What Is The Role Of Evil In Dante's Inferno

Dante’s Inferno focuses on spirituality and sin, whereas in Susan E. Blow’s article, Dante’s “Inferno”, the author ignores Christianity. Christians bear the burden of making conscious decisions and to ignore wrong thoughts or evil things. Dante believes that Christians must avoid evil doings or experience the wrath of God. Blow states that through sin a person learns wisdom. When discussing the “Inferno”, Blow notes that “view that sin ultimately rests is, that man can only learn what he is, by finding out what he is not, and that the violation of his ideal nature reveals him to himself”(123). Spiritual freedom cannot be reached until a person realizes that good can only be reached through evil. In Christianity, the wages of sin is death and a form of rebellion against God. In Dante’s works, a person draws from God the power to realize himself. In Dante’s Inferno, we find him traveling through hell as a result of a sinful life. He meets with sinners in various stages of hell. As a result of sin, sinners experience varying punishments. For example, the wrathful are

I had difficulty deciphering whose thoughts were being expressed. However, the topic was interesting. Blow’s interpretation of good and evil was disturbing, yet intriguing. I liked how she used Dante’s Inferno to express her view of sin and Christianity. Blow believed that people should not be punished for learning through sin, whereas Dante felt as though being exposed to sin was a permanent mark on your soul. He believed that you always carry parts of sin with you. I do not think Blow understands Christianity. She feels that Christianity is predicated around punishments. However, Christianity is based on love, faith, and forgiveness if one repents. I think she could have strengthened her article by decreasing its length, thus, making it easier to understand. Finally, the dissent into Dante’s “Inferno” makes this article