Virgil's Journey

Two of the texts being reviewed is Dante’s The Divine Comedy and Farid Ud-Din Attar’s The Conference of the Birds. These two stories, both have an enormous attraction toward the belief in a higher power. In both stories, the character's devotion is questioned. In each text, the quest for knowledge of the higher power is the ultimate driving force. In each story the main character embarks on a spiritual journey; however, each character has their own reason for going. Virgil is the guide in Dante’s The Divine Comedy: he embarks on a journey with Dante showing him the different depths of hell. The Hoopoe is the main character in Attar’s The Conference of the Birds; he leads the rest of the bird on a voyage to find the Simorgh. Virgil and the Hoopoe
As demonstrated when Dante says, “…he put forth his hand to me…,” Virgil expresses his fatherly leadership for the first time before crossing through the Gates of Hell (Dante 31). Virgil’s purpose for being sent on the journey through the layers of Hell with Dante was for him to be a tour guide and show Dante that his sins would soon lead him to eternal suffering if he did not repent and change his way. Although, it is soon clear that his leadership position was more important than just a tour guide. Virgil took the role of a teacher and a Father figure to Dante. Virgil gave him life lessons on the journey that Dante would take with him after he awoke from the dream. Virgil also showed Dante some very tough love; for example, when Dante wept for the fortune tellers and diviners when he saw their contorted necks, Virgil snapped back saying,” Who is more arrogant… then one who dares sorrow at God’s judgment” (Dante 158). Virgil does his best in the bettering of Dante and the act of pity against Gods judgment resonated anger throughout Virgil. Virgil is in Hell because he was born before the” age of Christian
He encourages each of them to leave behind their worldly selfish obsessions, so they can reach Enlightenment. He pleads with them “The Self has swallowed you for its delight how long will you endure its mindless spite?” (Attar 41). A vote was in place to decide who shall be the King of the Birds. The hoopoe has a deep religious faith. He is considered by the rest of the birds to be the wisest of all the birds. These were a few of the reasons he was chosen to be their King on this spiritual journey. He dreams of meeting the Simorgh (a mythical Persian bird they revered as their God). There were thirty birds including the Hoopoe that embarked on this journey of Enlightenment. Each bird had their own excuse not to go on the journey with the Hoopoe, each claimed to not need the enlightening and ironically this was the reason they needed enlightened for example in the case of the duck, “Your life is passed in vague aquatic dreams which cannot last”, the hoopoe explains (Attar 51). The hoopoe told each bird why their excuse was invalid, and he kept ensuring to them that it would be worth the effort to make this journey. He did not get angry at any of the reluctant birds, yet he explained to them why the journey was so important to