Wrath And Sullenness In Dante's Inferno

Circle V: Wrath and Sullenness Dante’s journey through Inferno encountered sinners condemned to eternal punishment because of their actions when they were in earth. One of the sin is wrath or anger which is described as a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure or hostility and a response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. Anger could lead to other major sins like violence, revenge and unforgiving. Near the fifth circle of Hell, Phlegylas transports Dante and Virgil by ferry across the Styx. The Styx is the river that encompassed this entire level. Dante discovered two group of sinners: the wrathful and the sullen. Wrath and sullenness are basically two forms of a single sin. “The souls of those whom anger overcame; And likewise, I would have thee know for, Certain” (Canto VIII). Anger that is expressed(wrath) and anger that is repressed that becomes ill-tempered(sullen). The two groups suffered different punishments appropriate to their type of anger, for the wrathful beating in frustration and fighting each other and the sullen stewing below the surface of the of the muddy swamp, however, both are confined

For Dante, the punishment was fitting for both sinners because the sullen spent their lives moping and pitying themselves, when they had a promising life while the wrathful were reenacting their rage that they expressed throughout their time. There is a balance between the sin committed in Earth and the punishment received in hell. At the beginning of the poem and through the circles, Dante was a little sympathetic but after traveling to the fifth circle and encountered Philippo Argenti his feelings change. Argenti a former member of the Black Guelf was rival of Dante who was a member of the White Guelfs. When Dante was force to exile Florence, Argenti’s brother took all his property. Dante