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The Law Of Retribution In Dante's Inferno

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The Law of Retribution in Inferno refers to the punishment given to the sinner in the after-life that directly relates to the sin committed during their life on Earth. The more disgraceful the sin on earth, the harsher the punishment in Inferno. The sinners in Upper Hell for example, the lustful and gluttonous, received less coarse punishments in hell than those in Lower Hell, the suicides and the betrayers, who committed the worst types of sins, therefore they are given the worst of treatments. Every sin is chastened differently depending on the sin committed and each consequence experienced in the after-life has a direct relationship to the actions of the sinner during their moments on earth. For example, in Canto V, circle 2 of Upper Hell, those who were lustful in their lives were thrown into a storm in the after-life. One sinner, Francesca da Rimini, who cheated on her husband with his brother Paulo Malatesta, could not control her sexual desires or admit her sin therefore she was sent into a violent, uncontrollable storm that could be compared to her uncontrollable emotions. Because she could not avoid adultery, the Law of Retribution grants her a punishment that is also unavoidable.
Also, in Canto VI, circle 3 of Upper Hell, the Law of Retribution is present when Ciacco, an impressive citizen of …show more content…
Suicide was viewed as giving up hope in redemption and was treated as a sin because life is a gift given to humanity by God and destroying it is showing violence against God. Every time a leaf would grow, flying Harpies would eat their leaves. This relates to the sin of suicide by having any life taken away from them because they did not appreciate it during their time on earth. The Law of Retribution allows the suicides to undergo a punishment in the afterlife that shows them what they took for granted while

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