"The Divine Comedy: Inferno" by Dante Alighieri (Bk 1-17)

I found Dante's Inferno very intriguing, just as anyone would be curious to know what hell is like--supposing it exists. I also found myself wondering why I found it so. Perhaps we are captivated in the same way horror films and roller coasters hold mysterious sway over us--either out of sheer curiosity or for thrill's sake. Or may be it's really a genuine desire to understand the mysterious, something that distinguishes us as humans in search of "truth" and "meaning."

Anyway, just putting this out there because it was such a LitHum moment.

From a very big-picture perspective, the major contrast in Inferno is the juxtaposition of the world and the underworld; and by extension, reality and fantasy. The story itself is reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, where the story begins in ambiguous fashion. The reader is unsure of what Dante means by "I had lost the path that does not stray" (1. 3). It could be taken literally, meaning that Dante really lost his way and randomly ended up in Hell. It could be taken figuratively, meaning Dante had strayed from the path of goodness, and is given a sinner's tour of Hell. Or it could be that Dante has been sleeping all along, and this could end up just being an elaborate dream. The first few pages of Inferno seem deliberately vague, giving the reader tremendous freedom in choosing how to contextualize the story.

After the first few Cantos, however, the underworld becomes more real and tangible, while the living world fades into a misty past--as Dante descends deeper into Hell, Hell becomes 'real-er.' One way to think of this is the increasing amount of fear Dante has at each level. In the upper echelons of Hell, Dante's encounter with sinners of incontinence happens in a disconnected manner; the conversations with the Shades (souls of dead people) is very detached, making Dante more connected with the living-world. At the Wall of Dis, however, Dante becomes genuinely fearful that Virgil will be forced to abandon him in the underworld forever. Several levels deeper, Virgil warns Dante that looking at the Gorgon sister Medusa would really petrify him. The increase in depth is followed by an increase in the concreteness of the underworld, making the above-world seem a dim memory far away.

Inferno also conveys a more developed notion of fear than do the other books we've read. The Old Testament calls for a devotee to fear God, so do Aeneas and Augustine subject themselves to the will of God(s) out of fear. Dante was literally pissing himself while at Dis when he thought he'd be doomed there forever, so in response Virgil comforts him, "Forget your fear, no one can hinder our passage; One so great has granted it" (8. 104-5). Instead of fearing God for his magnificence and power, Dante is told that he should be fearless simply because God is so great and powerful that there is nothing to fear. At the same time, by the choice of God and three women above, it could be that Dante is given this special tour of the underworld because he is inherently less sinful than other people. In this case, the concept of being 'good' becomes more developed because a true subject of God is implied to be fearless since there is nothing to fear.

On a final less abstruse note, the placement of characters from other books we've read into different levels of hell is something worth noting because it reveals Dante's position on these books. For instance, Achilleus is found at the level of Lust, while Hektor is above him in limbo. The Aeneid counterpart of Achilleus, daring Turnus, however, is found in limbo along with Aeneas. The Aeneid argues that Turnus was driven mad by the gods to make war with the Trojans, so Dante accordingly absolves him of any sin by placing him in limbo.

Dido, on the other hand, is found at the level of Lust. But wasn't she 'infected' with mad love and 'wounded' by the shafts of Cupid's arrows of wild passion? Dante, again, could really just be expressing his interpretation of the Aeneid, because Virgil anyway comes across in writing as an ardent misogynist.

 [After-class edit]:
Actually, Dido is found in the level of Suicides. So although she was caused to be lustful by the gods, she ultimately still brought about her own end.

Some things as discussed:

• Dante is more of a protagonist than a hero.
• What compels Dante?
• Ambiguity of the plot-->representative of the "restlessness of the human spirit."
• Courtly love-relationship of Dante and Beatrice precedes 'Godly' relationship/spiritual progress.
• Emphasis on Faith over good-work
• Levels of Hell: emphasis on 
• intent (e.g. fraud apparently requires more intent than does wrath)
• extent of sin (e.g. traitors/counterfeiters completely undermine stability of society, thus affecting more people)
• Why is Virgil the guide, instead of St. Augustine or some other angel?

And here is my dismal recreation of Professor Graham's drawing.
In short, Dante lived far later than did Homer, Virgil, and Ovid. This picture tries to contextualize Dante's influences.