Limbo: The Virtuous Pagans
" I wish you to know before you move on that these souls were sinless and there merits fall still because they lacked baptisms grace,"
I'm not one to question God but doesn't seem a little harsh to be sent to hell even though you were a god person. I mean really, these guys couldn't help the fact that they didn't know God. Why should they be punished Dante? That is so not fair. I really can't understand why they should be punished. I guess thats because I know and have heard of so many good people are not christian. However, I just have to remember that this book was written back in the days when you could PAY to go to heaven if you wanted to and the pope still had the right to keep you out of heaven. I'm glad this just a book though because there would be so many good people in hell right now. Think about it; Ghandi, Buddha, John Lennon, that really would suck for them. Also something in the book that makes me laugh is the fact that he doesn't notice how arrogant he is being by writing this stuff about himself.
Circle 2
The Carnal aka. People with Romeo and Juliet Complex
" Here, there, up, down they whirl and, whirling, strain with never a hope of hope to comfort them, not of realese, but of even less pain."
Alright there are some really famous people in this Hell. Cleopatra and Acheilles are some of them. The Setting of the lovers torment is very symbolic. They are forced to be blown around by wind so strong that it lashed at them like a whip. The wind represents all the things the drama they went through in order stay lovers. N So now they live out eternity constantly straining to keep themselves together while the wind is blowing them around. Sort of Ironic ay?
Circle 3
The Gluttons
"Gluttony was my offense, and for it I lie here rotting like a swollen log"
Ok, this is totally another Dante moment. So the guy likes to eat.....does he really deserve eternal damnation? The way glutttons are punished is ironic to the crime. They forced to lie in foul slush and wallow until they sink through into nothingness, or Cerberus eats them. The setting is symbolic to that part of the story because it reflectstheir life. they spent their whole life wallowing in foood and wasting timeand now in Hell the do the exact same thing. Except they dont get food and instead they wallow in this disgusting slop.
Circle 4
The Hoarders and the Wasters/the Wrathful and the Sullen
"These tonsured wraiths of greed were priest indeed, and popes and cardinals, for it is in these the weed of avarice sows its rankest seed."
This quote does not only develop Dante the charater but of Dante the author as well. the fact that in that day and age he DARED to say that popes were avaricious was probably considered slander, even if it was true. Real and fiction Dante now seem to brave, outspoken and somewhat judgemental. In actuality now that I have gotten into the book Virgil seems to have to make the most moral choices. he is the one who has to protect Dante and teach him about Hell. He is his guide and just bydoing that he is making am important moral descion. Virgil like I said in the first post is the smarter mor well rounded one and Dante is his young wide eyed student. Its almost like a father/son thing.
Circle 5
The Wrathful, The Fallen Angels
"O my beloved guide in peril, who time and time again have seen me safely along this way, and turned the power of evil, stand by me now."I cried "
For the first time you hear Dante voice his fear. He seems lost and bewildered his words to Virgil only prove my above point. Dante and Virgil love each other in this father/son, big brother/little brother way. He calls on him in his time of need. What get me most is that last two words: I cried. Normally I wouldn't take that ending so seriously but right now I'm wondering exactly how he might of said it or what his facial expressions might look like. Exactly what is it like to cry out? I still can't seem to grasp what that emotion feels like. Is he crying or is yelling in Desperation or someting? Thats whats confusing me most.
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