ipl-logo

Fifth Circle In Dante's Inferno

1315 Words6 Pages

Dante’s Inferno Essay There are many works of literature that we have studied in English class throughout high school that can be compared to hell. However, in this essay I will assessing the major characters in five different novels and how they fit into Dante Alighieri’s vision of hell. There are 9 circles of hell that Dante explores with the poet Virgil in Dante’s Inferno. Each circle has its own unique punishment for the sin committed in the overworld. For example, those that commit violent acts against others are condemned for eternity to the Phlegethon, a river of boiling blood. This is how five different characters would best fit into the rungs of hell as described by Dante. Jack, as described by William Golding in his novel Lord …show more content…

Signs such as his sickening name, his dark visage, and body deformities support this claim. Chillingworth best fits in Circle 5, with the Wrathful. Throughout his cruel life, he chooses to enact revenge on his enemies by using physical and psychological warfare. His actions of wrath are what drive him as a human being, he cannot survive without the torment of other humans. Ultimately, he shriveled away due to his lack of will to live on the dark earth he once trod. The fifth circle in Dante’s hell is divided into two groups: The Wrathful and the Sullen. Unfortunately for Arthur Dimmesdale, Chillingworth’s object of torture, the physician chose to express his anger which falls under the category of the Wrathful. Hester Prynne exclaims, "You search his thoughts. You burrow and rankle in his heart! Your clutch is on his life, and you cause him to die daily a living death." He is to spend his days committing acts of violence in the Styx of the Underworld. Chillingworth could not suppress his anger towards Hester Prynne nor Dimmesdale, causing him to act in rage and revenge. The fuel that ignited him is now fueling his fury in the fiery pits of hell along with others whose anger

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Contrapasso In Dante's Inferno

    1207 Words  | 5 Pages

    "The Inferno" is the first book in the epic poem called the “Divine Comedy” by the Italian politician Dante Alighieri and it is followed by "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso”. The book "Inferno", which is the Italian translation for Hell, tells the journey of its author through what he believes is Hell, which consists of nine circles of pain and suffering. In his journey, he is guided through the nine circles by the Roman poet Virgil. Each circle in the book represents a different type of sin with a different type of punishment, varying according to the degree of the offense they committed in their life. By the end of his journey through all of the circles, Dante realizes and emphasizes the perfection of God's Justice and the significance of each offense towards God’s unconditional love.

    Read More

  • Dantes Inferno Analysis

    977 Words  | 4 Pages

    The same way, disorder means damnation. In both of the masterpieces we find the same way in conceiving coordinates and juxtaposing politics and religion, empire and church. Analogous is the way to express certain forces of nature, intimate qualities of the spirit, sublimation or degeneration of senses through animals. Dante’s Comedy and the mosaic of Otranto teem with animals and monsters: dogs, wolves, dragons, lions, sphinxes, griffins, centaurs, etc. We find all of these representations in both of the works and with the same meaning, same analogies, and same functions.

    Read More

  • Contrapasso In Dantes Inferno

    1345 Words  | 6 Pages

    The prisoners receive a thematically equivalent punishment to their actions in their previous lives. As the deeper circles of hell are populated by the worst inmates, the concept of contrapasso elicits exceedingly jarring punishments the further Dante travels. The nine total circles of hell are large enough to populate a lifetime 's worth of the world’s sins. When Dante is introduced to the first circle of hell, reserved for pagans, it is clear that the inmates are bound eternally to live in the Inferno, for even those who did not conciously commit sin, are forced to stay in this realm. In his real life, Alighieri was highly vocal about political stances.

    Read More

  • Heart Of Darkness Greed Analysis

    1025 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Evil of Greed in Inferno and Heart of Darkness Though Conrad and Dante wrote their pieces centuries apart, Heart of Darkness and Inferno have striking similarities that readers cannot ignore. Both writers have rather bleak and downcast portrayals of humans and their propensity towards evil. In particular, both texts specifically examine the characteristic of greed in human behavior. Conrad and Dante are both quick to highlight the dangers of greed and the impact it has on the individual’s soul.

    Read More

  • Satan In Dante's Inferno By Dante Alighieri

    618 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Dante’s Inferno, Dante Alighieri's depiction of Satan at the bottom of hell reveals the theme that in Hell the punishment is always befitting of the due to the fact that the lower you go, the farther that person is from god. The picture of Satan satisfies the reader because he shows that he is the opposite of god and that he is full of evil. Lucifer is the demon in the circles of hell which he has three faces, and bat like wings in which he creates the cold wind where the sinners suffer. “The face in the middle was red, the color of anger. The face on the right was white blended with yellow, the color of impotence.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Divine Justice In Dante's Inferno

    1874 Words  | 8 Pages

    But, as the poem continues to progress, it becomes quite clear the there is a perfect balance within God’s justice as the degree of each sinner’s punishment perfectly reflects upon the gravity of the sin. Furthermore, the inscription on the gates of Hell explicitly states that Hell exists as a result of divine justice; “ll. “ Justice moved my great maker; God eternal / Wrought me: the power and the unsearchably / High wisdom, and the primal love supernal (III.4-6).” Prior to delving into the structure of Hell and how it displays God’s divine justice, one must first familiarize themselves with both the historical context of Dante’s life, along with the beliefs of the medieval church.

    Read More

  • What Are The Three Major Sins In Dante's Inferno

    1087 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the Inferno, Dante describes the different levels of hell and the punishment which corresponds to the sin. Dante categorize hell into three major sins consisting of incontinence, violence, and fraudulent. Fraudulent is portrayed as the worse sin in the Inferno while incontinence is seen as a less serious sin. Each category has sinners which have all been punished for their wrong doings in life. The three major sins consist of circles where Dante separates the different sinners.

    Read More

  • Christian Religious Beliefs In Dante's Inferno

    1247 Words  | 5 Pages

    Dante’s Inferno is an epic poem by Durante “Dante” degli Alighieri, written in the 1300s. He wrote a trilogy, known as the Divine Comedy, consisting of Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Dante was inspired by many events and issues happening at that time, such as the war between Guelphs and Ghibellines, the Battle of Montaperti, and Christian religious beliefs. In this paper, I will explore the first book, Inferno, on the topic of Hell and how the sinners had a significant impact on Dante’s journey through Hell. In Circle 5: Styx, Canto VIII, Filippo Argenti, a sinner of Wrathful, helped Dante to symbolize to readers his anger towards Black Guelphs, political enemies of the White Guelphs.

    Read More

  • The Epic Hero Cycle Of Dante's Inferno

    751 Words  | 4 Pages

    With Dante’s journey through hell he examines the sins of others, these supposed wrongdoings, such as murder are overall worse for the population, causing, over time, a

    Read More

  • The Sin Of Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter

    1404 Words  | 6 Pages

    When encountered with a woman charged with adultery, Jesus proclaimed, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). As no man is truly without sin, humans cannot justly punish them for sins without holy guidance. They can, however, worsen their own sin to the point of being irredeemable. in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale’s sin was the most unholy and dangerous of all those presented in the novel.

    Read More

  • Essay On Chillingworth's Revenge

    550 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chillingworth, however, is vindictive and unforgiving and seeks to ruin a man while the other three either make mistakes or live in

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Odyssey And Dante's Inferno

    989 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Inferno, Dante is the main character who is fighting between good and evil, which translates to be the theme of the story. Dante explores deeply the Christian hell and heaven, which includes the immediate Purgatory. This experience makes him cast his allegiance to good and God. The differences between these two stories are depicted when comparing the epic conventions, epic characteristics, and when comparing the various religious backgrounds of the times in which these two stories were written.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Divine Retribution In Dante's Inferno

    1311 Words  | 6 Pages

    Divine Retribution In the beginning of Dante’s Inferno, Dante is met by the spirit Virgil, who proposes to guide him through the nine circles of hell. The theme of divine retribution is seen all throughout The Inferno. Dante describes divine retribution as “the punishment fitting the crime.” Each circle of hell represents a different kind of sin.

    Read More

  • Explain The Seven Deadly Sins In Dante's Inferno

    480 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dante’s Inferno details the long journey of Dante and Virgil, throughout the bowels of Hell, or the Inferno. Dante’s Inferno is organized into nine different levels, each distributing a different and awful punishment to every different sin. The main sins include the seven deadly sins, “Wrath, Sloth, Lust, Greed, Pride, Gluttony, Envy”, he also included “Treachery” and “Violence”. The three sins that I believe fit their sins would be “Wrath/Sulleness”, “Greed” and “Gluttony”.

    Read More

  • Allegory In Dante's Inferno

    741 Words  | 3 Pages

    Inferno explores the descent of mankind into sin. The work’s vast usage of imagery and symbols, a powerful allegory, and well known allusions highlight political issues whilst dealing with the nature of sin and the road to salvation. In Inferno, Dante is forced to take a journey through hell. With the help of Virgil, his personal tour guide, Dante sees the different kinds of sins, as well as their contrapasso, or

    Read More

More about Fifth Circle In Dante's Inferno

Open Document