Role Of Virgil In Dante's Inferno

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In Dante's Divine Comedy Virgil is dante's guide through hell and purgatory. Virgil is not to different from Dante because they are both poets but Virgil is already dead unlike Dante. Virgil is also very wise and familiar with the levels of hell and purgatory. Virgil's main function In Dante's inferno is to teach Dante the true ways and lead him through hell as well as representing wisdom and reason. Virgil teaches Dante the true ways of hell and why the people there deserve their torment such as when Dante says” may you weep and wail to all eternity for i know you ,hell-dog, filthy as you are” in CantoVIII. When Dante says this Virgil expresses how proud he is of young Dante realizing the man deserves his torment. Virgil is very protective …show more content…

Virgil is also a poet just like his student Dante. Virgil has bad luck though because of the time period he is born he is stuck in the first circle of hell unlike Dante who still has a choice as to what circle he is in. Virgil and Dante are both of Italian descent as well which is very ironic because Dante decided to put Virgil in his story. Virgil represents two things in Dante's Divine Comedy which are wisdom and reason. Virgil is the perfect guide because he can use his reason and wisdom to help Dante on his tour of hell. Virgil represents wisdom for one because he knows everything about hell. Virgil uses his wisdom to teach Dante about hell and place him on the correct path again such as when Virgil says “ Indignant spirit, I kiss you as you frown” in Canto VIII. That quote shows Virgil being proud of young Dante as he takes away from Virgils wisdom as to why the damned deserve their punishment. Virgil represents reason as well this idea comes up in purgatorio XVIII when Virgil says “I can, as far as reason sees. Beyond that, faith’s required and you must therefore wait for Beatrice.”. That quote shows that Virgil represents reason and Beatrice is faith. Virgil uses reasoning throughout the whole book at any time such as explaining why the tormented souls deserve there

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