The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is a long-form poem by Dante Alighieri. Although it is strongly influenced by the poetic epics of the Illiad and the Odyssey by Homer, and particularly the Aeneid by Virgil, its structure is significantly different from anything that had been written before. The basic story details Dante getting lost in a dark forest, and as an act of divine grace to correct his life, embarking on a tour of the afterworld. We are introduced to his benefactor, Beatrice, who may be an allusion to a woman he loved and wrote poetry about, as well as a symbol of wisdom. She sets him under the care of Virgil, who as a wise pagan is confined to Limbo. Virgil is given permission to escort him through all the levels of Hell and Purgatory. In Paradise, he is reunited with Beatrice as his escort.
Contents
Structure
The poem is in three main parts, or cantiche:
- Inferno (Hell) - 34 cantos
- Purgatorio (Purgatory) - 33 cantos
- Paradiso (Heaven) - 33 cantos.
Each of these is divided into a number of cantos (or canti) as indicated; there are 100 cantos in total. Each canto is around 130-150 lines long.
The entire work is written in terza rime, a rhyme scheme where lines, each of eleven syllables, are in groups of three (terzine). The first and last lines of each terzina rhyme with each other, while the second rhymes with the first and last lines of the next terzina. For example, the first three terzine of each canto have the rhyme scheme ABA, BCB, CDC. Each canto ends with a single line, which rhymes with the second line of the final terzina.
Translations
Translations of the Divine Comedy into English almost always conserve the divisions between cantos. However, some are in prose rather than verse, and those that are in verse may use a different rhyme scheme and meter, or none at all. These choices depend on the objectives of the translation.
Title
It should be noted that the Divine Comedy is not a 'comedy' in the modern sense of the word, although parts of it are certainly comic (see Style(s), below). It is unclear why Dante referred to his work as a Commedia, though, since it does not follow the same pattern as any previous work, it is hard to suggest what else he could have called it.
The word 'Divine' was never used by Dante himself to describe the work, and was simply applied later because of the subject matter.
Synopsis
The dark forest
At the start of the poem, Dante is lost in a dark forest. He tries to get back to 'the straight path', but is prevented by three savage beasts: a lion, a wolf and a leopard. As he begins to despair, he meets the ghost of Virgil, who explains that he has been sent by Beatrice to guide Dante to safety. However, his predicament is so dire that the only way out leads through Hell.
Hell
For a more detailed treatment, see Dante's Inferno.
Virgil and Dante begin their journey through the gate of Hell, across the river Acheron and down into Limbo and the lower circles. In each place, Dante questions the souls dwelling there, called ‘shades’ due to their lack of a body. All the shades will be resurrected and given new bodies, and continue in their deserved location. The people he meets are mostly taken from classical history and mythology, the Bible, and more recent Florentine and Italian history.
As well as the sinners who are punished there, Hell is inhabited by various monsters and demons. Some punishments are carried out by demons, especially in the eighth circle, and each circle is also home to a monster from classical mythology who guards it, while also being punished there for its own sins. For example, the circle of gluttony is guarded by the ravenous three-headed dog Cerberus.
At the bottom of the ninth circle of Hell, at the center of the frozen lake Cocytus, Dante and Virgil behold Satan. They then make their way out by climbing down Satan's body to a tunnel that leads from the Earth's center to the southern hemisphere, where Purgatory is located.[1]
Purgatory
For a more detailed treatment, see Dante's Purgatorio.
Purgatory is depicted as an incredibly high mountain on an island in the world's southern hemisphere. The mountain is encircled by seven ledges, known as cornices, where each of the Seven Deadly Sins is cleansed. As Dante goes up the mountain, his own sins are also cleansed to prepare him for his journey into Heaven. As they travel through Purgatory, Virgil and Dante again meet many historical figures as well as Dante's contemporaries. There are many references to Florence and other cities in Italy, and he uses the various levels of Purgatory to malign his political foes, and corrupt Church leaders. Classical figures are mainly absent, as their lack of Christian faith prevents them from entering.
At the top of Mount Purgatory is the Garden of Eden, commonly referred to in this context as the Earthly Paradise. Here, Dante is reunited with Beatrice amid an elaborate pageant. She rebukes him for his sins and readies him for their journey through Heaven, while Virgil departs.[2]
Heaven
For a more detailed treatment, see Dante's Paradiso.
Dante and Beatrice leave the Earthly Paradise and ascend into Heaven, which is located in what we would now call outer space. Heaven has nine spheres, one for each of the planets known at the time, plus the sun, moon and stars. In each sphere, Dante is shown a different group of the souls of the virtuous, who appear as bright lights, often moving in harmony with each other to form patterns such as a cross or an eagle. Paradiso contains less action than the other two cantiche, and is home to many long expositions on philosophical, theological and historical matters. However, some of the poetry scales heights not seen before, as the poet struggles to describe the indescribable.
As Dante nears the edge of Heaven and approaches God's throne, he finally concedes defeat and admits that he cannot fully describe his vision of God, insted submitting to the divine will. The poem ends at this point, and it is implied that Dante then returns to Earth to begin the task of recounting his marvellous journey, the result of which is the Divine Comedy itself.[3]
Style(s)
One of the main differences between the Divine Comedy and the classical epics that partly inspired it is its varied style. At different times it is serious and comic, lyrical and plain, allegorical and personal. Some examples are:
- Comic: Dante and Virgil's encounter with the demons in the eighth circle in cantos XXI and XXII of the Inferno is played as pure farce, with the mischievous demons tricking Virgil and undermining his attempts to remain dignified.
- Serious: The Emperor Justinian's indictment of the Florentines' betrayal of the Roman Empire's legacy in Paradiso, canto VII is a heartfelt statement regarding the political scene of the time.
- Lyrical: Francesca dei Rimini's account of her infidelity and murder in Inferno, canto V is a famously powerful treatment of the power of love.
- Plain: Paradiso is home to numerous expositions on complex theological points such as free will and original sin.
- Allegorical: In the Earthly Paradise in Purgatorio, canto XXIX, Dante is shown a marvellous procession, in which each element symbolises part of the Christian church. For example, 24 old men represent the Old Testament and a griffon represents Jesus.
- Personal: Dante's first meeting with Beatrice in Purgatorio, canto XXX is where the poet's own feelings are laid bare, as he is rebuked for his real-life transgressions and his infidelity to Beatrice's memory.
References
- ↑ The Divine Comedy, By Dante Alighieri, Translated by Charles Singleton, Bollingen Series 80, Vol 1: Inferno. Copyright 1970 by Princeton University Press.
- ↑ The Divine Comedy, By Dante Alighieri, Translated by Charles Singleton, Bollingen Series 80, Vol 2: Purgatorio. Copyright 1973 by Princeton University Press.
- ↑ The Divine Comedy, By Dante Alighieri, Translated by Charles Singleton, Bollingen Series 80, Vol. 3: Paradiso. Copyright 1975 by Princeton University Press.
External links
- Dante's Inferno Test - A surprisingly in-depth exploration of Dante's philosophy as applied to modern life.
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