Cacciaguid's Journey In Paradiso By Dante Alighieri
In the “Paradiso” by Dante Alighieri, the author sees the affliction those in Hell face, and becomes troubled as to where he may end up when he dies. Virgil, his guide, has hinted that his fate may be a difficult one to face, which only unsettles Virgil further. As Dante progresses into Paradise, he capitalizes on his situation and asks Cacciaguida something of a Catch-22: What is my destiny? If he is told the answer, how he chooses to live his life will differ from the former path and will likely morph the destiny that Cacciaguida reveals. The answer is not as cut and dry as Dante has been led to believe, because according to Cacciaguida, fate is flexible and is not as rigid as Dante thinks. This revelation by Cacciaguida divulges to Dante
…show more content…
the disturbing reality of the Afterlife. Cacciaguida says to Dante:
Contingency,
While not extending past the book in which your world of matter has been writ, is yet
In the External Vision all depicted
(but this does not imply necessity,
Just as a ship that sails downstream is not
Determined by the eye that watches it). (Paradiso 17.36-42)
As defined by Allen Mandelbaum, translator of the text, “Contingency” is a string or chain of events, otherwise known as destiny. Cacciaguida tells Dante that his destiny “has been writ”, which is the exact supposition that Dante has been under. To say one has a destiny is to assume that there is a path already laid out which has a circuit one is locked to. To not be locked to the track would be to defy the very principle of destiny, meaning, Dante must face the affliction that Virgil had hinted at. Due to Cacciaguida’s heavenly intellect, he divulges some information that is bound to make Dante feel better. Though one’s destiny has already been laid out, it also “is yet in the External Vision all depicted”. God Almighty being the “External Vision” may have formed the end destination for Dante, but the path is one that has yet to be “all depicted”. Cacciaguida has one assume that God does not make up the path at all, for that is up to the human to determine based on their own free will. However, due of the inclusion of “all” in Cacciaguida’s statement, he is insinuating that the aforementioned path is closer to an unfinished puzzle than it being nonexistent, or waiting to be formed altogether. Some of the pieces laid out are predetermined life events or checkpoints that come together to form his destiny. All that Dante’s free will is capable of is filling in these empty spaces. To dispel any confusion, Cacciaguida uses the metaphor of a ship travelling to explain how a ship is looking to reach an end destination, but the exact route is contingent on what the captain decides is the safest route.
Though one can watch the ship go about its journey, the “External Vision” has no ability to affect the path that the ship takes. The ship still has to make periodical stops along its overall journey if it wishes to make it all the way to its end destination; to not stop at these checkpoints along the way would impede any further progression. The purpose of the fragments of Dante’s destiny scattered throughout is to fulfill the end destiny. Without ligaments, a skeleton would only be a pile of bones waiting to be formed. Without pieces of Dante’s being destiny scattered throughout, the destiny is unable to be metastasized. If these destiny fulfilling events are already determined, one may jump to the conclusion that it does not matter what Dante decides to do with the parts of his life that he has control over. It seems callous to assume that all those that ended up in hell were fated to be there, or were predetermined to suffer. God may put some at a disadvantage, but nothing is more impressive than an underdog succeeding. Dante still has hope. Though he still has a chance to end up in hell, that would only be his own doing. All those that are in Hell are there because they acted with wrongful intention. They were not predestined to reside in Hell, their own negligence and evil within led them their. Dante still has the opportunity to be saved, he just has to want to be
saved. Dante undoubtedly has been put at a disadvantage when to compared others. Both Virgil and Cacciaguida let him know that his destiny will not be a direct ascension to heaven after death, because only a very select few have had the privilege of that happening to them so it is not outside the realm of assumption to say that he will not be so lucky. Some of Dante’s path has been laid out for him, but in the barren patches, he still has the free will to choose how he can act. Because of the disadvantage that has already been placed on him, he will at the very least be placed in Purgatory. He can, however, avoid eternal damnation in Hell if he makes the most of his life and pursues virtue instead of vice.
the disturbing reality of the Afterlife. Cacciaguida says to Dante:
Contingency,
While not extending past the book in which your world of matter has been writ, is yet
In the External Vision all depicted
(but this does not imply necessity,
Just as a ship that sails downstream is not
Determined by the eye that watches it). (Paradiso 17.36-42)
As defined by Allen Mandelbaum, translator of the text, “Contingency” is a string or chain of events, otherwise known as destiny. Cacciaguida tells Dante that his destiny “has been writ”, which is the exact supposition that Dante has been under. To say one has a destiny is to assume that there is a path already laid out which has a circuit one is locked to. To not be locked to the track would be to defy the very principle of destiny, meaning, Dante must face the affliction that Virgil had hinted at. Due to Cacciaguida’s heavenly intellect, he divulges some information that is bound to make Dante feel better. Though one’s destiny has already been laid out, it also “is yet in the External Vision all depicted”. God Almighty being the “External Vision” may have formed the end destination for Dante, but the path is one that has yet to be “all depicted”. Cacciaguida has one assume that God does not make up the path at all, for that is up to the human to determine based on their own free will. However, due of the inclusion of “all” in Cacciaguida’s statement, he is insinuating that the aforementioned path is closer to an unfinished puzzle than it being nonexistent, or waiting to be formed altogether. Some of the pieces laid out are predetermined life events or checkpoints that come together to form his destiny. All that Dante’s free will is capable of is filling in these empty spaces. To dispel any confusion, Cacciaguida uses the metaphor of a ship travelling to explain how a ship is looking to reach an end destination, but the exact route is contingent on what the captain decides is the safest route.
Though one can watch the ship go about its journey, the “External Vision” has no ability to affect the path that the ship takes. The ship still has to make periodical stops along its overall journey if it wishes to make it all the way to its end destination; to not stop at these checkpoints along the way would impede any further progression. The purpose of the fragments of Dante’s destiny scattered throughout is to fulfill the end destiny. Without ligaments, a skeleton would only be a pile of bones waiting to be formed. Without pieces of Dante’s being destiny scattered throughout, the destiny is unable to be metastasized. If these destiny fulfilling events are already determined, one may jump to the conclusion that it does not matter what Dante decides to do with the parts of his life that he has control over. It seems callous to assume that all those that ended up in hell were fated to be there, or were predetermined to suffer. God may put some at a disadvantage, but nothing is more impressive than an underdog succeeding. Dante still has hope. Though he still has a chance to end up in hell, that would only be his own doing. All those that are in Hell are there because they acted with wrongful intention. They were not predestined to reside in Hell, their own negligence and evil within led them their. Dante still has the opportunity to be saved, he just has to want to be
saved. Dante undoubtedly has been put at a disadvantage when to compared others. Both Virgil and Cacciaguida let him know that his destiny will not be a direct ascension to heaven after death, because only a very select few have had the privilege of that happening to them so it is not outside the realm of assumption to say that he will not be so lucky. Some of Dante’s path has been laid out for him, but in the barren patches, he still has the free will to choose how he can act. Because of the disadvantage that has already been placed on him, he will at the very least be placed in Purgatory. He can, however, avoid eternal damnation in Hell if he makes the most of his life and pursues virtue instead of vice.