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Examples Of Allegory In Dante's Inferno

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Within Dante's Inferno Francesca and Paolo appear in Canto V. This canto stands out amongst other verses as an example of Dante's writing, characterization and also for demonstrating the deep allegory surrounding the work and the nature of sin. Francesca Da Rimini was the daughter of Guido Vecchio da Polenta, lord of Ravenna, and Paolo Malatesta, the third son of Malatesta da Verrucchio, lord of Rimini. Around 1275 the aristocratic Francesca was married due to political reasons to Gianciotto ("Crippled John"), the physically deformed second son of Malatesta da Verrucchio. In time a love affair developed between Francesca and Gianciotto's younger brother, Paolo. One day the betrayed husband discovered them in a covert companionship. Dante brings sympathy to Francesca's story by …show more content…

Angered at finding herself wed the following day to Gianciotto, Francesca made no attempt to restrain her affections for Paolo and the two in fact soon became lovers. Informed of this liaison, Gianciotto one day caught them together in Francesca's bedroom. He was not hesitant about his rationale and decided that he should murder them both. Paolo and Francesca are bound together in a type of embrace and in a love that knows no bounds; a “never-ending love” that will continue throughout all eternity unfortunately. Paolo and Francesca represented, or symbolize, sinful love and lust by example. Francesca’s moment of mercy came in her lifetime when she could have held back her temptation of lust, and now she suffers from her contrapasso. They show how a natural, noble emotion of love, if contrary to God’s law, can bring two essentially fine people to damnation and complete spiritual ruin. Dante’s personal response of overwhelming pity should not blind us to the justice of the

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