Dante The Mindful Hero Unlike most epic hero journeys, The Inferno by Dante Alighieri is more modern than most. Dante expresses a journey that society can relate to. The majority of epics, the protagonist is a person that society can look up to rather than relate to them. When the audience reads stories about strong characters, and they see the outcomes of their actions, they aspire to be like them and crave strength. What makes Dante Alighieri unique and unlike other epic heroes is that he used different techniques to make the audience look up to him, and that strategy is a relation. Dante is relating to the audience by displaying the human condition; weakness. By battling his weakness, he causes them to aspire to be like him and become
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When he runs into one of his most highly respected idols named Ser Brunetto Latino he has pity and is frightened. After they have a conversation about what he had done and his punishment for the sins, Dante came to a conclusion. “I did not dare descend to his own level but kept my head inclined, as one who walks in reverence mediating good and evil.” (Alighieri 120) As Dante is experiencing more and more pity for the people in the circles, he finally comes to the conscious that he could turn out to be one of them. How he comes to realize that is by seeing someone who he thought was an amazing person and deserves to be in Heaven is in Hell. Thus Dante is humbling himself instead of being prideful, learns his lesson, and keeps his head held high and is ready to fight on for …show more content…
As Dante gets dragged down in Hell, has the arrogance of being saved, overcomes his hubris, and finally gets the reward of seeing the light, the reader can learn from his nobility. As far as the state of the human condition goes, Dante is similar to an ordinary human being that goes through struggles to realize to change their ways of living so that they will not suffer the consequence. Thus to become more mindful of their actions and holding themselves accountable. Dante demonstrates weakness and strength at the same time, and because he manifests that weakness does not mean failure and you can overcome it, anyone can be their own
When he runs into one of his most highly respected idols named Ser Brunetto Latino he has pity and is frightened. After they have a conversation about what he had done and his punishment for the sins, Dante came to a conclusion. “I did not dare descend to his own level but kept my head inclined, as one who walks in reverence mediating good and evil.” (Alighieri 120) As Dante is experiencing more and more pity for the people in the circles, he finally comes to the conscious that he could turn out to be one of them. How he comes to realize that is by seeing someone who he thought was an amazing person and deserves to be in Heaven is in Hell. Thus Dante is humbling himself instead of being prideful, learns his lesson, and keeps his head held high and is ready to fight on for …show more content…
As Dante gets dragged down in Hell, has the arrogance of being saved, overcomes his hubris, and finally gets the reward of seeing the light, the reader can learn from his nobility. As far as the state of the human condition goes, Dante is similar to an ordinary human being that goes through struggles to realize to change their ways of living so that they will not suffer the consequence. Thus to become more mindful of their actions and holding themselves accountable. Dante demonstrates weakness and strength at the same time, and because he manifests that weakness does not mean failure and you can overcome it, anyone can be their own