Types of Punishment in Dante’s Inferno Essay - 1177 Words

In Dante’s Inferno, Dante narrates his descent and observation of hell through the various circles and pouches. One part of this depiction is his descriptions of the various punishments that each of the different sinners has received. The various punishments that Dante envisions the sinners receiving are broken down into two types. The first type he borrows from various gruesome and cruel forms of torture and the second type, though often less physically agonizing, is Dante’s creative and imaginative punishment for sins. The borrowed torturous forms of punishments create a physical pain for the shades, whereas the creative punishments are used to inflict a mental and psychological suffering. However, it is possible for the creative†¦show more content†¦One such punishment is that which Dante borrows from Emperor Frederick II. Frederick II was well known for his lead capes with which he punished criminals. Dante places all of the hypocrites in â€Å"gildedâ €  cloaks that â€Å"dazzled; but inside they were all of lead, so heavy that Frederick’s capes were straw compared to them.† Dante uses this analogy to Frederick to demonstrate the extent of cruelty of his cloaks in The Inferno. The way that Dante compares one of the most evil punishments to those in his Inferno effectively demonstrates how horrible Hell truly is. Although this punishment for the hypocrites is quite physically painful, it contains a rather brilliant metaphor. For Dante, the hypocrites were those who were seemingly virtuous and good, but beneath their facades they were quite sinful. The cloaks are a metaphor for the hypocrites’ characters: dazzling on the surface and cloaked in lead or sin underneath. These examples of punishment that are physically painful are only some of the punishments that Dante borrows from forms of torture. Dante also creates more original punishments for other sinners. It is possible for some of the creative punishments to inflict both a physical and psychological suffering. One of Dante’s most ingenious punishments are those for the avaricious and the prodigal. The avaricious sinners are those who were miserly on earth, and the prodigal were squanderers. Dante’s punishment forShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Dante ´s Inferno Essay1606 Words   |  7 PagesDante’s Inferno is a very important piece of literature. There are many things to be learned from it, from the face value knowledge that Hell is a bad place, to a deeper understanding of how God intended us to live; but the most important lesson to be learned here is the power of allegory. Nancy Thuleen says this about it. â€Å"Dantes portrayal of Hell in the Inferno is an undisputed masterpiece of visual and allegorical imagery, enriched not only by extensive use of figurative language, but by concreteRead MoreEssay about Dante’s Version of Hell859 Words   |  4 PagesIn Dante’s Inferno, we followed Dante as he narrates his decent and observations of hell. A wond erful part of that depiction is his descriptions of the creative yet cruel punishments that each of the different sinners receive. This story is an integral part of literary history, and even if I were to have the imagination and ability of Dante Alighieri, I don’t believe I would change this tried and true version known universally. Since I have the desire to maintain the validity of Dante’s versionRead MoreThe Story in Dantes Inferno910 Words   |  4 PagesIn the story Dante’s Inferno we as readers get to experience hell in a whole light. Throughout the narrative we find out that hell is not only what we know of it from the Christian bible. According to Dante Hell is a complex situation that is nothing like anything we have read earlier. There are many people who have read at least some portion of the Holy Bible. Whether it be because of personal reasons or educational ones, the holy bible most read (and sold) books in existence. Through readingRead MoreVoltaire s Candide And Dante s Inferno1562 Words   |  7 PagesIn Voltaire’s Candide and Dante’s Inferno they offer two takes on their views of religion. In Voltaire’s Candide he satires religion and questions it because of how morally corrupt religious are and how wrong it is to persecute another person’s religion. In Dante’s Inferno he reflects and shows why his religious beliefs are the reasons why people are in hell as well as why his religion justifies certain people being in hell. In Voltaire’s Candide religion is one of the main targets of what VoltaireRead MoreWhos Hell is this Anyway? Essay1072 Words   |  5 Pagescentury, wrote in the Inferno of his journey through hell. Virgil, an ancient roman poet of the Augustan period, wrote the Aeneid that tells the legendary story of Aeneas. Within both of these poems there was a visit to the underworld, creating a skewed picture of the underworld. THESIS After becoming lost in his ways of life, Dante introduces his first character, Virgil. By introducing Virgil, Dante is foreshadowing for the thought process of the Aeneid in relation to the Inferno. In Canto I VirgilRead MoreDantes Voyage Through Hell1490 Words   |  6 PagesThe Inferno was written by Dante Alighieri around 1314 and depicts the poet’s imaginary journey through Hell. Dante spent his life traveling from court to court both lecturing and writing down his experiences. His Divine Comedy – the three-part epic poem consisting of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso (Hell, Purgatory and Heaven)– is generally regarded as one of the greatest poetic feats ever accomplished. All three parts are incredible literary feats with symbolism so complex and beautiful thatRead MoreJudaism, Christianity, Islam, and Dante ´s: What Are We? Essay817 Words   |  4 Pages Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Dante’s: What are we? The Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieris epic three-part poem, The Divine Comedy. In this poem, Dante develops many themes throughout the adventures of his travelers from political to religious. The Inferno is a poem that Dante used to explain and show his ideas of Gods divine justice. Throughout this story religion comes up and shows the comparison of the different Hells and beliefs. This paper develops the connectionsRead MoreThe Divine Comedy By Dante Alighieri1277 Words   |  6 Pagesnarrates Dante’s pilgrimage through hell, purgatory, and heaven while guided by Virgil and Beatrice. Throughout this journey Dante conforms himself to virtue, properly orders his passions, and conforms his conscience, â€Å"Dante s psychopoiesis operates through the mimetic deformation, reformation, and transformation of conscience† (Macready, 2). This essay will examine what a true conscience is according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and explore the nature o f the conscience in Dante’s DivinaRead MoreDantes Inferno and the Garden of Earthly Delights1252 Words   |  6 PagesThe Garden of Earthly Delights painted by Hieronymus Bosch, depicts many vivid fictional scenes in triptych style. The right wing of the triptych depicts Hell and the causes of mans downfall, which Dante wrote about in the Inferno. Dante tries to convey to all humanity the consequences of human actions and the levels of hell that he believes exist for different levels of sins. Dante divides Hell up into ten different circles, and there is an upper and a lower level of Hell. Dante and Bosch haveRead MoreThe Inferno : Warning Or Threat?1385 Words   |  6 PagesWarning Or Threat? The Inferno, is the first part of the trilogy within the Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri. The Inferno incompasses the story of Dante’s journey through Hell to reach the path of righteousness going toward Heaven’s Gate. Across the immeasurable and extensive journey of Dante and Virgil, both together observe the punishments brought upon oneself, as a result of the sins committed by the hopeless residents of Hell. Within the novel, the severity of punishment and the discipline itself