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Comparing Dante Alighieri's Inferno And Tale Of Genji

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Adultery has been held to be one of the worst incidents to come out of love, but has since come to be thought as less deplorable than say murder or rape. This very sin has seemingly been thought to have destigmatized over the centuries, or has it? Dante Alighieri’s Inferno would have its audience believe that the sin of adultery is wrong, yet undeserving of his Second Circle’s punishment. Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji, on the other hand, would alternatively have its audience believe that the sin of adultery is not so much a sin as it is a commonplace pursuit, but does have the ability to burden whichever woman who partakes in the act. Though the affairs vary in consequences and circumstances, both texts ultimately express great sympathy …show more content…

In this circle, these sinners are punished by being forever whirled about in a dark, stormy wind. When asked of their circumstances surrounding the affair, Francesca explains that she and her brother-in-law were overswept with love while reading the story of Lancelot, and while they in the midst of kissing, when her husband caught them and killed them on the spot. Upon hearing this, the Pilgrim is overcome with pity for the lovers and …show more content…

According to Jennifer Panek, who researched adultery in the Renaissance era (which Dante was a part of), and found that “it appears that husbands who privately discovered their wives' affairs were not inclined to report the adulterous couple to the churchwardens, and that on the whole, "female adultery was probably regarded locally as primarily a matter of household discipline. . . .” By saying this, Panek acknowledges that women during the Renaissance were still very much subject to a male-dominated society. Though also a part of a patriarchy, women in Heian Japan were afforded more sexual promiscuity than their Italian Renaissance counterparts. With Paolo and Francesca, Giovanni chose his “household discipline” to be murder, whereas women like Fujitsubo are granted such frivolous affairs without any true repercussions except courtly

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863 Words | 4 Pages

Topic will be on gender relations and marriage in Renaissance Florence. The book “Giovanni and Lusanna” was written by historian Gene Brucker and its plot is well documented in the history book of Florence. In his book, Brucker discusses subject of love and marriage, customs and social rules of the Italian Renaissance. The main hero is a courageous Lussana di Benedetto , daughter of a Florentine artisan and widow of line-cloth manufacturer, who decides to challenge social and political hierarchies by in initiating a suit against Giovanni, a son of wealthy merchant family that is connected to the Medici’s, who she argued was her husband (Love and Marriage)One of the main themes of the book is the love and marriage

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1071 Words | 5 Pages

Women From the Renaissance In the book Giovanni and Lusanna by Gene Brucker, the author portrays the life of a woman who is neglected in a male-dominated society. Women during the Renaissance were separate and unequal to men, especially when the woman was in a lower social class. Brucker shows the reader that in a woman’s family life, social life, and even romantic life during this time period it was difficult to be taken seriously.

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1752 Words | 8 Pages

Lancelot has met chivalric standards of behavior through technicalities – he technically is defending the queen’s honor against an technically untrue accusation. But a lie of omission is still a lie; Lancelot’s equivocal oath only serves to compromise his integrity, and his immorality makes a mockery of his further appeal to God. Not only is Lancelot committing the sin of adultery by sleeping with another man’s wife, he is committing it against his king, to whom he should owe fidelity above anyone else. Although a common trope in chivalric romance is the concept that the transforming power of love makes a knight into a better person, Chretien’s narrative twists that to illustrate that Lancelot’s love has arguably made him a worse

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741 Words | 3 Pages

In 1450 BCE, Moses returned from a mountain with stones in his hands. On these stones, God’s Ten Commandments were inscribed. All sins are damning on these stones, but not many were as frowned upon as adultery. On the stones, one commandment is stated exactly as follows: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor, the most desirable man in town, was married to his wife Elizabeth when he came to know Abigail.

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1231 Words | 5 Pages

These stories are easy to interpret in one way, but can also be seen in a different light. Both of these poems

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In various Arthurian legends, such as Malory’s King Arthur and his Knight: Selected Tales, many characters find themselves involved in adulterous love affairs. Such sinful encounters with female characters hinder the completion of quests, especially for Lancelot. Bridges’s poem, “Lancelot’s Vigil,” provides insight on the consequences Lancelot faces due to infidelity. The view on Lancelot’s relationship with the female characters in each text changes from disapproval to sympathy, reflecting differing literary tastes. Although literature progresses, the main message behind the legend remains unchanged: the inability of people to confront and resolve their sins.

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781 Words | 4 Pages

“Always be closing.” This line is a common theme in the play and is the perfect description of masculinity. Based on the character’s speech masculinity is an important trait a salesman should embody and this can be achieved by them being effective and efficient in what they do. In the play and the movie the portrayal of masculinity is based solely, on their ability to sell land to potential leads.

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1317 Words | 6 Pages

It’s common now these days to see adultery as vaguely menacing. At the risk of spoiling a marriage, some take risks and consequences of this venture. But if we traveled back in time that would pass judgement upon people who believe more in superstitions than religion itself. In the classic American Novels, The Scarlet Letter and Chicago we can see correlation of adultery in their intriguing plots. They share a philosophical theory of morality but contradict of their theory of the framework of marriage.

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773 Words | 4 Pages

Dante’s first encounter with idolatry is through Francesca da Rimini, in the second circle of the lustful. Francesca tells her pitiful story of how she and her lover, Paolo, were reading the story of Sir Lancelot and Guinevere. The passage of Lancelot and

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1237 Words | 5 Pages

Moreover, she continues “…reading one day, for pleasure, of Lancelot, … without any suspicion” (Dante Inf. 5. 127-79). “Without any suspicion” indicates that she was sure of herself and had nothing about falling in love in her mind before reading the book: she was reading the book just for “pleasure” and it “overpowered” (Inf. 5.133) the lovers. She clearly blames her adultery on Lancelot and she does not take the responsibility of her actions.

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Throughout his “Divine Comedy,” Dante Alighieri encounters with two women, who are antithetical to one another in terms of their roles in the context of love. These two women; Francesca di Rimini and Beatrice, have similar emotional experiences since both have relationships outside marriage; yet, they have different roles when Dante explores the notion of love. The reader meets Francesca in Inferno, while meets Beatrice in Paradiso. In other words, one of them is being punished, whereas the other woman is placed at a divine level. Thus, the female characters within the poem represents two distinct roles of women: either as a pure and holy being, or as a sinful entity.

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1730 Words | 7 Pages

Throughout his “Divine Comedy,” Dante Alighieri encounters with two women, who are antithetical to one another in terms of their roles in the context of love. These two women; Francesca di Rimini and Beatrice, have similar emotional experiences since both have relationships outside marriage; yet, they have different roles when Dante explores the notion of love. The reader meets the first woman, Francesca, in Inferno, while meets the second, Beatrice, in Paradiso. In other words, one of them is being punished, whereas the other woman holds divine position. Thus, the female characters within the poem represents two distinct roles of women: either as a pure and holy being, or as a sinful entity.

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1040 Words | 5 Pages

The Greek’s Inferno: A Comparison of Greek and Catholic Underworlds For nearly 2000 years, various religions continue to perpetuate the idea of an underworld, or a place after death. For the Greeks, much of their mythology deals with Gods, Goddesses, and the afterlife. Catholics, however, base their idea of an afterlife with three levels: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, a place for people who must experience a purification of sorts. Numerous Greek writers wrote about the idea of their underworld, or Hades, one of the most famous being Homer, writer of The Odyssey. The Odyssey details the hero Odysseus’ journey back to his homeland of Ithaca.

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365 Words | 2 Pages

Literary devices are what makes up any work. Every author has to incorporate their style into their work so that they can give the reader an idea on how to feel. It is manipulation actually, they use positive and negative reinforcement in their words to affect the readers judgement. In The Inferno by Dante Alighieri uses symbolism and diction to help the reader comprehend his work.

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1087 Words | 5 Pages

Because the sinners caused problems to others, they have to live eternal life in a wind not gaining any peace. The knight could not control his sexual desires towards a young girl; therefore, he has to live in the second circle during his

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