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Free Will In Dante's Divine Comedy

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There is many interpretations of Heaven and Hell. Some imagine hell as being a place where the absolute wicked are tortured from all eternity, made by the Devil himself. A common depiction is that souls end up in Hell as punishment. In the final part of the Divine Comedy, Dante reflects on free will, and its perfection as a gift. It is this gift that Dante believes is Gods greatest gift to humanity. He utilizes this idea that free will is a major factor to a souls place in the afterlife With regards to this idea, free will, driven by love, is the prominent force for all the souls in each level throughout the Divine Comedy. God so loved us that he created us to love him. When Dante arrives at the Gates of Hell, there is an inscription warning all those who enter. The Gate says that Hell is just and made by a primal love and justice. Hell being just is understandable but being made out of love is strange. The division of Hell best explains how free will relates to justice and love. The first five rings are based upon a disordered love, as seen with Francesca and Paulo. They did not commit the worst sin by far, however they choose not to repent. Francesca believes she was simple overcome with love. As Dante encounters the various damned souls, a pattern begins to form in the order of …show more content…

He loves us so much that he gives us the freedom to chose him too. Our free will lets us to go beyond human imperfections and disordered love. Every layer in these three books are designed by love, and respect towards free will. Souls in Hell are there because they wanted to live their lives with a bent love towards material good. The worst sinners go so far as to intentionally using their rational thought the pervert natural love for their own purpose. Those in Purgatory freely chose to repent and God respects that decision. They can travel at their own pace and God helps them by making sure they cannot

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