Dante Alagheri’s The Divine Comedy

World Literature

The Divine Comedy Comedy

Not humorous/slapstick/laugh-out-loud A form of writing that begins in fear and ends

happily. Main character attains a happy ending – a

healing vision of God – and receives a divine message to deliver.

The Divine Comedy The Inferno

Hell The Purgatorio

Purgatory The Paradisio

Paradise

The Divine Comedy Translations

Robert Pinsky (1994) Dorothy Sayers (1949-62)

Terza rima John Ciardi (1954-70)

Rhymed 1st and 3rd lines only H.R. Huse

Literal prose translation Allen Mandlebaum

Poetic prose John D. Sinclair

Paragraph form

The Divine Comedy Parable

Political realities Corruption vs. honesty

Moral realities The freedom that comes from accepting just laws vs.

the self-slavery of lawlessness Mystical realities

The individual’s self-absorption vs. his trusting surrender to the divine

The Divine Comedy Dante said he wanted the poem to:

Liberate people still living in the world from a state of misery and lead them to a state of happiness.

Praise Beatrice and the saving graces he received through her.

The Divine Comedy Dante:

“The subject of the work, then, in its literal sense is the state of souls after death – and this is without qualification, since the whole progress of the work hinges on and about this subject. Whereas if the work is taken allegorically, the subject is this: man becoming liable to the justice which rewards and punishes, inasmuch as by the exercise of his freedom of choice he merits good or ill.”

letter to Can Grande

On Dante: Ruskin

“He is the central man of all the world, as representing in perfect balance the imaginative, moral and intellectual qualities all at their highest.”

Carlyle Called it Dante’s “unfathomable love song.”

Emerson The textbook for teaching the young the art of writing

well. Trotsky

Urged Marxist companions to study their Dante.

Background Guelphs

Anti-imperial/democratic attitude Desired constitutional government Represented indigenous peoples Pro-pope (looked to him for support)

White Wanted to minimize all outside interference

Black Wanted to enhance their papal connections

Ghibellines Pro-imperial Represented aristocracy Opposed papal territorial power Expelled from Florence in 1289

The Divine Comedy Significance of the number Three

Reflects the mysterious reality of the Godhead Each of the three parts contains 33 cantos Basic unit of verse is the terzine

33 syllables 3 lines

Beatrice – associated with the number 9

Dante The Inferno

World Literature

The Inferno: Canto I Introduction to the entire Divine Comedy

Dark Woods Good Friday, 1300

April 8, 1300 Catholic church’s first “Holy Year”

Jubilee period stressing spiritual repentance and renewal.

Dante is 35 years old

The Inferno: Canto I Dante

The poet who is also the Christian sinner Virgil

The poet who is also human wisdom (the best a man can become without divine grace)

The Inferno: Canto I Poet feels alienated from the world Poet feels fear (paura) First 60 lines:

reflect the theme of man’s estrangement from God

Emphasize man’s dependence on the Divine Last 76 lines:

Emphasize the human power to discover his true self

The Inferno: Canto I 3 beasts

3 types of sin that will cast a soul into one of the three divisions of Hell

Leopard (lonza): lust (bodily pleasure) Lion (leone): violence Wolf (lupa): cupidity (desire for power/wealth)

The Inferno: Canto I 3-part Journey

I.105-119 Hell – eternal place of despair Purgatory – place where souls are in a temporary,

purifying fire Paradise (Heaven) – dwelling place of the

everlastingly blessed

The Inferno: Canto II Dante invokes the Muses (II.7)

Allied with the arts as well as with religion. Questions his worthiness to go on this

quest. Two others who had visited the other worlds

while in the flesh. Aeneas & Paul

Dante believed the Catholic church and the Roman Empire were divinely willed partners in the world’s salvation.

Inferno: Canto II Three ladies

Virgin (Mary) Mercy Prevenient grace (first impulse in a sinner to repent)

Lucia Grace Operant grace (allows sinner to desire good and do it)

Beatrice Wisdom Perficient grace (causes the penitent sinner to persist

in the doing of good)

Inferno: Canto III Hell’s Gate: Entrance to Hell Proper ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO

ENTER HERE. Two sets of people at the entrance

Morally neutral Continuously running around a plain just inside the gate. Lived without praise or blame (thus, never truly lived) Fallen angels who were neither for good or evil, only for

themselves. Hated by both God and His enemies They would defile heaven They don’t fit into Hell’s scheme (would give the

wicked some element of glory) Souls just arrived who gather to wait to be ferried

across a river to their proper placements in Hell.

The Structure of Dante’s Hell Vestibule of Hell: The Uncommitted Circle 1: Limbo Circle 2: The Lustful Circle 3: The Gluttons Circle 4: The Avaricious and the Prodigal Circle 5: The Wrathful and the Sullen Circle 6: Heretics Circle 7: The Violent Circle 8: The Fraudulent Circle 9: The Treacherous

Outer Circle VESTIBULE

Outer Rim of Hell GROUP I

Passionless people who lived without place or blame

Neither for good or evil Hateful to both God

and his enemies (won’t fit into either Heaven or Hell)

GROUP II Newly deceased who

lived without reverence to God and who died unrepentant.

Punishment (Group I) Endless running around

a plain just inside the gate

Tormented by hornets, wasps, worms

Significant people: Fallen angels Celestine V Ponitus Pilate

Circle 1 LIMBO

Outskirts of Hell Proper Neutral, lifeless place

Souls of unbaptized infants

Virtuous pagans or honorable men who lived before Christ

Punishment:None Suspended (sospesi)

between the states of condemnation and salvation.

Significant people: Virgil, the guide Homer Aristotle Saladin Euclid

Circle 2 Minos: Judge of Hell

Each sinner confesses to him Uses his tail to indicate the position of Hell the

sinner is to occupy Warns Dante not to go any further

Circle 2 The Carnal Sinners

LUSTFUL, SENSUAL

Punishment: Exist in an eternal storm,

blown about by the winds of a hurricane

Reflects sexual sin and punishes it

Significant people: Helen of Troy Achilles Cleopatra Paris Tristan Francesca and Paolo

Murdered lovers

Circle 3 The Carnal Sinners:

The GLUTTONOUS Sensual gratification

Ate and drank unrepentantly to excess

Punishment: Plagued with filthy rain,

sleet, snow Wallow in mud and filth Cerberus, 3-headed

dog, guard and punishment

Claws the sinners Howls, making the

souls howl

Significant people: Ciacco

Circle 4 The Carnal Sinners:

The AVARICIOUS (HOARDERS)

The PRODIGAL (SPENDERS)

Punishment: Deadlocked in a battle of

opposites Push heavy stones in

opposite direction “why do you hold?” “why do you spend?”

Plutus (Greek god of wealth) demon-guard

Significant people:

Circle 5 The River STYX WRATHFUL

SULLEN

Punishment: Wrathful

Float in Styx Snarl and rend

themselves Sullen

Submerged in Styx

Plutus (Greek god of wealth) demon-guard

Significant people: Filippo

Dante and Virgil Leave the circles of outer Hell cross the Styx

Ferried by Phlegyas Reach gate of inner Hell

City of Dis Fallen angels hover above gates

Within gates are punished sins VIOLENCE FRAUD

Dante and Virgil Met by furies Messenger of grace opens gates for them Enter gates of lower Hell

Circle 6 HERETICS

Deniers of immortality

Punishment: Flaming tombs

Significant people: Cavalcanti

Father of Dante’s friend Epicurus Emperor Frederick II “The Cardinal” Farinata degli Uberti

Ghibilline leader

Dante and Virgil pause Virgil explains the classification of the upcoming sins 3 remaining circles to visit

7th (Violence) Injury to one’s neighbor or property

murder Injury to one’s self or property

suicide Injury done to God’s sovereignty

blasphemy Injury to God’s child, nature

homosexual behavior Injury to God’s grandchild, human industry

usury

Circle 7 (outer round) VIOLENT

Those who harmed others (MURDER)

Punishment: Submerged in boiling

river of blood Centaurs shoot arrows

at any who come up for relief

Chiron is leader

Significant people: Alexander the Great Attila the Hun Ezzelino

Circle 7 (middle round) VIOLENT

Those who harmed self (SUICIDE)

Self-destructive

Punishment: Gloomy wood Damned are trees Harpies nest in trees Those self-destructive:

Chased by devil dogs and torn to pieces

Significant people: Pier della Vigne

Circle 7 (outer round) VIOLENT

Those who were guilty of BLASPHEMY

Punishment: Scorching desert Flakes of flame falling

Lie down

Significant people: Capaneus

Description of Giant “Old Man of Crete”

Head: gold Split by fissure Endless tears flow down to frozen lake of Hell

Breast & Arms: silver Torso: brass Waist down: iron Right foot: terra cotta

Rests most weight upon

Circle 7 (outer round) VIOLENT

Those who were guilty of SODOMY

Punishment: Scorching desert Flakes of flame falling

Continuously running

Significant people: Brunetto Latini

Circle 7 (outer round) VIOLENT

Those who were guilty of USURERY

Lending money at any price

Punishment: Scorching desert Flakes of flame falling

Sit, bent over Eyes fixed on money

pouches around their necks

Significant people: Jacopo Rusticucci Guido Guerra Teggahiaio Aldobrandi

Geryon lowers Dante and Virgil to the next circle

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 1 FRAUD

PANDERERS Sell people for sexual

favors pimps

SEDUCERS Gain sexual favors for

self

Punishment: Whipped by horned

demons

Significant people: Venedico Jason

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 2 FRAUD

FLATTERERS

Punishment: Immersed in excrement

Significant people: Thais

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 3 FRAUD

SIMONIACS Those who corrupt the

things of God

Punishment: Immersed headfirst in

holes Feet are burning

Significant people: Pope Nicholas III Other popes

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 4 FRAUD

SOOTHSAYERS MAGICIANS AUGERS

Those who tried to make the mind of God subject to their will.

Punishment: Heads on backwards

Significant people: Manto

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 5 FRAUD

GRAFTERS Political corruption

Punishment: Boiling pitch Deceiving demons

(Malebranche) poke anyone who tries to rise with pitchforks

Significant people: Senator of Lucca Ciampolo of Navarre

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 6 FRAUD

HYPOCRITES

Punishment: Leaden cloaks Walk around narrow

track

Significant people: Caiaphas Annas monks

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 7 FRAUD

THIEVES

Punishment: Fiery serpents Wrapped around souls Hands bound behind them Bite souls who then burst

into flames

Significant people: Vanni Fucci Agnello Buoso Puccio Francesco de Cavalcanti

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 8 FRAUD

EVIL ADVISERS Steal counsel of God

for low purposes

Punishment: Enflamed souls

Significant people: Ulysses Diomedes Guido da Montefeltro

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 9 FRAUD

DIVIDERS Tear apart what God

has meant to be united SOWERS OF DISCORD

Religious discord Political discord Family Discord

Punishment: Mutilated Wounds are healed

after making the full circult

Wounds reopened by devil with sword

Significant people: Muhammad Mosca Bertran de Born

Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 10 FRAUD

FALSIFIERS ALCHEMISTS IMPERSONATORS COUNTERFEITERS LIARS

Punishment: Madness Ills of mind and body

Significant people: Gainni Schicchi Capocchio Master Adam Potipher’s wife Sinon

Giant, Antaeus, lowers Dante and Virgil into the pit

Cocytus frozen

Circle 9: Caina TRAITORS

To KIN

Punishment: Encased in ice up to

neck Heads bent down

Significant people: Camicion de Pazzi Two brothers

Circle 9: Antenora TRAITORS

To CITY

Punishment: Encased in ice up to

neck Heads turned upward

Significant people: Bocca Sassol Ugolino Archbishop Ruggieri

Circle 9: Tolomea TRAITORS

To GUESTS

Punishment: Frozen in ice On backs, heads up Tears freeze in eye

sockets

Significant people: Friar Alberigo Branca D’Oria

Circle 9: Judecca TRAITORS

To BENEFACTORS

Punishment: Completely sealed

under ice Satan fixed in the

middle, waist deep in ice, continuously chews up three with his mouths

Significant people: Judas Brutus Cassius