Patriotism in Dantes Inferno - Essay Example

?RUNNING HEAD: Dante and Patriotism An Analysis of Patriotism in Dante’s Inferno Outline Introduction Political Reality – White vs. Black Guelphs Dante’s Criticism of Florentine Corruption, Evil and Factionalism Dante’s Rebellion as Act of Patriotism Conclusion Essay Text Across all historical periods, the notion of patriotism as respect and devotion towards a political entity has been held to be a positive virtue. During the Florentine Republic of Dante’s day and age it was held to be a defining moral feature held in the highest regard. On the other hand, treason or other unpatriotic acts were held to be a serious offense, deserving of capital punishment. Prior to writing the Divine Comedy, Dante was accused of treason by a rival political faction and sent into exile. Therefore, a political analysis of the Divine Comedy can allow for the reader to gain further insight into Dante’s relationship with Florence. This paper will discuss the political dimensions of the Divine Comedy, Dante’s criticisms of the Florentine political reality and lastly how Dante uses his passage through Hell to reflect how his exile is actually an act of Florentine patriotism. This analysis will yield an enhanced appreciation for and understanding the characters which intersperse Dante’s literary universe. The vast majority of the characters with which Dante populates the Divine Comedy originate from the city state of Florence. During Dante’s life, Florence was a prosperous city-state with legions of greedy merchants and contending violent political factions. The primary political division was between two major political groups, the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. In general, the Guelphs promoted Papal power while the Ghibellines promoted the power of the Holy Roman Emperor in Italy. To understand the political reality of Dante’s universe a proper understanding of this conflict is essential (Scott, 1996). During Dante’s early years, the Guelphs (who Dante’s family supported) came to power and forced the Ghibellines from power and into exile. Eventually the Guelphs would fracture into two factions: the Whites and the Blacks. The Whites centered on the Cerci family while the Blacks were members of the Donati family. Dante was a member of the White faction and served in the political leadership of the city. Ultimately, with the backing of Pope Boniface VIII the Blacks seized power, sentenced many to death and sent the others into exile. Dante would explore the nature of exile, corruption and political power through his various writings and be a critic of the Florentine regime (Olson, 2007). In Dante’s eyes Florence was a den of corruption and evil. Through his writing efforts to bring attention to these vices, Dante hope to save Florence from herself. In the Sixth Circle of Hell Dante places "sepulchers" or burial vaults in which "the lids" "have all been lifted" and "no guardian is watching over them" (Canto 10.7-9). A further example within the same canto is when Dante meets a Florentine Ghibilline named Farinata degli Uberti. Their conversation begins with an intimate first question, "Who were your ancestors?" (10.42). This structuring of dialogue highlights the powerful link between family and political affiliation during Dante’s lifetime. When Dante recounts to Farinata the events which have transpired since his death, he states, "If they were driven out they still returned, both times, from every quarter; but yours were never quick to learn that art" (10.49-51). Within the same dialogue, Dante recounts his own family political exiles yet highlights the face that after both times they returned to power. This is in contrast to the single time that the Ghibellines were exiled and how they never regained political power. This demonstrates the political tension between these two Florentine politicians. Yet, Dante recognizes Farinata’s patriotism and refers to him as "magnamino" or "great-hearted one" (10.73). Dante can admire his bravery in stopping his army from destroying Florence when the Ghibilines seized power with foreign help. This passage is critical to an understanding of Dante’s thoughts on patriotism and political allegiance. Dante shows that despite the constant political feuding there was a loyalty to Florence which transcended political rivalry. Though political loyalty to Florence is held up as a virtue, Dante does not hesitate to criticize the corruption which had tarnished Florence’s honor (Hede, 2007). In Canto XXVI, Dante demeans his native city, stating, "Be joyous, Florence, you are great indeed, for over sea and land you beat your wings; through every part of Hell your name extends!" (26.1-4). Dante highlights the evils of Florence by declaring that a citizen of the city resides in every part of Hell: with them [Florentines], you can ascend to no high honor. But if the dreams dreamt close to dawn are true, then little time will pass before you feel what Prato and the others crave for you. Were that already come, it would not be too soon and let it come, since it must be (26.6-11)! In this passage, Dante focuses on the evil in the city and how it will inevitably lead its failure. This is similar to how Dante is a path through Hell and therefore Florence must be similarly humbled to be saved. While Dante’s goal is to reach Heaven and Beatrice, he states that Florence must be purged and rebuilt. He desires the best outcome for his city sate and that would be for Florence to pay for its sins. Dante can be understood as a patriot through his condemnation. When reading Dante it is important to understand that in the Medieval mind being a traitor against one's city state was held to be worse than the act of patricide (Pertile, 1997). Dante himself seen to agree with this sentiment as he places traitors against their homeland lower in Hell then he locates traitors to their families. This unusual decision highlights how Dante thought about the importance of patriotism and the state. In the Ninth Circle’s second ring Dante meets Tesauro dei Beccheria. Beccheria "had his gullet sliced right through by Florence" (32.120). In short, he views being "unpatriotic" toward Florence as a serious offense yet Dante does not question his own actions in being an exile and criticizing the current regime. Saint Augustine defined evil as the absence of substance, or complete nothingness. There is no feeling, just complete numbness therefore Beccheria is immersed in ice with his head bent downward. This is the harshest of all punishments because it leads to a feeling of "nothingness." This is what traitors suffer through and it is clearly the worst punishment of all. Dante clearly draws a distinction in motivation between himself and Beccheria as his “treason” which resulted in him being sent into exile was not act out of greed but from a high patriotic place. Within the world of the Divine Comedy, the higher form of patriotism to one’s city is held up as an ideal over shortsighted political intrigue. Dante wanted Florence to learn from its mistakes and start over. This was a revolutionary political ideology for the time, as treason was seen to be the worst of all actions on the level of Judas’ betrayal of Christ in the Bible. Through the characters Dante intersperses throughout the Divine Comedy, we see that patriotism to him was found through action not just words. Dante so admired his city state that he sought to save it through his poetry and in so doing create a masterpiece both of art and political theory. Works Cited Hede, J. Reading Dante: The Pursuit of Meaning. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2007. Olson, K.M. “A recent study on the poetry of citizenship in Dante.” Symposium. 61.3 (2007): 211-216. Pertile, L. “Dante looks forward and back: political allegory in the epistles.” Annual report of the Dante Society. 115.1-17 (1997). Scott, J. Dante's Political Purgatory. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996. Read More