Essay on Dantes Inferno and Classical Mythology - 1823 Words

Dante’s descent into Hell in Inferno, the first part of his Divine Comedy, tells of the author’s experiences in Hades as he is guided through the abyss by the Roman author, Virgil. The text is broken into cantos that coincide with the different circles and sub-circles of Hell that Dante and Virgil witness and experience. Inferno is heavily influenced by classic Greek and Roman texts and Dante makes references to a myriad of characters, myths, and legends that take place in Virgil’s Aeneid, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Some of the most important references, however, are the most obvious ones that are easily overlooked simply because of the fact that they are so blatant. Dante is being escorted through Hell by the†¦show more content†¦Virgil does describe the entrance to the underworld in great detail, though. He says that â€Å"the cavern was profound, wide-mouthed, and huge, / Rough underfoot, defended by dark pool / And gloomy forest. Overhead, flying things / Could never safely take their way, such deathly / Exhalations rose from the black gorge / Into the dome of heaven† (Virgil 6.331-6). While there is no reference to a gate in Virgil’s account, Dante may have been using the gate imagery as a way to distinguish his work from the Greco-Roman texts. Inferno is an overtly Christian text and Dante may have used the gate as a way to juxtapose the entrance to Hell in relationship to the Pearly Gates that guard the entrance to Heaven. As Dante and Virgil descend through the underworld they encounter many of the supernatural figures that appear in many of the Greco-Roman texts. Very often these creatures are mentioned in passing, given little more than a line of description. However, in Canto 9, Dante and his guide encounter the three Furies in the sixth circle of Hell and quite a bit of time is given to describing these figures of Greco-Roman mythology. Tobias Foster Gittes explains why the Furies are given more concern by Dante than other mythological characters when he posits that â€Å"since the Furies figure prominently in Virgil’s Aeneid, it is only natural that Dante’s Virgil is quick toShow MoreRelatedHow Dante Achieves a Synthesis Between Narrative and Cultural Elements in His Writing1565 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Aeneid in their depictions of hell in pagan mythology. Analysis There are a host of specific examples from pagan mythology in the Inferno. For instance, in Canto 15, we see Dante leaving the wood of suicides. The people there do not have a chance to assume a new metamorphosis form due the heinousness of the crime of suicide (Aligheri and Lombardo 72). In Canto 14, we further see that the rivers Acheron, Styx and Phegethon from pagan mythology form the river system of hell that Dante encountersRead MoreInfluence Of The Classical World Upon Dante s The Inferno1320 Words   |  6 PagesInfluence of the Classical World Upon Dante’s The Inferno Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet and writer of the 13th century, creates a fictional account of his visions of his journey through Hell. His background as a Catholic influences his life and his writings, including The Inferno. He uses the historical and political events of his lifetime to influence his writings as well. Dante is educated and very familiar with the history and literature of the classical world. In The Inferno, he expresses hisRead MoreDante’s Inferno in Milton ´s Paradise Lost1326 Words   |  6 PagesMany arguments have been made that Dante’s Inferno glimmers through here and there in Milton’s Paradise Lost. While at first glance the two poems seem quite drastically different in their portrayal of Hell, but scholars have made arguments that influence from Dante shines through Milton’s work as well as arguments refuting these claims. All of these arguments have their own merit and while there are instances where a Dantean influence can be seen throughout Paradise Lost, Milton’s progression ofRead MoreDantes Beasts2989 Words   |  12 PagesThe Beasts and Monsters in Dantes Inferno   The Inferno is the first section of Dantes three-part poem, The Divine Comedy. Throughout Dantes epic journey into the depths of Inferno he encounters thirty monsters and five hybrid creatures.   The most significant of these monsters are of central importance to his journey and to the narrative, as they not only challenge  Dantes presence in Inferno, but are custodians of Hell, keeping in order or guarding the perduta gente.   In this essay I am concentratingRead MoreThe Divine Comedy1705 Words   |  7 PagesI. To understand The Divine Comedy and its impact, an understanding of Dante Alighieri’s life of tragic love and civil war can assist in unraveling the truth on Dante’s philosophical epic. Alighieri’s grief of a lost love and his involvement in a civil war led to his philosophical masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, influenced by classical writers like Homer and Virgil, using a distinct style and use of language that reflect Alighieri’s early life and philosophical involvement. Dante AlighieriRead MoreEssay Study Guide1115 Words   |  5 Pagesappears at random, and Perceval did not say anything. 8. Discuss three ways that Dante’s â€Å"Inferno† unites the pagan classical world and the medieval Christian world. The Christian concept of Hell is outlined from Aristotle. The monster are from classical Greek and Roman mythology. The non-Christians are stuck in the underworld. 9. Explain Dante’s concept of contrapasso, and discuss one example from â€Å"The Inferno† to illustrate your definition. Contrapasso is retribution for moral sin and thatRead MoreReligious And Political Conflicts In Dantes Inferno1637 Words   |  7 Pages1321. During this time, roughly between 1307-1319, Dante wrote the Commedia, an epic poem separated into thirds in which he imagines himself led by the poet Virgil through the descending levels of Hell. The Inferno marks the first section of this trilogy, and I believe Dante uses classical Greek and Biblical references in this work, specifically in Cantos III-V, to critique the 14th century Church. The Hellgate presents the first mythological object Dante encounters on his journey into Hell thatRead MoreThe Divine Perfection Of God s Justice Essay1857 Words   |  8 Pagesserves to illuminate one among Dante’s major themes: the perfection of God’s justice. The inscription over the gates of Hell in Canto III expressly states that God was affected to make Hell by Justice (III.7). Hell exists to penalize sin, and also the quality of Hell’s specific punishments testifies to the divine perfection that each one sin violates. This notion of the quality of God’s punishments figures considerably in Dante’s larger ethical messages and structures Dante’s Hell. To trendy readers,Read MoreAnalyzing Dantes The Divine Comedy2313 Words   |  9 Pagesand his use of contrapasso. Durante degli Alighieri, usually referred to as Dante (1265-1321), was an Italian poet, moral philosophers, and political thinker best known for his epic poem La divina commedia. Essentially, The Divine Comedy describes Dantes journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise guided at first by the Roman poet Virgil, and then by Beatrice, the subject of his undying love. In many ways, though, the poem is both a literary story of a journey and a commentary about the politicalRead MoreEssay on The Ultimate Sin Exposed in Geothes Faust1965 Words   |  8 Pagessimilar in many ways to both Dantes Inferno and Miltons Paradise Lost. The obvious similarity is how each work relates to evil or Hell. Other similarities include how the villains of two of these epics are the most likable characters, and the use of classical and Christian mythology in each poem. Faust deals with evil when he makes a deal with Mephistopheles, or Satan. This deal is that Mephistopheles will give Faust whatever he wan ts in return for his (Fausts) soul. Inferno is a journey through Hell