Divine Love In The Inferno - 1232 Words

In Dante’s masterwork, The Divine Comedy, Dante traverse through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. He is lead through the inferno by the ancient poet Virgil, and while Virgil is still present as a guide through Purgatory, there is a defined shift in his role. Through Inferno, he is without a doubt a knowledgeable guide, whilst in Purgatorio, Virgil walks behind Dante and often relies on the souls ascending Mount Purgatory to help led the way. Dante uses this shift, and the allegorical representation of Virgil as human reason, to show that comprehension of pure love is beyond human reason. Dante claims that â€Å"Neither Creator nor his creatures move, / as you well know†¦ but in the action / of animal or of mind-directed love† (Dante, XVII.†¦show more content†¦52-54). This is the first distinct change in Virgil’s role; he goes from confident leader in the first Canto, to perplexed bystander, eventually following Dante’s idea to ascend the ledge and seek help from the souls of Purgatory. This can be explained literally, in that Virgil is an ancient to whom the idea of Purgatory would be foreign, but it also serves an allegorical purpose to show the tension between love and reason. While still on the first ledge, Virgil has the assurance to lead Dante – â€Å"my Guide led and I followed† (IV. 24) – but is still in search of â€Å"someone who may serve as guide† (IV. 39). It is possible for Virgil to understand how to ascend Mount Purgatory both because in the literal sense, he is aware that the proper path must be upwards and because though he lacks the conception of pure love, he is still able to reach after it. On the second ledge of Ante-Purgatory, Virgil and Dante find their first additional guide, not counting Cato, who, though he does guide the poets by way of instruction, does not actually climb with them. Sordello, a Mantuan like Virgil, is, in a similar manner to Cato, a false guide, as he leads the poets back down the mountain (allegorically, further into sin), in order to ascend further. Even after this descent, it is neither Virgil, nor Sordello who eventually lead Dante to the Gate of Purgatory,Show MoreRelatedThe Divine Comedy1705 Words   |  7 PagesLa Commedia, or more commonly known as The Divine Comedy remains a poetic masterpiece depicting truth and sin. The Divine Comedy, through the journey into the three hells, expresses a universal truth of good versus evil. Alighieri’s life of heartbreak with the influences of other famous poets like Homer and Virgil has affected his writing style, and through reviews by literary experts and their interpretation of Alighieri’s unique use of motifs, The Divine Comedy can be broken down to a epic thatRead MoreThe Divine Comedy By Dante Alighieri1277 Words   |  6 PagesDante Alighieri wrote the Divine Comedy from 1308-1320. 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