"Go back to your science, which teaches that the more
A creature is perfect, the more it perceives the good-
And likewise, pain. The accursed people here
Can never come to know true perfection; instead,
They can expect to come closer then than now"
A lot is packed into these five lines. This is a quote from Virgil. First he mentions the teachings of science, which seem possibly out of place in a book of religious thoughts and ideas. Science and religion are not known to mix well, and I'm assuming this was especially true during this time. Perhaps, however, some religious beliefs were considered scientific or fact. So, what does Virgil (& the society he grew up in) consider to be "science"? According to Virgil, this science teaches us that with perfection comes the ability to notice the good and the bad in the world. (Is it really science that teaches us this, though?) The most honorable of people can appreciate the good and recognize what is bad (according to Christians...). But isn't it also true that such sinners could know the difference just as well, yet disregard it?
Can the "accursed people...never come to know true perfection" because of how they used to live their lives or because of how they're treated in Hell? Are none of these people worth saving?
This "eye for an eye" philosophy seems contradictory to the Christian faith, or at least how it is perceived today. This idea is consistently present in all the levels of Hell. If you lived a certain sinful way, then you will forever endure the pain of such a sin. This is purely for suffer, not for learning from mistakes. Are these people aware of they're suffering if they never experience anything different?
If all of the different levels of Hell evoke sympathy in the reader, then is it the sinners who are or blame, or is it Christianity itself?
Canto 8 lines 77-80
Above the gates I saw
More than a thousand of those whom Heaven had spat
Like rain, all raging: "Who is this, who'd go
Without death through the kingdom of the dead?
This is the question we'd all like to know..
Perhaps Dante didn't choose to venture through Hell, but don't you wonder why he continues through so long without protest? And what is so special about Dante that he gets the opportunity/has to take on the burden of such a journey? Can any good possibly come from such a visit? Though the journey is more for the audience than for Dante, I still wonder the overall purpose or point. What are Dante's personal religious beliefs?
Masses and masses of people has been a reoccurring image in all the levels of Hell. "More than a thousand" describes this one. The fact that so many people are sent to suffer here makes it more personal. It's not just the worst of all mankind that is sent here; all wrongdoers end up here, even those who committed petty crimes of Christianity. The fact that Dante himself runs into so many familiar faces makes it seem like anyone could end up here. Is the purpose to make us all fear even our most insignificant of sins? Or perhaps it's to realize how unreasonable it all is?
As a side note, I really like Dante's use of similes, as demonstrated in this passage (of those whom Heaven had spat like rain). It makes the descriptions much more powerful.
No comments:
Post a Comment