dantes inferno

A detailed Summary of dantes inferno


In The Inferno, Dante describes his journey through hell. Throughout his pilgrimage, Dante learns from the sinners that he meets along the way. One influential group of sinners is those in Canto X. In this Canto, Dante is warned that those filled with pride suffer eternally. Although the Canto is mainly about heretics, all the sinners involved make bad decisions because of their pride. They are too proud and try to impress others, while in reality, these individuals end up making themselves look bad. The punishment commonly used against these arrogant people is language. For example, individuals who boasted about how great they were during life are issued the punishment of not being able to brag anymore. These people believe and preach that the soul dies with the body; therefore happiness should be obtained in the physical life. This Canto exemplifies the growth that Dante gets from the sinners in each circle. This newfound awareness will allow him to avoid this flaw of his. Dante realizes that if he doesn't change his ways, he too will end up in eternal pain.

The first sinner that Virgil and Dante meet is Farinata. This sets up the potential conflict between the two arrogant men. Farinata is


The second reference to language comes when Dante, who can't stand to be dishonored, goes against Virgil's advice. Because he feels that no lowly person in hell has the right to talk to him that way, he snaps back that although his people were conquered, they came back strong with resilience. What Dante did not know was that the damned, Farinata, could not see the present, but can see the future including the fact that in one year Dante would be exiled.

How could pride be harmful and not just a bad habit? This question was answered by Farinata who proved that pride in war could cost lives. He was a war leader who could have conquered Florence, but his ego got in the way of his leadership. Instead of conquering the city, he spared it for himself so he could rule it. Again, Dante buys the story of someone trapped in hell as he did with other sinners throughout the journey. This strategic error of Farinata's, due to arrogance, was his downfall.

In Canto X, Cavalicanti is introduced by rising from the tomb next to Farinata. He is a man who thought of himself and his son Guido as geniuses. The symbolism of rising from the tomb like Jesus speaks of his own narcissism. Cavalicanti asks Dante if Guido is still alive. Dante heeds Virgil's advice, but inco

Some common words found in the essay are:
Farinata Dante, Canto Dante, Dante Guido, Virgil Dante, Canto Cavalicanti, Inferno Dante, dies body, soul dies body, doesn't change, rising tomb, soul dies, farinata dante, virgil's advice, reference language, learned canto,

Approximate Word count = 856
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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