, even if it is considered one of the least severe in Hell. The first lesson should arise from witnessing Minos carrying out his duty: the Pilgrim should be profoundly disturbed by this sight and gain an understanding of the true nature of all sins. The second lesson should stem from observing the royal figures who are guilty of lust.

Semiramis, who made lust legal due to her own incestuous actions, serves as an important lesson for the Pilgrim to despise the lustful ones who disrespect Divine Justice by being unrepentant. Although Virgil devotes more lines to Semiramis than anyone else in this group, the Pilgrim fails to learn from Virgil's guidance, as evident in the following tercet. Instead of learning, the Pilgrim is overcome with pity for these sinners

and becomes bewildered. This tercet depicts the Pilgrim's state of mind prior to encountering Francesca da Rimini. Pity is precisely the aspect of the Pilgrim's character that Francesca will target with her carefully chosen words.

The Pilgrim's failure to learn his lesson is evident when he directly encounters one of the lustful, Francesca. This encounter marks his first test, and he fails. The punishment for lust, represented by the infernal storm, indicates that it is pursued without reason. It is worth noting that all punishments in the Circles of Hell before the Gates of Dis are also without reasoning.

Canto VI

Upon regaining consciousness, the Pilgrim finds himself in the Third Circle with Virgil. This is where the gluttons are punished.

These shades are constantly being pummeled by cold and dirty hail, rain, and snow while being stuck in dirty muck. Afterward, the travelers encounter CERBERUS, a three-headed doglike creature that guards the Gluttons. However, Virgil manages to calm him down by using handfuls of slime, allowing the two poets to continue onwards. One of the shades, CIACCO, a Florentine, recognizes Dante the Pilgrim and greets him. CIACCO then makes a prophecy about the future of Florence before they part ways. As they move further, the Pilgrim questions Virgil about various topics such as the Last Judgement. They continue their journey until they reach the next circle.

Notes on Canto VI

The souls in this circle are those who indulged in gluttony, and their punishment is a reflection of their sinful behavior. Gluttony, along with other forms of lack of self-control, leads to irrational desires. In the case of gluttony, it is a desire without reason. The souls are immersed in

slime, symbolic of their excessive consumption. The pleasurable warmth they experienced from their gluttonous actions in life has now turned into cold, dirty rain and hail. In ancient mythology, Cerberus is portrayed as a fierce three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the Underworld, allowing no one to escape. He serves as a representation of the gluttons, with his three howling mouths devouring large amounts of filth.

He has transformed into Appetite and now torments the spirits who lived solely to satisfy their appetites. With three heads, he resembles Lucifer and represents a diabolical version of the Trinity. In Hell, the shades retain the semblance of their physical bodies and can be subjected to physical torment, just as they can support the weight of the Pilgrim. However, they are ethereal beings without physical substance, who will regain their bodies after the Day of Judgement.

Despite his experiences in the previous canto, it seems that the Pilgrim has not gained much knowledge. He once again feels empathy for Ciacco and the unfortunate circumstances of his punishment. Ciacco's prophecy reveals that the shades in Hell possess the ability to see into the future. These shades also have knowledge of the past, but are completely unaware of the present. This concept is further elaborated upon in Canto X.

Canto VII

At the border of the Fourth Circle, PLUTUS, the deity of wealth, is encountered by the two travelers. At the command of Virgil, PLUTUS dissipates. Continuing their descent, the Pilgrim observes two factions of infuriated souls warring against one another with their chests, employing colossal weights. These groups consist of the PRODIGAL and the MISERLY. The Pilgrim's inquiry

regarding Fortune and her allotment of worldly possessions prompts him to question Virgil.

After explaining, Virgil and the narrator descend to the banks of the swamp-like river Styx, which represents the Fifth Circle. In the bog, there are the Wrathful, who constantly tear and mutilate each other. Below the slime of the Styx, Virgil points out the presence of the Slothful through the bubbles on the muddy surface. The poets walk around the swamp and eventually reach the base of a tall tower.

  • View a Picture of the Wrathful

Notes on Canto VII

Virgil describes the greedy Plutus as a cursed wolf. This imagery reminds us of the She-Wolf mentioned in Canto I and supports the notion that she rules over the circles of Incontinence.

The Miserly and the Prodigal, who both misused their wealth, are subjected to a shared punishment. Their material wealth has become a burden that each group must push against each other because their attitudes towards wealth were polar opposites on earth. Each group forms a semicircle as they roll their weights at each other, resulting in a complete circle when combined (whether this consists of multiple small circles or one large circle is uncertain). The broken circle symbolizes Fortune, as mentioned by Virgil, and represents how the greedy and the wasteful believed they could manipulate the unpredictable cycle of fortune.

The passage highlights how individuals on earth either hoard material goods or squander them, which only results in a fleeting display of wealth. This is a form of punishment where they must experience the circle of Fortune, which they had opposed during

their short time on earth. Due to their sole focus on wealth, these individuals remain indistinguishable in the afterlife, making it impossible for the Pilgrim to recognize any specific sinner in the crowded mass. Virgil responds to the Pilgrim's inquiries about the distribution of wealth by diverting to answer Dante's question. In the medieval and Renaissance era, various writers such as Boethius, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Chaucer, and Machiavelli explored the theme of Fortune. Typically depicted as a female figure with a wheel symbolizing the oscillations of fortune in a person's life, Dante deviates from the conventional concept by portraying Fortune as an angelic figure. In Dante's realm, she serves as a divine minister who executes God's plan among humanity.

Dante has given a Christian interpretation to a pagan goddess. The river Styx, known as the second river of Hell, is described by Dante as a marsh or quagmire, following the description in the Aeneid. We learn in Canto XIV that all the rivers in Hell are connected, so the spring mentioned in this passage is likely where the Acheron emerges from an underground source.

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