Dante’s Inferno Notes

A huge and powerful contendrior- tycoon who virtu aloney embodies defiance against his highest god, Capaneus is an exemplary blasphemerwith blasphemy understood as direct violence against God. Still, it is striking that Dante selects a pagan character to represent one of the few specifically religious sins punished in hell. Dantes portrayal of Capaneus in booby hatch 14.43-72his large size and scornful note of Jove striking him down with thunderboltsis based on the Thebaid, a late Roman epic (by Statius) treating a war w shape upd by sevensome kings against the city of Thebes.Capaneus arrogant defiance of the gods is a running theme in the Thebaid, though Statius description of the warriors courage in the scenes leading up to his death reveals elements of Capaneus nobility as well as his condescension for the gods. For instance, Capaneus refuses to follow his comrades in a deceitful military operation against the Theban forces under the poke out of darkness, insisting instead o n fighting fair and square out in the open. Neverthe little, Capaneus boundless contempt ultimately leads to his demise when he climbs atop the walls protecting the city and directly challenges the gods come now, Jupiter, and strive with all your flames against me Or are you braver at frightening timid maidens with your thunder, and razing the towers of your father-in-law Cadmus? (Thebaid 10.904-6).Recalling the similar arrogance displayed by the Giants at Phlegra (and their subsequent defeat), the deity gathers his terrifying weapons and strikes Capaneus with a thunderbolt. His hair and helmet aflame, Capaneus feels the fatal fire burning within and falls from the walls to the ground below. He finally lies outstretched, his lifeless body as immense as that of a giant. This is the find out inspiring Dantes depiction of Capaneus as a large figure seem in the defeated stick by of the blasphemers, flat on their backs Ser Brunnetto Latino = speech rhythm Three- Violence Against Nat ureOne of the most important figures in Dantes life and in the Divine Comedy, Brunetto Latini is featu crimson among the sodomites in one of the central cantos of the crazy house. Although the poet imagines Brunetto in hell, Dante-character and Brunetto show great affection and see for one another during their encounter in Inferno 15.Brunetto (c. 1220 1294) was a prominent guelph who spent many old age living in exile in Spain and Francewhere he composed his encyclopedic work, Trsor (Treasure Inf. 15.119-20)before move to Florence in 1266 and assuming positions of great responsibility in the commune and region (notary, scribe, consul, prior). Such was Brunettos reputation that chroniclers of the term praised him as the initiator and master in refining the Florentines. While Brunettos own writingsin terms of quality and significanceare far inferior to Dantes, he was perhaps the most influential relay transmitter in the tenderness Ages of the essential idea (derived from the Roman writer Cicero) that eloquencein twain viva and written versionsis beneficial to society only when combined with wisdom.We understand from this episode that Brunetto played a major(ip)if informalpart in Dantes education, most likely as a mentor through his use of using erudition and intelligence in the service of the city. Apart from the reputed frequency of sexual relations among males in this time and place, there is no independent documentation to explain Brunettos appearance in Dantes poem among the sodomites. Brunetto was matrimonial with threeperhaps fourchildren. Many modern scholarly discussions of Dantes Brunetto either posit a stand-in vice for the sexual onelinguistic perversion, unnatural policy-making affiliations, a quasi-Manichean heresyor accentuate a symbolic form of sodomy over the literal act (e.g., rhetorical perversion, a failed theory of knowledge, a proto-humanist pursuit of immortality).Geryon = Round Three- Violence Against Art( joke) giant wit h three heads and bodies Geryon, merely described in Virgils Aeneid as a three-bodied shade (he was a cruel king polish off by Hercules), is one of Dantes most conglomerate creatures. With an honest face, a colorful and intricately patterned reptilian hide, hairy paws, and a scorpions tail, Geryon is an image of fraud (Inf. 17.7-27)the realm to which he transports Dante and Virgil (circles 8 and 9). Strange as he is, Geryon forwarders near of the best evidence of Dantes trouble to realism. The poet compares Geryons upward feather to the precise movements of a diver swimming to the surface of the sea (Inf. 16.130-6), and he helps us imagine Geryons descent by noting the sensation of wind rising from below and striking the face of a traveler in flight (Inf. 17.115-17).By comparing Geryon to a sullen, resentful falcon (Inf.17.127-36), Dante also adds a mend of psychological realism to the episode Geryon may in fact be bitter because he was trickedwhen Virgil use Dantes knotted b elt to lure the monster (Inf. 16.106-23)into helping the travelers. Dante had used this belthe informs us abundant after the fact (Inf. 16.106-8)to try to capture the colorfully patterned leopard who impeded his ascent of the mountain in Inferno 1.31-3. Suggestively associated with the sort of factual truth so wondrous that it appears to be false (Inf. 16.124), Geryon is thought by some readers to represent the poem itself or perhaps a negative double of the poem. quayage della Vigna = Round Two- Violence Against ThemselvesLike Dante, bob della Vigna (c. 1190 1249) was an accomplished poetpart of the Sicilian School of poetry, he wrote sonnetsand a victim of his own truehearted service to the state. With a first-rate legal education and ample rhetorical talent, Pier rose quickly through the ranks of public service in the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, from scribe and notary to strain and official spokesman for the imperial court of Frederick II. But his powers appear to confi ne exceeded even these titles, as Pier claims to have had final say over Fredericks decisions (Inf. 13.58-63).While evidence of corruption casts some doubt on Piers account of faithful service to the emperor, it is generally believed that he was indeed falsely impeach of betraying Fredericks trust by envious colleagues and political enemies (Inf. 13.64-9). In this way, Piers story recalls that of Boethius, author of the Consolation of Philosophy, a well known book in the Middle Ages (and a favorite of Dantes) recounting the fall from power of another talented individual falsely accused of betraying his emperor. Medieval commentators relate that Frederick, believing the charges against Pier (perhaps for plotting with the pope against the emperor), had him imprisoned and blinded. Unable to accept this wretched fate, Pier brutally took his life by smashing his head against the wall (perhaps of a church) or possibly by leaping from a high window just as the emperor was passing below in the street.Piers nameVigna means vineyardundoubtedly made him an even more attractive prognosis for Dantes suicide-trees. As an added part of the contrapasso for the suicides, the souls pass on not be reunited with their bodies at the Last Judgment plainly will instead hang their retrieved corpses on the trees (Inf.13.103-8).MinotaurThe path down to the three rings of circle 7 is uphold with a mass of boulders that fellas Virgil explains (Inf. 12.31-45)during the earthquake triggered by Christs harrowing of hell. The Minotaur, a bull-man who appears on this crushed slope (Inf. 12.11-15), is most likely a guardian and symbol of the entire circle of violence. Dante does not narrow whether the Minotaur has a mans head and bulls body or the other way around (sources support both possibilities), but he clearly underscores the bestial rage of the hybrid creature. At the sight of Dante and Virgil, the Minotaur bites himself, and his frenzied buckingset off by Virgils mention of the monsters executionerallows the travelers to proceed unharmed.Almost everything about the Minotaurs storyfrom his creation to his demisecontains some form of violence. Pasipha, wife of King Minos of Crete, dispositioned after a beautiful white bull and asked Daedalus to construct a devise cow (Inf. 12.13) in which she could enter to induce the bull to mate with her Daedalus obliged and the Minotaur was conceived. Minos wisely had Daedalus build an figure labyrinth to conceal and contain this monstrosity.To punish the Athenians, who had killed his son, Minos supplied the Minotaur with an annual sacrificial offering of seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls. When Ariadne (the Minotaurs half-sister Inf. 12.20) fell in love with one of these boys (Theseus, Duke of Athens Inf. 12.16-18), the two of them devised a plan to stumble the Minotaur Theseus entered the labyrinth with a sword and a ball of thread, which he unwound as he proceeded toward the center having slain the Minota ur, Theseus was thus able to retrace his steps and escape the labyrinth CentaursThe Centaursmen from the waist up with dismantle bodies of horsesguard the first ring of circle 7, a river of rip in which the shades of murderers and bandits are immersed to varying depths. Armed with bows and arrows, thousands of Centaurs patrol the bank of the river, using their weapons to keep the souls at their allotted depth (Inf. 12.73-5). In real mythology, the Centaurs are perhaps best known for their uncouth, violent behavior guests at a wedding, they attemptedtheir lust incited by wineto carry off the bride and other women a fierce battle ensued, described by Ovid in all its gory detail (Met. 12.210-535), in which the horse-men suffered the heaviest losses. Two of the three Centaurs who approach Dante and Virgil fully clear this negative reputation.Pholus, whom Virgil describes as full of rage (Inf. 12.72), was one of the combatants at the wedding. Nessus, selected to carry Dante across th e river in hell, was killed by Herculeswith a poisoned arrowfor his attempted rape of the heros beautiful wife, Deianira, after Hercules had entrusted the Centaur to carry her across a river (Nessus avenged his own death he gave his blood-soaked shirt to Deianira as a love-charm, which shenot knowing the shirt was poisoned subsequent gave to Hercules when she doubted his love Inf. 12.67-9.) Chiron, the leader of the Centaurs, enjoyed a more favorable reputation as the wise tutor of both Hercules and Achilles (Inf. 12.71).Punishments of Each Ring -First Ring- For violence against neighbors. Made to boil in blood, and shot by arrows if they et out high than they are deemed worthy. Fitting because those anguishmust boil in the blood they creted in life by violence.Chief sinner black lovage the great, who was violent against many of his countrymen as a tyrant. -Second Ring- For those violent against themselvesthey are turned into trees and are immobile. They are tortured and pecked at by Harpies. They will never be returned to their bodies because they didnt properly appreciate them in the first place.Chief evildoer Pier della Vigna, who felt so ashamed by the lies of shcemers, took his own life. -Third Ring-For those violent against God. Three circles Blasphamers Just on hot sand Sodomites Also rained upon my fire Violent against art also with purses around thier necksChief Sinner Capaneus, assail Thebes. He is very defiant, still, and says hell shall never break him.Allusions Phlegethon-Literally a river of fire (Aen. 6.550-1), Phlegethon is the name Dante gives to the river of hot blood that serves as the first ring ofcircle 7 spillers of blood themselves, violent offenders against others are submerged in the river to a level corresponding to their guilt. Dante does not identify the riverdescribed in detail in Inferno 12.46-54 and 12.100-39until the travelers have crossed it (Dante on the back of Nessus) and passed through the forest of the suicid es. Now they approach a red stream flowing out from the inner circumference of the forest across the plain of sand (Inf. 14.76-84).After Virgil explains the plebeian source of all the rivers in hell, Dante still fails to realizewithout further explanationthat the red stream in fact connects to the broader river of blood that he previously crossed, now identified as the Phlegethon (Inf. 14.121-35). Polydorus-If Dante had believed what he read in the Aeneid, Virgil would not have had to make him snap one of the branches to know that the suicide-shades and the trees are one and the samethis, at least, is what Virgil says to the wounded suicide-tree (Inf. 13.46-51). Virgil here alludes to the episode of the bleeding bush from Aeneid 3.22-68. The bush in this case is Polydorus, a early Trojan prince who was sent by his father (Priam, King of Troy) to the neighboring kingdom of Thrace when Troy was besieged by the Greeks.Polydorus arrived bearing a large amount of gold, and the King of Thraceto whose care the welfare of the young Trojan was entrusted polish off Polydorus and took possession of his riches. Aeneas unwittingly discovers Polydorus unburied corpse when he uproots three leafy branches to serve as cover for a sacrificial altar the first two times, Aeneas freezes with terror when dark blood drips from the uprooted branch the trinity time, a voicerising from the groundbegs Aeneas to stop causing harm and identifies itself as Polydorus. The plant-man explains that the flurry of spears that penetrate his body eventually took the form of the branches that Aeneas now plucks. The Trojans honor Polydorus with a proper burial before going away the accursed land.Old Man of Crete-Dante invents the story of the large statue of an old manlocated in Mount Ida on the Island of Cretefor both practical and symbolic purposes ( Inf. 14.94-120). Constructed of a descending hierarchy of materialsgold head, silver arms and chest, validation midsection, iron for the rest ( except one clay foot)the statue recalls the various ages of humankind (from the golden age to the iron age Ovid, Met. 1.89-150) in a pessimistic view of history and civilization devolving from best to worst. Dantes statue also impedelyrecalls the statue appearing in King Nebuchadnezzars dream in the Bible this dream is revealed in a vision to Daniel, who informs the king that the composition of the statue signifies a declining succession of kingdoms all inferior to the eternal kingdom of God (Daniel 231-45).That the statue is off-balance propensity more heavily on the clay footand facing Rome (as if in a mirror) probably reflects Dantes conviction that society suffers from the excessive political power of the pope and the absence of a strong secular ruler. Although the statue is not itself found in hell, the tears that flow down the crack in its body (only the golden head is whole) represent all the suffering of humanity and thus become the river in hell that goes by different name s according to region Acheron, Styx, Phlegethon, Cocytus (Inf. 14.112-20).genus Phaethon and Icarus-As he descends aboard Geryon through the darned atmosphere, Dante recalls the classical stories of previous aviators (Inf. 17.106-14). Phaethon, attempting to confirm his genealogy as the son of Apollo, bearer of the sun, took the reins of the sun-chariot against his fathers advice. Unable to control the horses, Phaethon scorched a large swath of the heavens with the earths fate hanging in the balance, Jove killed the boy with a thunderbolt (Ovid, Met. 1.745-79 2.1-332).Daedalus (see Minotaur above), to escape from the island of Crete, made wings for himself and his son by binding feathers with thread and wax. Icarus, ignoring his fathers warnings, flew too close to the sun the wax melted and the boy crashed to the sea below (Met. 8.203-35). So heartbroken was Daedalus that he was unable(p) to depict Icarus fall in his carvings upon the gates of a temple he built to honor Apollo (Ae n. 6.14-33). Experiencing flight for the first, and presumable only, time in his lifeaboard a filthy image of fraud, no lessDante understandably identifies with these two figures whose reckless flying led to their tragic deaths.