When navigating a ship, a helmsman needs something constant and fixed to guide him. Something unfixed simply will not do. The best resource for centuries was the heavens. Stars shine bright in the sky, never moving or leaving. They remain still in the sky, allowing men to navigate the sea with ease. They did not have to worry if the route had changed because the stars were always in the same spot. Now imagine if someone mistook fireflies for stars. Fireflies, while they do shine similarly to stars, are living things. They fly around, never staying in the same place once. If a helmsman were to navigate his ship by fireflies, surely he would end up lost and far from his destination. Dante compares fireflies to Evil Counselors in canto 26, As many fireflies as the peasant sees when he rests on a hill and looks into the valley . . . . . . . . . . . …show more content…
Because of their steadfastness, sailors can rely on the stars to guide them wherever and whenever they wish. Dante cannot see stars in Hell. Only when he finally departs from Hell can Dante see the stars. Dante writes in the last canto of The Inferno, “And we walked out once more beneath the Stars,” (34.143) drawing attention to the fact that the reader has not seen the stars since Dante and Virgil first began their journey. Because real stars do not shine in Hell, Dante must find his own star within that place. It would seem fitting that Virgil, Dante’s guide, would be his star. Virgil, appointed by Heaven, was sent to guide Dante out of the Wood of Error, through Hell, and up Mount Purgatory. Since he dwells in the first circle of Hell, he knows a lot about Hell. He also has been through all of Hell before, which makes sense for a guide. He keeps Dante on the path assigned by God and makes sure he does not stray off. Virgil also represents Human Reason. This would mean that Reason also guides Dante, which makes a good companion in Hell. Dante