Contrapasso Of Dante's Inferno

Dante's use of allegory in the Inferno greatly varies from Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in purpose, symbolism, characters and mentors, and in attitude toward the world. An analysis of each of these elements in both allegories will provide an interesting comparison. Dante uses allegory to relate the sinner's punishment to his sin, while Plato uses allegory to discuss ignorance and knowledge. Dante's Inferno describes the descent through Hell from the upper level of the opportunists to the most evil, the treacherous, on the lowest level. His allegorical poem describes a hierarchy of evil.

In Dante’s Inferno, a permeating theme of the work is the idea of contrapasso. Contrapasso is only mentioned once and late in the Inferno in Canto XXVIII of XXXIV by Bertran de Born: “In me you may observe fit punishment / Cosí s’osserva in me lo contrapasso” (XXVIII. 142). Although the literary device of contrapasso is only mentioned once and late in the Inferno, the tool is used in every circle and subdivision in hell. Contrapasso is seen in the punishments of the damned in a physical manifestation, which represents an appropriate mode of retribution in terms of a kind of divine justice. In Dante’s Inferno, contrapasso, while it describes the physical agony of the damned as fit punishment for their habitual sins, represents the damage

Phiscie leaned back, allowed themselves another hurried breath before slumping. Bringing a hand up to their forehead, they found sweat beading up on the thin skin; if they were to look in the mirror, they were sure their normally robust complexion would now be turned waxy and ill.

Inferno describes Dante’s point of view of Hell when Virgil takes him through a tour of Hell. It has nine circles which are classified by punishment. Sins that each person has committed during their life is what decides to which circle they belong. Dante tries to give us a sense of how Hell looks like to encourage us to make better decisions about our life. Having an understanding of how the afterlife works can encourage us to commit fewer offenses and think better before acting. Contrapasso is “the idea that a sinner’s punishment in the Inferno fits the crimes they’ve committed on Earth”.

The people in Dante's second circle of hell all committed crimes regarding sexual desires. Whether it was falling in love for one, when being promised to another or simply cheating. These were all against the code of conduct and looked at as offences that landed them in hell. Another transgression was people who act out of sexual desire rather than doing what's right.

What goes around comes around. When sinners reach hell they are forced to experience the counter-suffering of contrapasso. For each sin, Dante gives a specific punishment relating to that sin. Some of these sins include violence towards self, violence towards God, sorcery, and hypocrisy. For the despicable lives they lived on earth, they are doomed to suffer relating consequences for all of eternity.

In Canto XXIII of Dante's Inferno, the hypocrites, especially Caiaphas, provide an excellent example of Divine Justice as contrapasso. The hypocrites presented their ideas as pure and good, while in reality, they did not act according to their supposed morality or practice the virtues that they preached. Because in life, the hypocrites said one thing and did another, their heavy garments seem one thing and are, yet another. The ornate priestly robes worn by the hypocrites are beautiful and impressive on the outside, but are in reality leaden instruments of torture. Contrapasso is evident in this circle of Hell, because although outwardly the Hypocrites appear lovely and perfect, underneath their gilded exterior lies only the heaviness

Contrapasso is the one “law of nature” that applies in hell, basically, being fair with each sinner's punishment due to their sin. In circle 3, the lustful are tormented by raging winds blowing them around the circle representing the “love” or “thrive” that had moved them in the time of action of their sin. For example, this punishment is suited best for these sinners because while they were alive they decided to ignore reason and not control their lust when they could have, so now “ the sinners caught in its grasp go high or low and from side to side with no control over their speed or position” (Alighieri 17). They will remain forever in the winds having no control whatsoever of anything when they had the chance when they were

Dante’s purpose for writing Inferno is to warn humanity about all of the sins they commit and the effect that they will eventually have. Contrapasso contributes to Dante’s purpose because it helps portray Dante’s view on the ethics of various sins. This helps the reader to reflect on the cultural and political state of Italy at the time. God renders justice through imagery and power in Dante’s Inferno. Dante’s major theme in Inferno is the perfection of God’s justice. God’s justice moved Him to create Hell, “The inscription above this gate--ending with the famous warning to "abandon all hope"-- establishes Dante's hell as a creation not of evil and the devil but rather of his Christian God, here expressed in terms of the Trinity: Father (Divine Power), Son (Highest Wisdom), and Holy Spirit (Primal Love).” (Dante’s World), In Dante’s world, Hell is the holding pen for all sinners. However, all sins are not equal in the eyes of God. Early in Inferno, the relationship between God’s justice

Sinners in hell, according to Dante's Inferno are disciplined according to there wrongdoing. Dante utilizes the idea of contrapasso, so that the discipline fits the wrongdoing of the sinners. A few heathens actually turn into the epitome of their wrongdoings, while others get to be victimized people in the afterlife of the violations they submitted while living. Sinners in the Inferno, aren't just accursed to Hell for endlessness, however but damned independently for the criminal acts that got them there.

The idea of contrapasso has origins in Europe as early as the second century with the Apocalypse of Peter. (Medieval, 104) However, the word contrapasso was originally found in Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, in which he argues that God punishes sinners justly for their sins. Scholars disagree as to how Dante utilizes contrapasso. These usually break down into two schools of thought: one that believes Dante follows Aquinas’ definition precisely, and another that argues that Dante uses his definition as an abstract. Although Aquinas’ influence is seen throughout the Inferno, contrapasso is used not just as divine justice but also as a physical manifestation of the person’s sin. Dante’s conception of contrapasso is both ethical and metaphysical. (McIver-Lopez,

Canto 22, which describes the fifth bolgia of the eighth circle of hell, explores the sin of barratry. It opens with a mock-epic depiction of the demons traversing through the bolgia, comparing them to the armies that Dante has encountered throughout his life on Earth. This is a continuation of the humor seen at the end of the previous canto. The mock-epic continues for thirteen verses, after which Dante is found walking alongside a lake filled with boiling pitch, accompanied by the demons.

In "Canto XIII" by Dante Alighieri the concept of justice is everywhere. However, not everyone considers his justice to be just; for some of the punishment he gives can be inhuman. Nevertheless, in the case of people which have committed suicide the punishment fits the sin. Hence they have decided to end their own lives, they do not deserve a second chance when Final Judgement comes. Even though, many see this as an injudicious decision; they have to take in to consideration, that this people choose to end their own life.

In Canto 18, Dante and Virgil enter into the eighth circle of the fraudulent. This is the place in hell known as Malebolge which contains 10 “pouches of evil (line 2).” The sinners at the bottom of the first ditch are all nude, running in different directions. At each end, “ horned devils” whip the sinners backs. Amongst the crowd Dante recognizes Venedico Caccianemico and wonders how he ended up in here. Venedico admits that he forced his sister Ghisolabella to “ the bed of the Marchese (line 56).” A demon whips Venedico and Dante returns to Virgils side. Virgil points out a sinner named Jason who was punished for fooling Hypsipyle and Medea. They cross the bridge to the second trench. The bottom of the trench is so hallow that they “had no vantage point to see a soul.” Dante stares at Alessio Interminli from Lucca who has been punished because he was a flatterer. Before they exit, they come upon Thais who “ claws herself with shit beneath her nails (line 131),” she compares her sexual encounters as miraculous.

In Dante’s Inferno, we followed Dante as he narrates his decent and observations of hell. A wonderful part of that depiction is his descriptions of the creative yet cruel punishments that each of the different sinners receive. This story is an integral part of literary history, and even if I were to have the imagination and ability of Dante Alighieri, I don’t believe I would change this tried and true version known universally.