Modern American Reconstruction of Dante’s Nine Circles

Based on modern American standard and their conception of morality, the order of which Dante assigns sin along with their corresponding values is out of arrangement. The sins that place those into the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Circles of Hell would greatly differ from a version of the last three circles if they were made by a modern American. These sins would differ in both order and grouping. I have come to this conclusion after comparing the sins detailed in Dante’s Inferno to modern American journals, legislation and text. The sequence these of sins in an American remake of the Circles would be Fraud, Treachery then Violence opposed to Dante’s Violence, Fraud then Treachery.

Those who are found guilty of fraudulent sins such as legal malpractice, political corruption or theft would be placed into the Seventh Circle of Hell under the American conception of morality. These sins are not seen as satanic or punished as harshly in modern America as detailed in Dante’s Inferno. In modern America these sins can only be punished by jail time and fines whereas other cultures theft can result in the removal of ones digits.

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Perjury is a sin grouped along with the fraudulent circle in Dante’s Inferno. The violation of an oath by swearing to what is untrue is a crime punishable in all cultures. This sin most definitely qualifies as fraudulent for one is passing something false off as true. In modern America this is conceived as more of a sin of treachery. The reason it would be considered as treacherous rather than fraudulent because in the constitution

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This is a sin that deals more with lying to your state under oath, rather than just violating an oath. It is punishable by

An American model of t...

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...reason and long term drug trafficking, yet murder is the most popular and relevant crime punished by death. Some feel it is wrong to punish a murderer with another form of murder. Those who do not agree with subjecting murderers with the death penalty overlook the seriousness of the crime. Life is valued much more than it once was for now people live longer, healthier lives and possess more opportunity than ever, which is why I believe modern America would place murder in the ninth circle. Mediums of the death penalty have become less harsh as some have become outlawed, but is the most efficient way to punish such a sin.

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.