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Comparing Frost's Inferno, The Tempest, And Paradise Lost

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Many writers use analogies of fire and ice to represent ideas in their stories. In stories from the past year, ice has been the image for hate and fire for desire. Robert Frost’s poem, “Fire and Ice,” is meant to be a witty response to a folkish claim about the end of the world. By adding to folk wisdom his own experience of two emotions, desire and hate, Frost begins a speculation about the relationship between emotions and their ultimate consequences. Although the simplicity of Frost’s poem does not show the complexity of desire of the destructive power of hate, an examination of the relationship of desire and the doom of fire and of hate and the doom of ice in Beowulf, The Divine Comedy,The Tempest,and Paradise Lost can show how Frost’s …show more content…
There are three different types of desire that can be shown, a desire for the highest good, a desire for others, and a desire for self. Paradise Lost and The Divine Comedy both show all these qualities of desire. In Paradise Lost Adam and Eve desire a highest good from the Son and the Father and via versa, a desire regarding oneself, Eve wanting knowledge on top of her understanding of desire by eating fruit. Besides a desire for a highest good and for oneself there is also desire by Adam who has a desire for Eve. The Divine Comedy also shares the same types of desires as those in Paradise Lost. Throughout the entire story, the meaning of Love that Dante acquired is the actual desire for a higher good. Everyone in Paradiso had a desire for God which is their highest good. In Purgatorio, in order for a soul to move to a high level in the realm, they are in need for living souls to pray for them so that souls in Purgatorio are capable to repent. However, those in Inferno do not desire the highest good. The only desire what they want and have is having no intentions in seeking Love but only act on their own.
The Tempest also shows three different types of desire. Ariel has a desire for freedom which she can receive from a highest good. Based on The Divine Comedy’s definition of Love being the highest good, Ferdinand seeks a desire for Miranda and her love. Antonio has a desire for dukedom

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