How Does The Pilgrim Change In Dante's Inferno

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When Dante together with Virgil arrives to next circle – Gluttony, his views change only slightly when they meet Gluttons there. Ciacco, also known as “the pig” recognizes Dante the Pilgrim. But Dante could not remember him, and to make things better and not to offend the feelings of his fellow Florentine, he tells him that perhaps his appearance has changed due to his “suffering”. When Dante hears his name, he then recognizes Ciacco as a man who was cheerfully unconcerned about future. Dante the Pilgrim shows sympathy to him and tells him: “Ciacco, your distress weighs upon me so that it moves me to tears.” And that was Dante the Author who chose him to represent the third circle of Hell. But still, up till this point in Hell, Dante is sympathetic to the sinners and feels sorry for their sufferings. However, Dante starts to lose some of his compassion beginning with fifth circle – Anger. Here, the wrathful are fighting each other, and Dante, was attacked by one of them, and had nothing to do, but to defend himself. His behavior and his action indicate that the nature of the sinners and their sins is changing him. Because there was no other response to the wrathful and violent action except to act in the same manner. Through the lower levels of Hell, Dante is often scared and constantly asks Virgil for help and guidance. …show more content…
Dante started to fear the sinners who were in these lower circles, and also he encounters Giants who were another scary creatures that Dante the Pilgrim must fight and overcome, but Virgil reassures him. However, in some instances, Dante becomes scared when Virgil, himself, shows signs of weakness and confusion. Dante believes Virgil, because he symbolizes human reason and wisdom, to help him to go through the Hell, and when his guide shows signs of weakness, Dante the Pilgrim becomes angry, uncertain and fearful. For example, when “Malacoda” deceives Virgil in eight circle of Hell, Dante the Pilgrim becomes uncertain about Virgil’s intentions and qualities. And here we should understand that Dante the Author made this confusion on purpose, so as to show the fallibility and limitations of pure reason. Finally, when Dante arrives to the ninth circle - Treachery, Virgil tells Dante to stop feel sympathy and pity to sinners even in the last circles of Hell and tells him to stop thinking about them as a victims but the ones who deserve their punishment during their life. This is very important with making Dante the Pilgrim’s character stronger in these later circles because there is no time for pure emotion at this point in Hell. The end of their journey is very close so Virgil must move Dante the Pilgrim along, even if this means that Virgil must be tougher with him. And here we must remember that Dante the Pilgrim is still simple human and that his emotions evolve each time when he meets a sinner in every circle, and with this idea Dante the Author is forcing Dante the Pilgrim to understand that there is no place for a pity because it does not change the fate of these sinners. This change is complete when Dante the Pilgrim meets “Bocca” in the third round of Circle Nine and

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