How Does Dante Influence The Divine Comedy
Dante’s Influence in “The Divine Comedy”
In Dante’s “The Divine Comedy,” he writes a seemingly theological oriented story, but as author Joan M. Ferrante says in his book, The Political Vision of the Divine Comedy, “This poem is not so much a manual to prepare the soul for heaven, a moral guide for a general audience, as it is a polemic preaching the needs for improvement on earth in the running of religious and secular affairs, to those who can bring them about” (Ferrante 39). During the time Dante was writing The Divine Comedy, there had been many political issues and events from his time in history that was incorporated into his writing. When Dante had a place in politics there were two ruling powers in Florence – the Guelphs and the Ghibelline. These forces supported either the papacy or the Holy Roman Empire. Eventually, after …show more content…
It is mentioned that Frederick II is in the circle of Hell that contains the Heretics. Dante actually highly respected this man - as mentioned above, this man gave him hope. John Ciardi wrote in the footnotes of his The Divine Comedy translation that Pier delle Vigne used to be a minister of Frederick II. This is where Dante reveals his respect for the man, “I swear to you that never in word or spirit / did I break faith to my lord and emperor / who was so worthy of honor in his merit” (Alighieri XIII, 73-75). Although this is coming from the mouth of Pier delle Vigne within Dante’s poem, he is translating the message that he believes Frederick II deserves honor. The reason he is in the circle of heretics is because of the accusation of him being an Epicurean.
Another figure who appears in canto X of Inferno is Farinata. Farinata was a leader of the Ghibelline, the faction against the Guelphs (Dante’s faction). He led an attack on the Guelphs that nearly ended them. The introduction of this figure would probably be expected to be one of scorn and hate, but that is not the case:
Whitehead
In Dante’s “The Divine Comedy,” he writes a seemingly theological oriented story, but as author Joan M. Ferrante says in his book, The Political Vision of the Divine Comedy, “This poem is not so much a manual to prepare the soul for heaven, a moral guide for a general audience, as it is a polemic preaching the needs for improvement on earth in the running of religious and secular affairs, to those who can bring them about” (Ferrante 39). During the time Dante was writing The Divine Comedy, there had been many political issues and events from his time in history that was incorporated into his writing. When Dante had a place in politics there were two ruling powers in Florence – the Guelphs and the Ghibelline. These forces supported either the papacy or the Holy Roman Empire. Eventually, after …show more content…
It is mentioned that Frederick II is in the circle of Hell that contains the Heretics. Dante actually highly respected this man - as mentioned above, this man gave him hope. John Ciardi wrote in the footnotes of his The Divine Comedy translation that Pier delle Vigne used to be a minister of Frederick II. This is where Dante reveals his respect for the man, “I swear to you that never in word or spirit / did I break faith to my lord and emperor / who was so worthy of honor in his merit” (Alighieri XIII, 73-75). Although this is coming from the mouth of Pier delle Vigne within Dante’s poem, he is translating the message that he believes Frederick II deserves honor. The reason he is in the circle of heretics is because of the accusation of him being an Epicurean.
Another figure who appears in canto X of Inferno is Farinata. Farinata was a leader of the Ghibelline, the faction against the Guelphs (Dante’s faction). He led an attack on the Guelphs that nearly ended them. The introduction of this figure would probably be expected to be one of scorn and hate, but that is not the case:
Whitehead