The Novel Phase of Dante Alighieris into Dantes Inferno - Research Paper Example

Dante’s Inferno: Political Allegory Dante’s inferno, the novel phase of Dante Alighieri’s 14th Century ‘Divine Comedy’ epic poem, is an allegory pertaining to Dante’s journey through Hell receiving guidance from Virgil, the Roman Poet. Accordingly, Hell is depicted as entailing nine arenas of great suffering within the present earth. In addition, the symbolism represented by the Divine Comedy depicts a soul’s journey towards God, the former Dante’s Inferno being descriptive of the overall recognition and latter rejection of Man’s sins. This paper will look at the political allegory that comes up as one of the themes in Dante’s Inferno. Allegory, being a representation of an abstraction or spiritual meaning through either material or concrete forms figuratively treats a subject under another’s guise. Through it, events or characters in a pictorial form, poem or narrative, are symbolized/ represented as concepts or ideals. Gaining wide utility in the arenas of art and other artworks/ forms, allegory presents persons with the great power/ability to illustrate complex concepts or ideas in the best possible concrete and easily understood representations. Through it, messages are communicated by means of symbolic use of actions, abstract representation and figures/ characters. Generally treated as an aspect of rhetoric, a case of rhetorical allegory is one, which entails demonstrative representation of meaning other than that verbally communicated. So is the case with the aforementioned piece of narrative (Pequigney 25). Accordingly, I will deal with the ‘role of politics’ this as espoused in the Inferno. Complimentary to this will be the theme of ‘divine justice’, in relation to Man’s journey through life. As pertaining to the above discussion, in the poem, Dante on various occasions meets disturbed souls of ‘citizens of Italy’ who offer various insights as to the political events of their country. It is through such encounters that Dante is able to gain much political education; of which some are thereafter related to the narrative’s main themes of ‘Religion’ and ‘Morality.’ Through the above, he is able to represent his own ideals as pertaining to politics not limited to the earthly political space, but in terms of wider moral laws and jurisdiction. It is through the above that he is able to convey his warnings as to the dangers of radical/ extremist political ideals. Through the above, he is finally able to combine his fundamental political ideal to his religious theme through figurative representation. He espouses Lucifer as destroying a Brutus and Cassius the two killers/ betrayers of Rome’s Julius Caesar; in the same manner as he does the Biblical Judas Iscariot, who is represented as being Jesus Christ’s betrayer. From the two (above) representations, we are able to adduce to the two twin arenas of Politics and Religion being intertwined in the earthly journey of Man. Christ is representative of worldly religion, with Caesar being symbolic of earthly political rule (Aligheri, The Divine Comedy 1972). Thus their individual betrayers, symbolized as being amongst the worst of guests of Hell, are therefore symbolic of Dante’s ideals as to the equal and fundamental importance of both Religion and Politics to Man governance on earth. Though centrally focused on the matters of the spiritual arena, he however does discuss about Man’s perfect earthly government as being a ‘mirror-image’ of the type of perfect justice expected in Man’s afterlife. By travelling through Hell, Dante is able to explore sin’s nature through the exemplification of variants of punishments, as accorded through God’s divine justice. His situation is a vivid representation of Man’s journey through life, rooted in his allegorical traditions of past and present. Through participation in Florentine politics; as is espoused by his recognition of various characters such as Filippo Argenti and Farinata, former enemies in political circles; he, Dante is able to symbolize the earthly pleasure in which Man enjoys the destruction of other perceived enemies. In terms of ‘political inclination’ he is of the view that Julius Caesar, being the divinely appointed ruler of greater Italy (during the Roman Empire), was the best option as pertaining to world leaders. Demonstrating universally broad traits, he is characteristic of Man through his often espoused sympathy to the less fortunate, weeping at the site of souls suffering vis-à-vis his pleasure at his political enemies’ torments. Throughout the journey, Dante must prove to be able to remain unemotional to the suffering of sinners, as this is the harsh reality of God’s justice. With Virgil encouraging him to not only loathe sin but also not to show pity to the justly punished sinners, this is allegorical for the same as regarding Man’s worldly life and the justice meted out by existent political entities. Just as the sinners are punished, so do those who go against the laws of Man through the variants of judicial systems present in contemporary society (Giovannini 74). The first is seen in Dante’s prediction of a ‘greyhound’ rising up and slaying the existent She-wolf, the latter being representative of the corrupt papal hierarchy existent in the then Italy. Ciacco, a past citizen of Florence, later informs him that the existent parties in Florence will be at war being the Black versus White Guelfs. Furtherance is the answer by Ciacco former politicians of Florence, having not lived a just and fulfilling life, are in Hell, the deeper arenas where they receive various punishments as per their sins. Farinata was a former leader of the Ghibelline party, and during their encounter, he rapaciously discusses about past, present and future political happenings. It is critical to note that despite his presence in Hell, and thus receiving torment for his sins, he however boasts of his party’s former roles in routing the Guelfs from power. Dante for an answer, replies that the party Farinata so boasts about has been out of power for a while, to which the latter answers that the ruling faction will be exiled soon. He later on meets Teggiaio Aldobrandi, Guido Guerra and Jacopo Rusticucci; all being Dante’s contemporary patriots. This is further espoused by their frequent questions as pertaining to present day Florence, to which Dante weeps informing them of their beloved city’s twin negative aspects of Excesses and Pride. It is then that the three tormented souls glance at each other as if in agreement with Dante’s opinion showing sympathy to his feelings. Dante is particularly affected by Pope Nicholas the 3rd, whom he accuses of compromising the dignity of the universal Catholic by bowing to the whims of kings in addition to corrupting the Church’s sanctity through corruption (money) and politics. Furtherance is the bitter lament of Dante at Constantine’s actions, which entailed the bribery or financial assistance of various popes by the emperor. By Virgil’s character agreement to the above harsh criticism, it is thus vivid as to the depth in which politics could negatively affect the religious aspects of society (Jeffrey 19). The presence of two Bolognese Friars, Loderingo and Catalano, in the deeper depths of Hell; the two belonging to the Ghibbelline and Guelf societies respectively, who were chosen to play roles in the religious arena of Florence, espouses the level of rot in the state’s politico-religious arenas. Punishment henceforth is for their hypocrisy as they belonged to the two opposing factions in the city-state, but were clothing themselves in religious attire. Vanni Fucci later reveals the sad future prospects of Dante’s party the White Guelfs who though having temporary success will eventually be routed from their beloved city. With Count Guido da Montelfeltro, Dante accuses him of being a corrupt and evil counselor who ill advised Pope Boniface the 8th into offering amnesty to an enemy whom then was able to attack Florence when its guard was down. By entailing in political affairs, the Pope influenced incorrectly, offers amnesty to a political enemy of the state of Florence who is later on crucial to its downfall (Giovannini 72). With Bocca, a Ghibelline who betrayed them during a key battle, Dante both loathes and reviles him; showing the extent to which Dante espoused a sense of nationalism. Nothing is truer than the vivid support of the Ghibelline society’s political endeavors, as espoused above at securing the political future of their beloved city of Florence. With his imprisonment in the lowest arenas of Hell, Bocca’s punishment is representative of the severity of punishments saved for those who betray their political standings. In addition to this is Dante’s condemnation of the legal entity of Pisa in addition to its citizens Archbishop Ruggieri and Count Ugolino who are representative of the wicked alliance between the Church and the State. These people do not act as religious people who are supposed to guide other people in their morality issues. Instead, they act in contradictory manner. Ugolino’s betrayal of Pisa’s Guelf Party, through conspiring with the former party leader of Ghibelline to destroy a competitor espouses the negative collaborative nature of religion and politics. However, the latter in turn imprison the rhetoric ending in which Ugolino, having aided Ruggieri in his endeavors, until his death (Foster 340) Throughout, Dante passionately addresses his native fellow citizens of Florence educated by the fact that a majority of their former citizens populate the different layers of Hell, due to their terrible negative activities. Accordingly, the retribution of sinners in Hell equates to the variants of sins which they committed while on earth especially so to the religious leaders who instead gave false counsel and hence misused God’s divine authority and gifts. By being hidden away and burning in flames symbolic of their guilty conscience, these evil counsel givers are tormented forever and is symbolic of the gravity of sin on earth. Dante’s political partiality is espoused through his display of both Diomede and Ulysses, both of whom would have been heroes in their time for their fetes in aiding the destruction of Troy. Since Dante is biased towards the Roman Empire, he views the above strategic genius as being an evil person. He further warns of the dangers posed by extreme factionalism as pertaining to Florence’s politics (Berg 10). While in Hell, Dante comes across variants of sinners with three kinds of failures in morality that captures the attention of the readers. First is the Incontinence aspect, which is symbolized by those sinners who were unable to control their bodily desires. Secondly, is Violence as is espoused by being directed to God (as blasphemy), against oneself (as suicide) and against the wider society as physical violence especially for political gains. Thirdly is the aspect of Fraud, which is espoused by the willful utility of personal misrepresentation aimed at deriving another human being of her/ his rights. To add on to this is the presence of complex fraud, which is committed by those especially trusted, during various political upheavals in Dante’s legal jurisdiction and its immediate neighbors. This includes traitorous actions, which have grave consequences to one’s family/ kin, to one’s guests, to one’s government/ political authority or to God. The people who are considered as chosen by God, to take care of the earthly wealth turn against this belief to be the ones who participate in fraud. From the above, the presence of sinners associated with political activities being negative to the overall wellbeing of Dante’s political entity of Florence, Italy, in the same bolgia, provides vivid examples the graveness of their wrongdoing (Alighieri 12). In conclusion, political allegory can be clearly seen in Dante’s Inferno. Though the poem/ narrative is more inclined to the aspects of morality and moral values, it is critical to note the twin occurrences of the two in Man’s life on earth. The narrative brings addresses the issues of religion and power that creates the picture of political allegory. The leaders in Dante’s inferno occupy both the religious and societal leadership functions. Accordingly, rulers are viewed as being divinely instituted caretakers of God’s earthly possessions, and are hence expected to provide good governance, which is enhanced through proper Justice, and adherence to the rule of laws. With two betrayers being destroyed by Lucifer being the betrayers of Julius Caesar, the action taking place in the deepest pits of Hell, it is self-evident as to the graveness of political betrayal. Works Cited Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. Vol. 1. Indiana University Press, 1996. Aligheri, Dante. "The Divine Comedy." Trans. Charles S. Singleton. Bollingen Series LXXX (1891): 1970-75. Berg, Christine G. "Light from a Hill of Carbon Paper Dolls": Gloria Naylors" Linden Hills" and Dantes" Inferno." Modern Language Studies (1999): 1-19. Foster, David William. "The misunderstanding of Dante in fifteenth-century Spanish poetry." Comparative Literature (1964): 338-347. Giovannini, G. "Melvilles Pierre and Dantes Inferno." Publications of the Modern Language Association of America (1949): 70-78. Jeffrey, D. L. (1996). People of the Book: Christian identity and literary culture. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Pequigney, Joseph. "Sodomy in Dantes Inferno and Purgatorio." Representations (1991): 22- 42. Read More