The further Dante travels down into Hell, the more he seems to encounter people from Florence, his home city. I thought this was a bit strange, until I realized what was happening. Seeing the suffering of people whom you have never met or are from another place separate of your own can be moving, but not as powerful as if you encountered the same suffering in your own people. Sure, we can ignore the other people we live around just as much as people far away, but imagine Dante's thoughts on this. He is deep in Hell, and each ring he encounters, he meets more and more people, well known people in fact, of his home city of Florence. He is seeing that they are being tormented and punished for their sins in life, and the fact they come from his home is all the more jarring. His meeting of so many Florentines in Hell serves to exercise the point to Dante: that he, just like those Florentines now in Hell and still living, is wrapped in sin, and he must find his way out. Unlike those already in Hell, he has a chance to return to God's Grace, just as we do. We, like Dante, can end our suffering in sin and return to God's love.
I commented on Natalie and Alex's posts.
I think it's also his way of giving his true opinions of the people who died. He couldn't just say it out right, but making it seem like he encountered them in hell would've given him more freedom to voice his opinions.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very bold move on his part to include people from his home. I cannot imagine the reaction of the people reading it closer to the time it was published.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very bold move on his part to include people from his home. I cannot imagine the reaction of the people reading it closer to the time it was published.
ReplyDeleteI found this super interesting too!!! Maybe he is explicitly making a point that Florence is a very sinful city and is trying to call them out on it. Maybe that is why he is writing.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those things that can serve as a wake up call to us, if we place ourselves in Dante's shoes(or sandals, I'm not sure what they wore then). How easy is it for us to look outside of our own home enviornment and have a heavy heart for those suffering and unreached, when or very own friends and families are in the same danger. Motivating reminder that we need to always remember those who are in our reach before we cast our eyes upon the horizon.
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