ipl-logo

Geography In Dante's Inferno

803 Words4 Pages

Geography in a book is a major component on how successful the story is. By implementing geography, the author makes the story feel authentic. History and mood can also be tied to geography, such as Russia we know has very cold winters and that is why Napoleon did not conquer it, and a sunny day compared to a rainy stormy night has two completely different moods. The River of Styx plays a major role in both Greek Mythology and Dante. In Greek Mythology, the River of Styx is located in hell, having been the place where many deities have sworn oaths. Along with that, it has magical powers to make one invulnerable when dipped in the river itself, Achilles to name one. Dante uses the river in the same concept, but changed it up a little. Usually …show more content…

He is a centaur, son of the titan god, Cronus, and the nymph Philyra. Unlike all of the centaurs, Chiron’s front legs were human legs, showing his superiority amongst his compatriots. However, Chiron is known for nurturing many Greek heroes and legends such as Ajax, Achilles, Theseus, Jason, Perseus, Hercules, and Prometheus. In Dante’s Inferno, Chiron is relegated to be a guardian of hell, no longer mentoring young demigods in the real world. However, his demotion does not hinder his wisdom nor his abilities. When Dante and Virgil approached him in hell, he was leading his centaurs, shooting arrows of fire towards the souls that were trying to escape. During their journey, the searched for and only wanted to speak to Chiron, showing his power and superiority to all others in hell. He symbolizes somewhat of a God like figure in Dante, especially when he was in awe when first meeting him. Dante somewhat places himself in the shoe of those demigods that were nurtured by Chiron, putting him in the same pedestal as those such as Achilles. Though Dante plays with the story of Chiron in his book, he symbolizes a big part of hell, by being the enforcer and the symbol of wisdom down

Show More
Related
1247 Words | 5 Pages

Dante’s Inferno is an epic poem by Durante “Dante” degli Alighieri, written in the 1300s. He wrote a trilogy, known as the Divine Comedy, consisting of Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Dante was inspired by many events and issues happening at that time, such as the war between Guelphs and Ghibellines, the Battle of Montaperti, and Christian religious beliefs. In this paper, I will explore the first book, Inferno, on the topic of Hell and how the sinners had a significant impact on Dante’s journey through Hell. In Circle 5: Styx, Canto VIII, Filippo Argenti, a sinner of Wrathful, helped Dante to symbolize to readers his anger towards Black Guelphs, political enemies of the White Guelphs.

Read More
1095 Words | 5 Pages

In Dante’s Inferno, the character of Virgil acts as a guide through Hell and Purgatory. In addition to this, it is almost universally agreed that Virgil is a depiction of the full extent of human intellect and that he also acts as a microcosm of how a good government should act. There are many reasons for this belief, such as how helpful he is throughout the two books he is in and where he is located in hell. The author Dante does something extra with Virgil and the character Dante though. Virgil is a representation of the Empire like Rome that Dante wanted to be established, and his relationship with Dante is a microcosm of the Church and the State.

Read More
309 Words | 2 Pages

Chiron is to be represented by George Cadwell. Chiron is known as a wise teacher and educated young gods and goddesses. George’s character reflects this by being a teacher as well, but instead of teaching gods and goddesses he teaches high school students.

Read More
618 Words | 3 Pages

In Dante’s Inferno, Dante Alighieri's depiction of Satan at the bottom of hell reveals the theme that in Hell the punishment is always befitting of the due to the fact that the lower you go, the farther that person is from god. The picture of Satan satisfies the reader because he shows that he is the opposite of god and that he is full of evil. Lucifer is the demon in the circles of hell which he has three faces, and bat like wings in which he creates the cold wind where the sinners suffer. “The face in the middle was red, the color of anger. The face on the right was white blended with yellow, the color of impotence.

Read More
916 Words | 4 Pages

This emphasizes its importance because it shows that Dante is already prioritizing this, even though we don’t get to this section of Hell until later on. Its appearance on Earth shows that fraud is not something that the beasts in Hell are capable of committing, the humans are the ones who commit this vile sin. This adds to why it is the most devoted in the poem, as it shows that because there are just so many types of fraud we as humans can commit, there is so much to talk about. To Dante, fraud is something that is so vile to the eyes of God, that it ends up being one of the most complex sections of Hell. Humans bring the guilt of committing fraud with their souls to Hell, which is why the symbolism of rarely showing their face is found here.

Read More
989 Words | 4 Pages

In The Inferno, Dante is the hero of the story. Dante is the man exiled from his home as a result of his political struggles and beliefs with the choice between evil and good. Dante’s heroism is in the form of humanity as he faces the challenge which all human beings struggle with. Dante’s courage is tested as he journeys through the rings of hell. According to Dante, “therefore look carefully; you’ll see such things/as would deprive my speech of all belief” (Alighieri, Dante. 1854).

Read More
935 Words | 4 Pages

In the inferno, Dante in the middle of a life crisis travels with a sinner named Virgil down the 9 circles of hell. This journey through hell teaches Dante amongst other things the concept of divine justice. Upon entering the second circle, lust, Dante see sinners confessing their sins to a Minos, which proceeds to wrap its tail around its body to show the level that the sinner will be punished in. This is a symbol to show that everything we do in the dark will come to light and be punished accordingly. Seeing the sinners punished based on their sins, talking to them and hearing their stories, gives Dante insight on what is acceptable and not.

Read More
1490 Words | 6 Pages

The Circles Of Hell: The circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno represent a complex system of punishment and spiritual purification, reflecting the author’s vision of justice, morality, and the human condition. Through his vivid descriptions of the nine circles, Dante exposes the various sins that plague humanity and the consequences that await those who choose to commit them, ultimately offering a stark warning about the dangers of straying from the path of righteousness. Dante’s depiction of the circles of hell is a masterful exploration of morality, sin, and the consequences of our actions. Each circle represents a specific sin or category of sins, ranging from the relatively minor offenses of the first circle to the most egregious crimes

Read More
1941 Words | 8 Pages

As you read a story, an author can take you into a world all of their own. Whether it is a spin on modern times, or a universe that is created entirely by the author themselves, the setting of a story is critical to the narrative and the reader’s understanding of it. Without a location for a story to take place, readers would lose a significant aspect of the narrative, as the location is just as vital as the text itself. The location guides our protagonist throughout their journey, and if that element is lost, the tale and description of the journey itself is weakened. As the setting develops it can play an active part in the narrative, which can be heavily seen in Dante’s

Read More
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.

Read More
982 Words | 4 Pages

In The Comedy, Dante the Pilgrim develops a relationship with his damned idol, Virgil, in order to journey through both Inferno and Purgatory. Even though Virgil was a good man while living, he lacked understanding of certain virtues, like pride, which prevented him from being able to reach higher levels in the afterlife. Dante the Poet’s choice to damn Virgil conveys that obeying a higher order is the way to one’s salvation. The developing relationship between Virgil and Dante the Pilgrim throughout the first two canticles brings light to the opposing separation between the two characters because of the devotion Dante has to Christian virtues in comparison to Virgil’s pagan misunderstanding of virtue. While Dante the Pilgrim experiences many

Read More
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.

Read More
515 Words | 3 Pages

How did geography effect in Greek history? Or in other words what effects did geography have on Ancient Greece positive and negative? Well you could start by saying how the mountains served as natural barriers and divided ancient Greece. The mountains in Ancient Greece had a lot to do with some negative and also positive effects on Greece.

Read More
667 Words | 3 Pages

In Dante’s Inferno, he writes about his journey through hell for the purpose of recognizing his sins. He goes through this journey with Virgil, a voice of reason for Dante. Dante meets people through his journey of the many circles in the Inferno that lead him down into the center of hell, where Satan is. Satan is seen as being monster-like with three heads, representing a mocking of the Trinity and blowing his wings around the cocytus river. The final thing seen here is the fact that Dante’s description of Satan is a bit disappointing compared to the other descriptions he has written about the inferno.

Read More
1703 Words | 7 Pages

The monster archetype has been one of the most riveting archetypes that surrounds the concept of ‘evil’. It has been portrayed as a supernatural creature with grotesque features that normally brings disruption to the city and needs to be tamed or controlled to bring once again peace to the story. Due to this, it is most commonly depicted with a negative connotation, and with the idea of horror and fear. The monster has been present since the bible, which was written approximately 3,400 years ago, with the anecdote of Goliath. It has remained with its primary role of converting the protagonist into a hero and providing fear to the storyline.

Read More

More about Geography In Dante's Inferno

Open Document