Good And Evil In The Inferno By John Milton And Canto Xxxiv Of The Inferno

The desire to do good is oftentimes easily distracted by the constant temptation to perpetrate evil. Ideas of good and evil, however, stand highly subjective; in other words, what may not offend one person may seriously affect another. The contrast between good and evil is prevalent in the values of a multitude of cultures and societies, yet each culture and religion depicts good and evil differently. For example, Christians portray good and evil through God and his angels and Satan and his sinners. These portrayals of good and evil undergo an evolution as time progresses. Both Paradise Lost by John Milton and Canto XXXIV of the Inferno by Dante Alighieri display evil through Satan. The two writers effortlessly distinguish the conflict between

When Dante writes the simile, “They were not feathers – their texture and their form / were like a bat’s wings…” (XXXIV. 49-50), he ensures that the audience knows what the wings look like. Because Dante illustrates his idea of Satan’s wings, the audience can compare them to the more universal depiction of an angel’s wings. Distinctly describing the wings places both pictures of the wings into the reader’s mind and ensures that they notice the

Dante and Milton described the conflict between good and evil, which, unfortunately, still persists in the world. Through their writings, the two authors utilize various techniques to emphasize this idea and while they definitely accomplish their goals, humanity still has to make improvements in terms of avoiding evil and spreading kindness. Milton and Dante both create a vision of evil through their writing as they attempt to explain good and evil. The use of biblical allusion, imagery, and figurative language emphasize their visions and enable them to create a realistic illustration of the goodness of Heaven and the terror of Hell. While most would like to see goodness prevail, certain groups such as ISIS have followed a path of sin and wish to witness evils triumph. With a strong fight, though, goodness can be protected and spread while simultaneously attempting to put evil to