Miss.

Skirtich
19 March 2018
English 10 World Literature

" Inferno" Thesis Paper

Dante Alighieri portrays Virgil as a father figure to Dante in " Inferno" by

protecting him, showing and giving him support, and by showing anger towards Dante.

They say that Dante is very much so shows the way the story goes.

Dante Alighieri portrays Virgil as a father figure to Dante in " inferno " by are

protecting him. One way that Virgil shows this in Dante's " Inferno" is when he says, "

But fix your eyes below, upon the valley, for now we near the stream of blood, where

those who injure others violently, boil." (Alighieri 46-48pg94). When Virgil says this to

Dante what he means by this is that Because Dante ultimatly sees violence as a distortion

of nature, the landscapes of the seventh circle feature some twisted aspects of nature.

Herre, the boiling river that fortures the Tyrants does not flow with water, but with blood.

The violent are punished by natural forces which have been fundamentally perverted.

AlThis is the first example of how Virgil portrays protection to Dante. The second way

that Dante Alighieri portrays Virgil as a father figure to Dante in " Inferno " by

protecting him is when Virgil says, " Wedged in the slime, they we had been sullen in the

sweet air that's gladdened by the sun we bore mist of sluggishness in us: now we are

bitter in the blackened mud the hymn they have to gurgle in their gullets, because they

cannot speak in full words." (Alighieri121-126-pg56). What Virgil means by this quote in

the book to Dante is that he refused to engage in life's joys, appreciating neither the sweet

air, nor the light of the sun, Dante also plays on the idea of the sullen resentfully refusing
to speak. As punishment then, they are immersed in blackened mud. That was the second

reason I feel that Virgil was a father figure to Dante in " Inferno." Because this shows

how Virgil portrays protection to Dante in " Inferno."

Dante Alighieri portrays Virgil as a father figure to Dante in " Inferno" by

showing and giving him support. One example of Virgil shows and gives Dante support

is when Virgil says, " For we have reached the place of which I spoke where you will see

the miserable people, those who have lost the good of the intellect." (Alighieri16-

18pg18). What Virgil means by this quote is that Dante considers the mind and reason as

purely human faculties and singular gifts from God. Man, then, has a responsibility to use

these intellectual gifts for good, sinners who use their intellects for evil or simply deny

that reason is a human tool have "lost the good of the intellect" and have therefore been

condemned to Hell. This is one example of how Virgil shows his giving and support. But,

Another reason and example of when Virgil shows his giving and support to Dante in

"Inferno" is when Virgil says to Dante, " I still was bent, attentive, over him when my

guide nuged me lightly at the side and said: " You speak, he is Italian." (Alighieri31-

33pg219). When Virgil says this he is telling Dante and means that, Contrary to its role in

the previous canto language here becomes a tool for a solidary and unification under the

same nation. Where as Dante is not allowed to speak to Ulysses because he is Greek, here

Virgil urges him to speak to Montefeltro because they use the same language. The,

language can form a basis. This is just another example of when Virgil shows and gives,

and supports Dante and is being fatherly figure towards Dante in "Inferno".

Dante Alighieri portrays Virgil as a father figure to Dante in "Inferno" by

showing anger towards Dante. One example of when Dante portrays and shows this is
when Virgil says to Dante " Are you as foolish as the rest? Here pity only lives when it is

dead for who can be more impious than he who links God's judgement to passivity?"

(Alighieri27-30pg161). What Virgil means by this quote towards Dante is Ironically, the

emotion Dante is trying to envoke to readers pity for the magicians is rebuked by Virgil,

His denunciation of the magicians, in prophesying, believe they have power over the

future, and not rendering God's will passive, such as an assumption is so mistaken that it

should kill the pity of any reasonable person. That was only one example of how Virgil

shows direct anger towards Dante in "Inferno". The second example and quote I will

show you and explain to you what Virgil says to Dante is when Virgil says, " Those who

are here can place no hope in death, and their blind life is so object that they are envious

of every other fate. The world will let no fame of theirs endure both justice and

compassion must disdain them let us not talk of them but look and pass." (Alighieri46-

51pg19). What Virgil is saying to Dante and means in this quote is that because

Cowardice has kept the neutrals from making any indelible mark on the world they have

no claim to fame. The world will let no fame of their endure, and even Virgil has no

patience to spend time identifying any of these sinners. They simply have no reputation

to speak of. These two quotes and examples and explanations of what they mean show

how Virgil was being a father figure towards Dante and also these two quotes and

examples show how Virgil was giving and showing Dante anger.

To conclude, Dante Alighieri portrays Virgil as a father figure to Dante in

"Inferno" by protecting him, showing and giving him support, and by showing anger

towards Dante. Virgil shows us all of these things by the quotes in the book. Virgil is a

very good father figure to Dante in "Inferno" because of all that he does and portrays for
Dante. In this essay I would like to say that these quotes very much so explain Dante and

Virgil's relationship. The reason this is important to know in Dantes "Inferno" is because

you need and should know all of the things that Virgil does to show us that he is being a

very good fatherly figure towards Dante. This is also why I picked these quotes to explain

to you and to make sure that you know all of the things that Virgil explains in this poem.

They all need to not rely on the fact that if we did not have Virgil as a fatherly figure and

to guide Dante around Hell to help him get across different circles then we would not be

able to get through all of Hell without Virgil. Virgil and Dante are very close with each

other very since Dante met Virgil in Limbo. Which if you were curious or wondering it

means that Limbo was the very first circle of hell or shall I say that it was right outside

the first circle of hell or also shall I say that it was just before the gate of Hell. This is

why I chose to talk about Virgil as being a fatherly figure towards and too Dante

throughout the book. This is how Dante Alighieri portrays Virgil as a father figure to

Dante in "Inferno" by protecting him, showing and giving him support, and by showing

anger towards Dante.