ipl-logo

How Does Virgil Use Pity In Dante's Inferno

550 Words3 Pages

Throughout Dante’s journey through the Inferno, he experiences many emotions; pity being one of them. While Dante is the main one feeling these emotions towards the dammed souls he meets in Hell, there are some instances where Virgil also shares this emotion with him. Pity in the Inferno is usually something that is hard to come by being that everyone knows why they are in Hell and no one feels sorry for someone that has committed a sin, because it accomplishes nothing for anyone. Then Dante comes along and introduces pity, in various circles, of hell to some of the people he feels compassion towards.
In Canto V of the Inferno, Dante truly feels his first sense of pity in Hell. Francesca tells the story of her love affair with her brother-in-law, Paolo, and the sin that dammed them. I can well understand Dante’s overwhelming feeling of pity in this circle of Hell. It is the love …show more content…

Have you no sense of pity whatsoever?” (Canto XIII, lines 35-36). It can even be seen that Virgil feels some sense of pity for these souls who struggled on earth and are now trapped in this circle of Hell. Dante asks if Virgil will continue to ask this soul questions because “such pity chokes his heart” (Canto XIII, lines 81-84). Virgil responds by saying “That this man may fulfill generously what your words cry out for, imprisoned soul, may it please you to continue by telling us how a soul gets bound into these knots, and tell us, if you know, whether any soul might someday leave his branches”(Canto XIII, lines 85-90). Though Dante may be the one that displays pity more often throughout the Inferno, this canto of the story shows that Dante is not alone in feeling pity; even though Virgil recognizes the sins of these humans, he still pities their imprisoned

Show More
Related
1139 Words | 5 Pages

As Dante the pilgrim continues through the circles of hell, Dante presents readers with a powerful juxtaposition between himself and Pier della Vigna, a pitiable soul condemned to the second tier of hell for committing suicide. Both men come from strikingly similar histories, but when further examined, the roads they took explain their difference. Depicted as an upstanding man of high honor, della Vigna is shown as a character that is nearly impossible not to feel sympathy for. Punished for rebelling against God’s planned time for him, della Vigna and the rest of the sinners in circle 7 will remain eternally in the non-human plant forms forced upon them, never to reclaim their human flesh for the rest of eternity. della Vigna embodies a powerful representation of the road in which

Read More
272 Words | 2 Pages

In Dante’s Inferno, the ideas of justice, good and evil, and suffering in hell are implied. The idea of suffering in hell and the idea of justice are closely related. Dante indicates that those suffering in hell have committed crimes that are being punished in a reasonable way and that we should not have pity for them. He uses the setting and his organization of hell to transmit these ideas and his philosophy regarding these ideas. The organization of hell helps us understand that Dante believed it was a person’s poor decisions and not cruel fate that got a person in hell.

Read More
1177 Words | 5 Pages

Criticisms of ideas and actions are is most effective when it is directed towards the subject and specific about the issue. Whether it is an editorial attacking a politician, a panel of judges grading a performer or a movie reviewer negatively rating a movie, criticism is most effective when it directly addresses the issue. Dante is not shy to challenge sin in The Inferno and his rebuttal of sins is most apparent in Canto XIX where Dante travels through the Third Bolgia of the eighth circle of hell. In this Bolgia, Dante attacks the practice of simony, the act of selling religious offices or favors for money named after Simon Magus, and clearly shows his audience that he is against the practice. Dante Poet’s utilization of apostrophes to interrupt

Read More
1095 Words | 5 Pages

Virgil answers Dante’s questions, some simple and others quite profound. Every time, Virgil has an eloquent response to the question. Virgil is the perfection of the human intellect, capable of understanding so much of the world without God. He seems to know all that could be known about Hell, and the sinners within. A good government will allow science and philosophical thought flourish.

Read More
255 Words | 2 Pages

In Inferno by Dante Alighieri, when Dante the Poet is advised by Minos to turn back and leave the terror of Hell, Virgil reminds Minos of the power of God’s language as it is the almighty God’s words that grant Dante the ability to embark on this journey through Hell. As Dante approaches the second circle of Hell, The Carnal, he is stopped by Minos, the official Judge of the Underworld. Minos then provides his counsel to Dante as he has seen the terrible dangers of Hell and advises Dante to turn back and save his peace, Virgil then retorts that Dante “has been willed” in Heaven to journey through Hell so this matter is “not for [Minos] to question” (Inferno V. 23-24). The phrase “not for [you] to question” Virgil uses to dismiss Minos’ judgment

Read More
2310 Words | 10 Pages

Many of us sometimes lie awake thinking of life, death, and what happens after. Nobody knows for certain what happens once the soul leaves the body, we don’t know if there will be life after death, we don’t know if we will be punished for all that we’ve done wrong, and for that reason many of us fear death and try to stay on the straight, morally right path in order to avoid Hell. In the epic poem, The Inferno, written by Dante Alighieri, we get a sense of what Hell is like, or at least Alighieri’s rendition of Hell. After venturing from the straight path, Alighieri’s self-based character, Dante, finds himself on the verge of entering Hell. Dante’s figure for human reason, Virgil, a Virtuous Pagan, leads Dante through the nine circles of Hell

Read More
1403 Words | 6 Pages

In Canto VI of Dante’s Inferno, the Pilgrim meets Ciacco. As an inhabitant of hell, Ciacco has “lost the good of the intellect” (3.18). Superficially, it seems as if Ciacco has lost the good of the intellect because he is gluttonous. More profoundly, however, Ciacco lost the good of the intellect in the following sense: Ciacco desires to be remembered admirably by others. He fixates on his desire, and it causes him to work excessively to maintain this stature.

Read More
1236 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the Divine Comedy, Virgil served an essential role in guiding and teaching the Pilgrim. By having Virgil be the pilgrims guide, Dante (the author) illustrates how important Virgil is in providing a pagan perspective to the poem. In spite of Virgil’s pagan view, this is seemingly altered through the course of the poem. At multiple points in the inferno and purgatorio Virgil shows signs of change, through actions like confession to his sins and reflecting on why he was placed in Hell. Comparatively though, through Virgil’s actions in other parts of the poem, he also demonstrated not changing in slightest.

Read More
244 Words | 1 Pages

Argument of Dante’s Inferno Throughout the story of Dante’s Inferno his travels through Hell to search for God was interrupted by the spirits and the nine levels of Hell. In the book Dante’s Inferno, Dante goes on a journey through the levels of Hell. In the book as Dante travels through the levels of Hell and his anger increases as the journey goes on.

Read More
573 Words | 3 Pages

Dante did this in order to show the difference in pity from one sin to another. In the beginning the souls have more pity towards Dante from the punishments, whereas later in the poem there is less pity to signify the equivocation of sin and

Read More
1040 Words | 5 Pages

(354-357) Born then says the final line within Canto 28, “Thus is observed in me the counterpoise.” (358) Not all of Dante’s Hell continues the trend of being a place made only for people who have committed grave sin. The reader finds in Canto 4 that many great poets and people that existed prior to the death of Jesus Christ inhabit the first circle. (88-90) Finally, Dante’s phrases his idea of hell in a very interesting way in Canto 3 by saying those in hell have “foregone the good of intellect” (18)

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
864 Words | 4 Pages

Inferno Dante - Symbology Within The Poem Alison Wong Dante and Virgil are historical figures who have established themselves as poets, writers and philosophers through their achievement in ancient literature. Virgil is one of the greatest poets in the Augustan era , who passed away before Christ and the spread of Christianity. Virgil is seen in Inferno as a great poet whom Dante admires greatly. Within the poem, Dante receives much inspiration from Virgil and also constantly displays his respect and admiration for him throughout the whole of the text. This essay will reveal Virgil 's function in Inferno as a mentor and guide for Dante through hell, and also show Virgil 's influence in Dante 's literature.

Read More
699 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
270 Words | 2 Pages

The sin and corruption is shown with, “What was this forest savage, rough, and stern,/ Which in the very thought renews the fear” (Alighieri line 5-6). While Dante was beginning to fall of the path to Heaven with temptation of sin and corruption, he runs into Virgil. Virgil symbolizes human reason. This is because he leads Dante through

Read More

More about How Does Virgil Use Pity In Dante's Inferno

Related Topics

Open Document