Monday, November 23, 2009
::InFeRnO::
There is a wall running along the outside and has a great circular pit at its center. You see ten evenly spaced ridges run between the wall and the pit. These ridges create ten separate pits, in which the perpetrators receive their punishments...This is Malebolge, the eighth circle of Hell. The Panders and the Seducers in the First Pouch acted pimps, selling women as merchandise from one buyer to the next. Now for their punishment they run from one demon’s whip to another’s as if they are now the cattle, or slaves. There is a part that sticks out to me and its when Dante says, “Searching it with my eyes / I saw one there whose head was so befouled / With shit, you couldn’t tell which one he was” (XVIII.106–108). Dante finds humor in this punishment i think and appreciates the power of scripture, but throws in a bit of humor with it. All this time Virgil and Dante have been threatened by demons or those who work in Hell as the punishers or even some of the beasts, but everytime they just say they are on a voyage to Heaven they are left alone and allowed to pass. Why is this? SInce it is Hell of coarse wouldnt you think that those who are in it would despise anyone who was Heaven bound? Also not only were the two poets allowed to pass, but they were given 10 demons now to go with them. However these demons are captives here too, because as seen in Canto XXIII, they cannot leave the Fifth Pouch. The demons are fallen angels, and have been given their own particular tortures for their unloyalty to God. Dante’s encounter with the crucified Caiphus was a sense of moral highlight to Christian believers i think. Caiphus was a priest under Pontious Pilate, who told the Pharisees to let Jesus die, than make chaos and trouble in the nation. He was a hypocrit, preaching common sense but not showing it, he now stays in the Sixth Pouch. Because he called for Christ’s crucifixion, he lies crucified. Just like Jesus did for us, and because his actions contributed to the suffering of one for the sins of many, he now lies up there for all of the other sinners in the Sixth Pouch.
INFERNO
So i went to look at comments for my blog and saw my last didnt post so im going to combine it with this one as well...
Now the journey goes towards the First Ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell. The two men are taken through a ravine of broken rock. While going through the ring, Dante and VIrgil see a river of blood where the sinners who were violent against their neighbors remain. A group of Centaurs stood around the river ready to shoot with bows and arrows. They shoot at any soul that tries to raise itself out of the river to a height too pleasant for his or her sin. Throughout the whole story we see Christian doctrine tie into everything. Virgil makes it seem like Hell experiences the effects of the passage of time. Virgil can remember a physically different Hell, and the souls can anticipate the return of their bodies.
The souls in the second ring consist of those who were violent against themselves such as suicides, and for their punishment they have beem transformed into trees. This is unusual to Dante's other punishments. When you think about it becoming a tree is an easy punishment compared to the cruel consequences of the rest. But those who seemed to not want the bodies that God had given them got what they wanted. Now as they reside in Hell they will never be able to have their humanly form again.
Now moving through a third ring, the poets come across yet another "red" stream. Virgil informs Dante that the source to Hell's water is underneath a mountain where sits a broken statue of a man and the water falls like tears down into a pool. It's sort of a way to see a physical example of mankind crumbling and falling apart. Dante takes his politcal views and kind of cusions them throughout the story, and speaks highly of his allies but poorly of the enemies. Dante now also sees the flaws among his own saying, “so long as conscience is not betrayed, / I am prepared for Fortune to do her will” (XV.89–90). So regardless of your political view, sinning against God must not go unpunished.
I dont know about you guys but it's beginning to get harder for me to come up with an arguement because all the poets seem to be doing is going through Hell and it more so describes to us the physical matters and whats taking place. Maybe its just me but im starting to struggle to come up with good arguments...any ideas to help??
Now the journey goes towards the First Ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell. The two men are taken through a ravine of broken rock. While going through the ring, Dante and VIrgil see a river of blood where the sinners who were violent against their neighbors remain. A group of Centaurs stood around the river ready to shoot with bows and arrows. They shoot at any soul that tries to raise itself out of the river to a height too pleasant for his or her sin. Throughout the whole story we see Christian doctrine tie into everything. Virgil makes it seem like Hell experiences the effects of the passage of time. Virgil can remember a physically different Hell, and the souls can anticipate the return of their bodies.
The souls in the second ring consist of those who were violent against themselves such as suicides, and for their punishment they have beem transformed into trees. This is unusual to Dante's other punishments. When you think about it becoming a tree is an easy punishment compared to the cruel consequences of the rest. But those who seemed to not want the bodies that God had given them got what they wanted. Now as they reside in Hell they will never be able to have their humanly form again.
Now moving through a third ring, the poets come across yet another "red" stream. Virgil informs Dante that the source to Hell's water is underneath a mountain where sits a broken statue of a man and the water falls like tears down into a pool. It's sort of a way to see a physical example of mankind crumbling and falling apart. Dante takes his politcal views and kind of cusions them throughout the story, and speaks highly of his allies but poorly of the enemies. Dante now also sees the flaws among his own saying, “so long as conscience is not betrayed, / I am prepared for Fortune to do her will” (XV.89–90). So regardless of your political view, sinning against God must not go unpunished.
I dont know about you guys but it's beginning to get harder for me to come up with an arguement because all the poets seem to be doing is going through Hell and it more so describes to us the physical matters and whats taking place. Maybe its just me but im starting to struggle to come up with good arguments...any ideas to help??
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Inferno
As we read, we get deeper and deeper into the circles of Hell, where Dante and his guide Virgil keep traveling. First off, we see that in the second circle of hell the sinners of being committed of lust reside. In the story it spoke of one of the women speaking back to Dante saying that she was made to marry this old man, not by choice, and did not love him. However she did fall in love with this other guy who eventually were found showing their affection towards each other leading to their death. My first argument would be that you cant help who you love or how your heart feels, so as far as arranged marriges go i do not agree with them at all. So how could you go to Hell for loving? It's not your fault you didnt fall in love with the person chosen for you. As we read further on we can see that Christianity is a supreme moral to Dante throughout the poem. Canto VI also provides insight into the material characteristics of Hell through Dante's point of view. The dead souls do not have their earthly bodies and Dante and Virgil wakl upon shades as they cross the Third Circle of Hell. Virgil states that the dead souls will be able to regain its flesh at the Last Judgment. This is where i get a little confused i guess, what is the last judgment exactly? Because the souls are already in Hell so is the last judgement like what circle they would be sent to or what? Or are the sinners who were sort of riding to fence able to say whether they worship God or Satin and then sent either up or down? Also i question how a soul can feel physical pain such as the wasps and things that have happened previously. Also Dante would not be able to see the sinners if it was just their souls so then this throws confusion at me.
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