How Does The Pilgrim Criticize In Dante's Inferno

Dante the Poet is the harsh and moralistic imposer of punishment in Inferno. The sinners Dante, as the author, condemns are his commentary on the immorality of the people and politics of Florence. He places the Italian Ciacco in the ring for gluttons, where he must revel in the eternal disgust of his sin. Ciacco means hog, so Dante could be commenting on the gluttony of all the people in Florence by placing him in the third ring of hell. Ciacco also provides the prophecy of Florence’s political collapse. This is how Dante criticizes the Florentine government: by having a shade reveals its tragic downfall. He also includes many Greek monsters (like Cerberus, Plutus, and the River Styx). Here, Dante the Poet denounces paganism and establishes Christianity as the definitive faith. However, he still includes censure of the Church. Members of the fifth circle, for the Avarice and Prodigal, include shades that Dante the Pilgrim recognizes as clergymen. In other words, Dante the Poet rebukes the Church’s greedy and reckless behavior by placing its members in hell.

The character of Dante’s attitude differs greatly from Dante the Poet. Dante the Pilgrim is a more dynamic and relatable character than his author counterpart is. He is very compassionate, as he cries from the suffering of Ciacco. Dante the Pilgrim is able to pity a sinner in hell. However, his demeanor changes when he rejects another shade, Filippo, by pushing him back into the River Styx. Filippo Argenti was a political rival of the author, so Dante the Poet is punishing him for this opposition. The character Dante’s conflicting treatments of sinners shows he is not as grounded in his beliefs and Dante the Poet. Dante as the author is a logical assigner of penance, in contrast to his more emotional