Dante's Inferno Compare Contrast Essay

William Shakespeare’s works have spanned through generations and are still celebrated to this day. The importance of the prevalence of theatrical works is this: that characters are assigned a certain role and often stick to that character’s’ limitations or grow in a way that serves the plot. The importance of this, however, is not that each character plays a certain role, but rather that those separate roles exist. Therefore, the analysis and comparison of the principles of each time will show that, because pieces of literature often reflect the principles of the time, throughout history, people have been divided into specific roles and judged based on the biases that role gives. Nearly 300 years separate the publication of The Tempest and Dante’s Inferno, which means that, while a short time span in relation to comparing the current day to the times, a few hundred years as well as cultural difference will show similar roles amongst characters. The circles of hell, established by Dante, most easily define these similar roles by which each character from The Tempest fit into. Showing this will connect the principles held by each work. In Dante’s Inferno, there is a very literal division of characters, using the circles of hell as a basis. In comparison to The Tempest, the most prominent of these circles are the fifth, seventh, and ninth
However, betrayal ties directly into one aspect of Inferno as well, which serves as a solid connection between the two works. Dante’s work, written in the 1300s, clearly contains morals and principles relative to today as well as to Shakespeare’s 1600s work. Dante reflects his time’s morals by showing the inverse, or rather the punishment given to unfavorable behavior. The Tempest portrays its principles through the treacherous and violent actions of its characters, creating clear antagonists and