Research Paper On Dantes Inferno

Dante's Alighieri presented an interesting piece of literature, "The Inferno" by connecting the ancient world with the Christian world through a numerous elements, ideas, and personalities. Dante's incorporations of these various elements, ideas, and personalities reveal to the readers of his knowledge of the past and how he acknowledges the Greek and Roman cultures throughout his poem. The synthesize of the ancient world into the Christian framework details the importance of the past, Dante sought to bring an understanding towards his audience in the importance of learning from the past. "The Inferno" presented a unique outlook of Dante's incorporation of the ancient world with a variety of characters during his time, Greek and Roman characters.

Dante upon entering Limbo spotted a well known figure in the Western world "by him apart, the Saladin", Saladin once fought against King Richard the Lionheart in the crusades (Canto I, pg. 31). Known for his bravery in the battlefield, given the opposing troops fair treatment, and collecting the dead and wounded from the front. While the Western world greatly celebrated Saladin for his treatment of the enemy and dead, the same could be said to King Richard the Lionheart for both men left an important mark in the world. The journey into hell continues with Dante, he soon enters Dis, the capital of hell, there are "the glow of its red mosques" everywhere in the vicinity making the capitol look red hot (Canto VIII, pg. 62). The deeper Dante goes into hell the more things become more and more twisted increasing sinking into the depravity, instead the mosque in "The Inferno" serve to represent the opposite of church and serve as the official church of hell for the sinners. The crusades marked the etched a mark in the Christian world after they have lost control of the Holy land in the last crusade created animosity against Islam, the religion viewed in the West as the opposite of Christianity. Reaching towards the eighth circle, Bolgia nine with sinners responsible for being the Sowers of Discord, there in circle a great demon exists to butcher people for all eternity with a great sword. The men present in the butchering, Dante saw "how Mohomet's mangle and split open… [while] Ali in his tears" with his chopped in half, both remain destined to continue walking back to the pit to become butchered for eternity by the demon (Canto XXVIII, pg. 228). Mohammed played a pivotal role in creating one of major religions of the world, Islam and united the different Arab tribesmen under the crescent moon in