Wednesday, March 1, 2017
The Three Destinations
It is interesting to me that Virgil says he has to take Dante on a journey through three different kinds of death. In Canto One, Virgil explains each kind of place a dead person can "live." The first is Hell, where Dante will "hear the groans of hopeless men" (page 9). The second is Purgatory where men basically are "content" with waiting for something to happen to them (page 9). And the third is Paradise (or Heaven, as it seems to me). What I do not understand is why does Virgil say that he has to take Dante through each of these places? Is it so Dante can escape the wolf? Or is it for some deeper understanding and knowledge? Dante does mention poets such as Aeneas while he wonders about the journey through Hell. Is Virgil trying to make Dante into someone great? Because to Dante, Aeneas was worthy and very respected and Dante does not put himself in this category. What does it mean for Dante to venture into Hell and Purgatory and Heaven? Is Virgil trying to show him the "right way to live" (as from a Christian point of view)?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Dante's journey reminds me of Ebenezer Scrooge's journey. They were both scared into changing after seeing what the future would hold if they didn't change their ways. Dante mentions that Mary was concerned that he was destined for hell if he did not change his ways, so she (and Lucia, Rachel, and Beatrice) took drastic measures in order to hopefully prevent that (same with Scrooge).
ReplyDeleteLike Natalie, Dante's journey make me think of another story as well, however for me it is Pilgrim's Progress. Throughout all three of these stories (Dante's Inferno, A Christmas Carol, and Pilgrim's Progress) a journey is taken to better one's soul. It is a journey of something much deeper that is characterized by the events the characters are challenged by.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I can't really say for sure what Virgil's intentions are for Dante. From a story perspective, I can't really say that I know a lot about Dante and learning more about him as I read might shed some light on why Virgil is taking him on this journey.
ReplyDeleteOne us understand where he could go before he can comprehend how to get to his destination. This is an eye opener for Dante in such a way that his life choices could be molded by this journey.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with the people above me, I think Virgil takes Dante on a journey through all three in an attempt to get him to turn from his ways. It's a much different and more impactful to actually experience your potential futures than to just hear someone warn you of where you could end up and hearing their description of it.
ReplyDelete