From canto XVII up until canto XX, the pilgrim soul and his guide journey through the first four levels of the eighth circle of hell. The eighth circle consist of different categories of sins that fall under ordinary fraud. The first four sins of this circle include: panders & seducers, false flatterers, simonists, and diviners, astrologers & magicians. Through their journey through these levels, one can observe the relationship these two characters have with each other.
The two seem to have a good understanding of one another. Virgil as the guide is aware of the pilgrim soul’s limitations. He also knows what the pilgrim soul needs in means of learning. They have built a necessary foundation trust with each other and it is seen through their words, but even more so through their actions. In canto XVII, lines 37 to 40, Virgil displays his trust in the pilgrim soul when he tells Dante: “So that/ you may experience this ring in full, / go now, and see the state in which they are. /But keep your conversation with them brief”. These lines show that Virgil both trusts and believes in Dante
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“I stayed to study him; / my gentle guide had stopped together with me/ and gave me a leave to take a few steps back.” (XVIII, 43-45). The soul is taking the initiative to learn, which is an obvious sign of progress. However, this sign is emphasized by the interaction between the soul and his guide. Telling Dante to “take a few steps back” says a lot both literally and symbolically. It makes readers question whether this initiative from the soul is good. Making readers analyze and question this initiative is how the pilgrim soul’s development is highlighted by their relationship. However, this also reminds readers that Virgil is present as a guide to pilgrim soul; both as a literal tour guide through hell, and as an
...to order and command my will, called to me.’” (Pg. 36 lines51-54) Virgil explains to Dante why he is to be guide through the underworld. So when Dante decides he is going to give up and venture no further into Hell, Virgil is angry. He doesn’t want Dante to waste the gift he has been given by one who loves him. “‘The man who lies asleep will never waken fame, and his desire and all his life drift past him like a dream, the traces of his memory fade from time like smoke in air, or ripples on a stream.’” (Pg.207 lines 47-51)
In conclusion, we can see that Dante presents the reader with a potentially life-altering chance to participate in his journey through Hell. Not only are we allowed to follow Dante's own soul-searching journey, we ourselves are pressed to examine the state of our own souls in relation to the souls in Inferno. It is not just a story to entertain us; it is a display of human decision and the perpetual impact of those decisions.
...he realisation of an aberrant knowledge, a painful truth. The closely relative journeys of Santiago and Orpheus are equally linked in abject failure, however are far more closely bound by the fact that both of them were enriched from loss. They both received a victory from defeat.
“Now, at last, Virgil is allowed not to see, allowed to escape from the glaring, confusing world of sight and space, and to return to his own true being, the touch world that has been his home for almost 50 years.” (Sacks, “To See and Not See” (41)
Their travels are very intriguing, and their relationship is very complex. They become very close, so much so that Dante acquires a deep trust in Virgil. They are no longer “just friends.” They are both poets and can communicate very well through words and literature. Dante and Virgil are both poets.
In Dante’s Inferno, the relationship between Dante the Pilgrim and Virgil the Guide is an ever-evolving one. By analyzing the transformation of this relationship as the two sojourn through the circles of hell, one is able to learn more about the mindset of Dante the Poet. At the outset, Dante is clearly subservient to Virgil, whom he holds in high esteem for his literary genius. However, as the work progresses, Virgil facilitates Dante’s spiritual enlightenment, so that by the end, Dante has ascended to Virgil’s spiritual level and has in many respects surpassed him. In Dante’s journey with respect to Virgil, one can see man’s spiritual journey towards understanding God. While God loves man regardless of his faults, His greatest desire is to see man attain greater spirituality, in that man, already created in God’s image, may truly become divine, and in doing so, attain eternality.
Dante needed two main guides to help him take on the arduous task of changing his sinful ways to save him from himself, he needed both guides because each taught him very different but very valuable things. These guides where chosen because of various aspects that allow they to teach Dante to the best. The first of these guides is Virgil, a well-respected pagan poet. There are many reasons why Virgil was chosen
We learn that Virgil has only come to Dante’s aid because he has been summoned by Beatrice. This is an example of relying on divine love. He says to Dante “Do not fear, the journey we are making cannot prevent: such power decrees it. Wait here for me and feed your weary spirit with comfort and good hope; you can be sure I will not leave you in this underworld” (Dante pg.45).
When “Dante” speaks to “Virgil” near the beginning of Inferno, he understands that he is not yet like Aeneas and Paul (Dante 1.2.32). He says that, unlike these two voyagers, his travels cannot profit others because of his soul's state of habitual sin. “Dante” briefly explains his reluctance to begin his odyssey, saying, “if I consent to start this journey, / I fear my venture will be wild and empty” (Dante 1.2.34-35). In this section, Dante uses Virgil's characterization of Aeneas to provide a strong contrast to the character “Dante” of Inferno. According to Dante, Aeneas completes a heaven-sent mission in founding his city, because Rome eventually becomes the home of the Papacy and the Church. In direct opposition to the mindset, at the start of the Commedia, “Dante” perceives himself as a man astray from the True Path; he does not believe that his voyage can ever ultimately lead to salvation in the way that Aeneas's did.
It is difficult to determine the true nature of Virgil in Dante's Commedia. At times, he grants incredible advice that parallels the wisdom of some early church fathers, and other times he shows no expertise in any situation, to the point of conferring entirely misinformed counsel. This disparity is confusing mainly because Virgil looked like he would be an infallible guide at the beginning of the Divine Comedy. Yet there are plenty of occurrences confirming Virgil's shortcomings beyond doubt. So what is Dante trying to convey in Virgil's personage? Virgil is not shown to be completely wicked or just in his appearances in the poem, but there is no moral middle ground, as shown by the structure of Dante's afterlife. So, all the reader is left with is Paradise's estimation of Virgil, which is the only ensured truth the Poet gives the reader. Since Heaven chose Virgil to guide escort Dante the Pilgrim to Heaven, but Virgil can continue no further than the entrance to earthly paradise, Virgil must represent a transitional phase that Dante must shed in order to achieve full salvation.
After Dante demands the narrator to leave, and then calls him a scrub, the narrator is confused and wonders if Dante is right. “You’re confused almost to the point of paralysis. Because what did you do wrong? Why does he hate you? Your heart thump-thump-thumping inside of your chest. Doubt setting in. Maybe he's right. Maybe you really are a scrub. Maybe you shouldn't be allowed to show up like this everyday, uninvited” (de la Peña). The narrator’s thoughts contribute to the character’s motivation because at this moment it seems like the narrator is thinking of giving up. However, the narrator doesn’t give up which shows he is persevering and has confidence in himself. With these thoughts we can infer that the character builds up motivation to prove Dante wrong about all the things he
Then Dante sees a human figure, which is soon revealed to be the great Roman poet Virgil. He shows a different path to reach the hill and volunteers to be Dante’s guide, leading Dante to the journey towards Hell but also the journey seeking for light and virtue. In terms of structure, Canto I functions as an introduction, explaining the two major characters and the motivation for their journey. Dante portrays himself as the protagonist and speaks in the first person from a subjective perspective. Through the establishment of such a strong voice, readers are given clear insight into his emotions and motivations.
From the beginning of the journey, Dante knew from the moment he saw “Abandon every hope, all you who enter” (Canto 3) his life was about to change. At this point of the journey he has met his guide Virgil. Virgil showed him the rightful way in life and he also introduced Dante to everyone who influenced him throughout his
...te become surer of himself and less of a coward. Dante lost respect for some of the shades, at the beginning of the poem he spoke with respect to the shades and pitied them immensely. Towards the ending of the poem Dante lost most respect for the shades and went as far as kicking a shade in the head demanding that the shade answers him. This shows a decline in the value of respect rather than gaining more knowledge in how to be respectful. Excellence is a core value related to personal development and Dante shows in increase in excellence as his journey comes to an end. Over all Dante’s character improves by the ending of the poem. Though he has been through hell he comes out with a new understanding of life, appears less depressed and more courageous.
Dante successfully completes his journey of enlightenment through hell by learning through active observation and self-reflection about himself and his journey. With the beneficial observation and reflection, Dante learns from the sinners and gains knowledge about himself. There is a strong emphasis on perception throughout the novel. It is through sight that Dante acknowledges hell and learns from it. At the commencement of his journey into hell, Dante says to Virgil, "lead me to witness what you have said. . .