Line 16 of Canto V in Dante's Inferno refers to the 2nd and following circles of Hell as a "sanctuary of pain." I am not quite sure how I take that, but I do find it quite interesting. My first thought, a sanctuary within a church is a place where God is worshipped corporately, so possibly Hell is a sort of eternal worship service by the souls of the damned, whose damnation itself glorifies God..
My second thought (and the one I would hold to) is that a sanctuary, by definition, is a place of refuge or safety. Hell is a place of refuge, Dante? Maybe. a refuge is a place that is safe from pursuit. Well, to a certain degree, the souls of the damned are no longer pursued, by evil or justice. They are where they will be eternally. But even more important, this is a sanctuary OF pain, not FROM it. This is a place that is protected and safe from not pain, but pleasure. Literally, it is a stronghold against joy... This is a horrible concept, but a fitting description of Hell, which Dante gives early on in his masterpiece.
P.S. I commented on Natalie and Wendy's posts.
I think that "sanctuary of pain" is a very interesting phrase as well. I agree that it is place where God receives honor and glory. He is a perfectly righteous judge and punishing sin displays his power and might.
ReplyDeleteGood analysis of the quote. We often think of the word "sanctuary" as being a good and safe place. However, "sanctuary of pain" corrupts the word. Now a place of safety and rest is filled with suffering.
ReplyDeleteSanctuary of pain is an interesting way to phrase it. I like how you said that this is a sanctuary where they are "protected" from pleasure. This portrays that there is no relief, just eternal pain.
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