Inferno Essay
Macy Verges
June 12th, 2011
Ribb 1
Inferno Essay
The idea of sin has been present in the minds of humans since the beginning of time, however Dante Alighieri 's literary masterpiece, Inferno brought the reality of sin to life. Some suspect Dante wrote Inferno because he was experiencing some form of a mental breakdown, others insist that he wrote Inferno to educate people about sin. Inferno begins on the evening of Good Friday, when Dante the poet is lost traveling about in a Dark Wood. The Roman poet Vergil finds Dante, saves Dante from three wild animals, and adds that Dante 's long lost lover Beatrice has sent him to guide Dante on a journey through the 9 levels of hell. Dante the poet observes the pain and suffrage of the sinners, some of whom were acquaintances of Dante in his actual life. Some modern sinners who would fit into Dante 's depiction of Hell are Kurt Cobain, David Koresh, and Marilyn Monroe. A modern figure comparable to Dante 's guide Vergil is Mahatma Ghandi. Dante would consider these people sinners because they acted unethically, or defied moral absolute during their lifetime, these moral standards Dante used to judge people have not changed since the 14th century. Dante designated the 7th level of hell for the violent; further dividing it into three rings, the first comprised of the violent against others, the second of those violent toward themselves (suicides), and the third innermost ring, of violence against god. During the 14th century, the majority of the Italian people were Catholic, and in the Catholic church suicide is considered a grave and terrible sin. When Dante and Vergil pass through the second ring of the seventh circle (the suffering place of the suicides), Dante hears the cries of people but does not see a probable source of the cries. Vergil believes Dante is growing afraid of the possibility of people hiding in the brambles of their surroundings so he insists Dante break a piece off. Upon doing so the tree
June 12th, 2011
Ribb 1
Inferno Essay
The idea of sin has been present in the minds of humans since the beginning of time, however Dante Alighieri 's literary masterpiece, Inferno brought the reality of sin to life. Some suspect Dante wrote Inferno because he was experiencing some form of a mental breakdown, others insist that he wrote Inferno to educate people about sin. Inferno begins on the evening of Good Friday, when Dante the poet is lost traveling about in a Dark Wood. The Roman poet Vergil finds Dante, saves Dante from three wild animals, and adds that Dante 's long lost lover Beatrice has sent him to guide Dante on a journey through the 9 levels of hell. Dante the poet observes the pain and suffrage of the sinners, some of whom were acquaintances of Dante in his actual life. Some modern sinners who would fit into Dante 's depiction of Hell are Kurt Cobain, David Koresh, and Marilyn Monroe. A modern figure comparable to Dante 's guide Vergil is Mahatma Ghandi. Dante would consider these people sinners because they acted unethically, or defied moral absolute during their lifetime, these moral standards Dante used to judge people have not changed since the 14th century. Dante designated the 7th level of hell for the violent; further dividing it into three rings, the first comprised of the violent against others, the second of those violent toward themselves (suicides), and the third innermost ring, of violence against god. During the 14th century, the majority of the Italian people were Catholic, and in the Catholic church suicide is considered a grave and terrible sin. When Dante and Vergil pass through the second ring of the seventh circle (the suffering place of the suicides), Dante hears the cries of people but does not see a probable source of the cries. Vergil believes Dante is growing afraid of the possibility of people hiding in the brambles of their surroundings so he insists Dante break a piece off. Upon doing so the tree
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