Dante's Inferno 2
Michel De Montaigne, a fifteenth century French essayist once said that, "The perpetual work of your life is but to lay the foundation of death. (21st Century Dictionary of Quotation, 1993) In The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri conveys the concept that actions throughout life determine the quality of the afterlife. In various instances throughout his work, Dante shows the correlation between actions on Earth and the nature of eternal life. He views life on Earth as a long struggle where the worthiness of Heaven is established. He believes that the path to eternal happiness is not direct, and must be adequately proportioned with suffering. The true nature of the soul is conveyed through anguish.The struggle of spirit that Dante undergoes when entering Hell mirrors the trials that humanity faces. The author conveys that in order to persevere through hardship, the nature of evil must be learned and refused. By using Virgil as a representation of reason, Alighieri shows that in order
As he is lead through the Dark Wood of Errors, Dante realizes the circumstances by which souls make their descents into Hell. The manner in which people live their lives determines the state of their eternal existence. Dante sees the soulless people waiting on the shore of a beach, waiting to be taken to eternal suffering. Virgil relates to Dante, in regards to these creatures, " ...all together they drew to that grim shore where all must come who lose the fear of God. Weeping and cursing they come forevermore..." (103-105) Losing the fear of God is the primary cause of the pursuit of evil ways. Fear of God redeems the soul and guides each person past evil. When favor with God is lost and not recovered, punishment is given accordingly. Virgil explains to Dante, "all who die in the shadow of God's wrath converge to this form every clime and country." (199-120) When the fear of God is lost, His wrath unfolds. to face evil, morality and intellect are required. As Virgil leads Dant
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Approximate Word count = 665
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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