Journey Through Hell. Free Essay Example

Dante's Inferno tells us about the interesting journeys that Dante took. The journeys included the journey through hell, purgatory as well as Heaven, and what is mostly described is the pilgrimage that Dante needs to complete so that he may attain salvation. The journey that Dante is taken through is aimed to make him move out of the sinful ways that he is currently in, and this is done by taking him through hell, purgatory as well as Heaven so that he can see people that have landed there. Through this journey, it is evident that Dante sees and notices the sufferings that the sinners go through and the different levels that they are placed in. The main aim of this paper is to show how Dante used narration of the journey to hell as a way to confess his sins as well as refer to the crimes that he confessed to.

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How Is Narrating His Journey Through Hell A Way For Dante To Confess His Personal "Sins"?

The journey through hell, as narrated by Dante, brings an excellent picture of the different sins that people have committed and the various sufferings that they were all going through. Dante used this opportunity to reveal the sins that he had committed, and he does so as he narrates his journey through hell, and it is clear that there was an apparent connection. Dante's shortcomings and sins are seen as he describes the journey that he undertook, and it was clear that he was ashamed of the turn of events.

The history of Dante shows that he had been previously accused of crimes, which included betrayal, and this led to his banishment in 1302 from Florence. This has a clear connection to the events that took place as Dante was narrating his journey through hell. People were being punished for treason, and this was one of the main circumstances that Dante revealed the sins that he had been involved in earlier in his life. A clear example that is brought upon is that of Bocca, who had betrayed the Florentines and therefore had to be punished. It is evident that Dante does not discuss much the sin as he is ashamed of the same sins that he had also committed. Dante reserves the deepest level of the Inferno for the traitors. This can be argued as a method that Dante used so that he could overcome the guilt that he was facing because of being banished from the city and was therefore seen as a traitor.

Dante also uses the chance of narrating the story to show how sin was separating him from God. It can be noted that Dante says that he has "wandered off from the straight path." Therefore, it is evident that Dante is worried that he is going further from God and his will, and this would lead him into problems. This is the main reason that makes Dante say that he needs to rediscover his way in life that would lead him into righteousness. Dante learns that if one puts his will ahead of that of God, it will lead to much suffering. Therefore, it was important that people knew or understood their sins and repented them, and God would forgive them.

It can also be seen that Beatrice is used to highlighting some of the sins that Dante has. In one circumstance, it can be noted that Beatrice tells Dante that his soul had been "assailed by cowardice." Beatrice means that Dante should not be a coward, and he should not be afraid of anything rather than those that have the capability or power to do us harm. This can also be echoed by another quote by Beatrice that said, "One ought to be afraid of nothing other/than things possessed of the power to do us harm, /but things innocuous need not be feared." This was seen to refer to the sin where human beings valued the world or earthly things more than those that they would go and get in Heaven. Therefore, it was clearly stated that everything would have its ultimate price, and people had to pay dearly for the sins that they had committed as everything had its price.

What Does He Confess To (Refer To Three Sins), And How Does He Do So?

Dante confesses to three different types of sins, as he narrates the story of his journey through hell. These sins vary because of their seriousness as well as the way that they are punished or the suffering that people go through. Dante confesses to these sins through different methods or actions that portray the sins that he is talking about. This may be because he was referring to the sins that he has committed and which other people have suffered due to them. The following are the three sins that Dante confessed to.

Fraud: According to Dante, fraud was the most severe category of sin, and this was mainly because fraud was capable of breaking the bonds of love between humans. Dante saw it as an abuse of the intellect and fraudsters abused their own as well as the intellect of others. Therefore, Dante viewed committing fraud as going against what it meant to be humans, as this was what separated us from the animals. Fraud in the story is represented by the leopard, and it was also used to show malice.

Inconstancy: these were the sins that were not deemed to be so serious even though they had a particular impact. According to Dante, these types of sins did not offend God too much and therefore, did not receive too much blame. These were the sins that were mostly punished outside Dis, and this was mainly because they were rejected from Heaven and not welcomed to hell. In most cases, the sinners that are in this position are those that were not so faithful to God, yet they were not also rebels. According to some people, this is symbolized by the she-wolf.

Sins of violence: This category of sins included a wide range of violence such as those against others, oneself as well as against God. Actions such as lending money on interest are often referred to as violence because they, in most circumstances, misuse the human labor that people utilize. Therefore, these sins are seen to violate nature and God's creation. These sins may include sodomy, murder, and suicide, as well as an assault, which are examples of violence that occur in different circumstances. According to some people, this sin was seen to be represented by the lion, which represented violence and bestiality.

Dante was told by the person who said to him that he was born in Sub Lucio that, "...for this beast......has a nature so evil that her greedy desire is never satisfied and after feeding she is hungrier than before."

Conclusion

Dante used the opportunity of narrating the story of the journey through hell so that he could confess to the sins that he had committed earlier in life. Filled with shame and anger, he remembers how he was banished from his city and therefore seen as a traitor. That is the same is narrated in the story when some people were being punished for betrayal. The ultimate punishment that is seen for these sins is the ultimate suffering. It is also seen that Dante narrates how he has been kept or moved away from God, and this is seen when he says that he has moved away from the right path. Cowardice is also highlighted as to have affected Dante, and this was seen when he followed his own would rather than following God's will. Therefore, Dante says that people should put God's will in front rather than their own will, or they will end up having eternal suffering. The three sins that are highlighted by Dante include fraud, sins of violence, as well as inconstancy. Dante confesses to having committed these sins as he narrated the journey through hell as he referred to some sins such as betrayal and when he was banished from his city as well as how he was moving away from God.