Agamemnon, The Inferno, and Don Quixote may seem to be vastly different stories written across centuries of time and within incongruous cultures but the three tales share related themes. * Set among the ruling family of Argos, Aeschylus’s Agamemnon examines the topic of justice: ancient eye-for-an-eye progressing toward modern disinterested justice, attributing all to the gods. Similarly, in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno each sinner is placed in a punishment to fit his crime: divine perfection of justice. * Miguel de Cervantes approaches the other side of justice, Don Quixote questions what happens when an antiquated or fictional moral code is put into play in a different time or place. * What is Justice? Aeschylus suspends justice somewhere between the earth and heaven, Dante says justice is divine; and Cervantes examines justice from a totally terrestrial approach. * Aeschylus, Dante, and Cervantes each use a contemporary approach and various literary devices to examine a similar theme of justice, both divine and earthly. ✔tx3
The first part of a trilogy, in Agamemnon a cyclical path of retributive justice is set in motion. * As his characters move through the play, the plot to murder Agamemnon is discussed, both as an evil and as a justified act. To Clytemnestra, her actions are decided on the day her daughter is sacrificed by her husband. “…the death he dealt/our house and the offspring of out loins,/Iphigeneia, girl of tears./Act for act, wound for wound!”Just as Agamemnon’s choice to sacrifice his daughter is forced on him by a perception of the gods’ desires, Clytemnestra feels she is driven to her actions by a “savage ancient spirit of revenge.” Her co-conspirator, Aegisthus, is claiming retribution for wrongs that were per...
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... This exchange is rife with irony. Panza has no intention of rushing to Quixote’s aid; his only concern is for his own welfare. And the Sabbath day too will only be observed as benefits him.
Living in the Renaissance, Cervantes’s society is much more interested in secular pursuits that Dante and is more questioning and scientific than Aeschylus. His approach to justice is therefore on a more realistic and humanitarian approach than either of the others. He sees justice or morality as it is acted on, or ignored in daily life. ✔r
Across the ages, morality and justice have been topics for discussion and interpretation. Many authors have approached this quandary from diverse cultures and societies. Three authors, three genres, three centuries and three different ages using many different literary tools are not enough to encompass or define the scope of justice.
...are confronted with the question of moral absolutes, we are forced to wonder when and to whom justice truly applies. Hopefully, we will look at our world and our ideas of right, wrong and retribution in different ways, ways that will enlighten and enrich our lives, and the those of the an audience of readers 2,000 years from now.
The belief and concept of dishonor in the Greek and Colombian culture of ‘Antigone,’ by Sophocles, and ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold,’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is a deciding aspect that blinds characters moral values. It is evident that in both societies Greek and Colombian, a family or an individual without honor is an outcast to the community. As honor plays a drastic role in outlining the culture of the society. Therefore the belief that a perpetrator has brought dishonor upon the family, or community foreshadows punishment for the individual, often conveyed through death.
In analyzing this gradient of morality, it is useful first to examine a work from early literature whose strong purity of morality is unwavering; for the purposes of this discussion, Dante’s Inferno provides this model. It is fairly straightforward to discover Dante’s dualistic construction of morality in his winding caverns of Hell; each stern, finite circle of Hell is associated with a clear sin that is both definable and directly punishable. As Dante moves downwards in this moral machination, he notes that
Throughout the works of famous pieces of literature such as Dante Alighieri’s Inferno and William Shakespeare’s King Lear, the common theme of justice is prevalent throughout the works. Often resulting in physical pain, the concept of justice throughout these two works of literature reinforces the brute and cruel perspective that Dante and King Lear experience firsthand. The subsequent death of King Lear after Cordelia demonstrates the ultimate guilt in which King Lear experienced due to his arrogant and ignorant perception of the amount of love that Cordelia feels towards her father. Dante’s journey through the afterlife conveys the illumination of his transformation from a sinner who lost his path, to a spiritually righteous man.
Plato’s Republic focuses on one particular question: is it better to be just or unjust? Thrasymachus introduces this question in book I by suggesting that justice is established as an advantage to the stronger, who may act unjustly, so that the weak will “act justly” by serving in their interests. Therefore, he claims that justice is “stronger, freer, and more masterly than justice” (Plato, Republic 344c). Plato begins to argue that injustice is never more profitable to a person than justice and Thrasymachus withdraws from the argument, granting Plato’s response. Glaucon, however, is not satisfied and proposes a challenge to Plato to prove that justice is intrinsically valuable and that living a just life is always superior. This paper will explain Glaucon’s challenge to Plato regarding the value of justice, followed by Plato’s response in which he argues that his theory of justice, explained by three parts of the soul, proves the intrinsic value of justice and that a just life is preeminent. Finally, it will be shown that Plato’s response succeeds in answering Glaucon’s challenge.
Les Miserables is a story filled with emotion and characters that are very real. They deal with every day emotions that cause them to make choices. These choices have effects on the characters paths in life. As they make decisions and live with their choices they are often left at the feet of a higher law. They are judged on the basis of mercy and justice on a regular basis. In this essay we are going to explore what justice and mercy are as it applies to people’s choices and actions during life in the story and why mercy is often considered the higher law because of its appeal to love.
Dante’s concept of sin and punishment conflicts with the modern American idea of morality. Not only sequence and grouping but also the punishments of sin in the original Circle of Hell are much different of that in a modern American version.
“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.” This maxim applies to the poet Dante Alighieri, writer of The Inferno in the 1300s, because it asserts the need to establish oneself as a contributor to society. Indeed, Dante’s work contributes much to Renaissance Italy as his work is the first of its scope and size to be written in the vernacular. Due to its readability and availability, The Inferno is a nationalistic symbol. With this widespread availability also comes a certain social responsibility; even though Dante’s audience would have been familiar with the religious dogma, he assumes the didactic role of illustrating his own version of Christian justice and emphasizes the need for a personal understanding of divine wisdom and contrapasso, the idea of the perfect punishment for the crime. Dante acts as both author and narrator, completing a physical and spiritual journey into the underworld with Virgil as his guide and mentor. The journey from darkness into light is an allegory full of symbolism, much like that of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, which shows a philosopher’s journey towards truth. Therefore, Dante would also agree with the maxim, “Wise men learn by others’ harms; fools scarcely by their own,” because on the road to gaining knowledge and spiritual enlightenment, characters who learn valuable lessons from the misfortunes of others strengthen their own paradigms. Nonetheless, the only true way to gain knowledge is to experience it first hand. Dante’s character finds truth by way of his own personal quest.
Moreover, Dante, the narrator of the Inferno, has succeeded in not only telling the frightening story of the Inferno, but also pointing out the importance of the relationship between human’s sins and God’s retribution, using the monsters as the symbols for each kind of sin and its punishment throughout the progress of the story, which teaches his readers to be well aware of their sins through the literature – a part of humanities; the disciplines that teach a man to be a human.
Out of the confrontation with Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus, Socrates emerges as a reflective individual searching for the rational foundation of morality and human excellence. The views presented by the three men are invalid and limited as they present a biased understanding of justice and require a re-examination of the terminology. The nature in which the faulty arguments are presented, leave the reader longing to search for the rational foundations of morality and human virtue.
Both Shakespeare’s King Lear and Dante’s Inferno explore the reasons for, and results of, human suffering. Each work postulates that human suffering comes as a result of choices that are made: A statement that is not only applicable to the characters in each of the works, but also to the readers. The Inferno and King Lear speak universal truths about the human condition: that suffering is inevitable and unavoidable. While both King Lear and the Inferno concentrate on admonitions and lamentations of human suffering, one of the key differences between the works is that Inferno conveys an aspect of hope that is not nearly as prevalent in King Lear.
Within two classical works of philosophical literature, notions of justice are presented plainly. Plato’s The Republic and Sophocles’ Antigone both address elements of death, tyranny and immorality, morality, and societal roles. These topics are important elements when addressing justice, whether in the societal representation or personal representation.
In Dante’s Inferno, the punishment for a sin is the representation and reflection of the sin itself. The law of Dante’s Hell is symbolic retribution, which means that the specific attributes of the sin--how it was committed, by whom, and its effects--are concretely embodied in the specific nature of the punishment. This paper will attempt to show, by going through the geography of Dante’s Hell, how the sins in Dante’s Inferno are related to their punishments.
In Aeschylus’ The Agamemnon, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra have to make tough decisions throughout the play, decisions they believe are justified. The actions of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra are not justified because they are caused by their blinding hubris and desire for power. Agamemnon makes the choice to kill his daughter just so he could lead his troops to Troy. Clytemnestra kills her husband, not just for revenge, but for his position and power as king of Mycenae. They make selfish choices and do not believe they will be punished for them. By exposing their true motives, Aeschylus makes it clear they are not justified in their actions.
Among the followers of Christianity, questions arise in order to find the righteous path to Heaven’s gate. On the contrary, there are those who seek answers for what is forsaken. Dante Alighieri fully expresses himself on this dilemma in his written work, The Divine Comedy. The first part of the epic poem is Inferno; Dante defines and constructs Hell, based on the morals and judgments set by common beliefs during his time. Dante also uses Aristotle’s philosophical work to shape the structure of Hell. Undergoing a journey through Hell as himself, Dante places famous literary icons to assist in questioning the acts of justice. Dante builds and contrast between the sinners who are innocent, and those who deliberately perform evil deeds. Virgil, a fellow poet and pagan, exemplifies wisdom and clarity that which Dante must learn through his endeavor. Virgil’s guidance will provide contrast and the necessary guidance to reach Paradise. The change of character Dante experience, is dreadful; pity and remorse must be exempted to honor retribution for the sinners’ defiance against God. All the answers regarding Hell, lies upon meeting the primal sinner, Lucifer, the Fallen Angel. Dante’s journey unfolds a critical analysis in which portrays the human struggle in every individual. There are several implications of the four functions of myth that can be derived from Dante’s Inferno. Dante divides Hell into three dispositions: incontinence, malice and brutality. (Alighieri, Dante, and Longfellow 6.79-82)