Analyse The Relationship Between Dante And Virgil In The Inferno

In the beginning of The Inferno, Dante walked in a dark forest lamenting the loss of his beloved Beatrice. When Dante started his journey he was not sure that he would be able to write about the epic he needed to undertake. He wrote about traveling thought hell, purgatory, and heaven. Dante and Virgil’s relationship is a complicated one. At the start of the story Dante respects and looks up to Virgil, whereas Virgil sees Dante as a pupil more than an equal. However towards the end of the epic Virgil sees Dante as an equal. When Dante sees the strange figure of Virgil in the forest, he cries out “have pity on me” as he thinks he was a ghost. After realizing this is a man and not a ghost they have a conversation. Then Virgil agrees to lead Dante, though hell. While on the journey Dante shows honor to Virgil by saying “O light and honor of all other poets, may my long study and the interest love that made me search your volumes.” (Alighieri 1838 ) Dante continues to honor Virgil throughout the story with words of praise for the poet. A quote that shows this is: “you are my master and my author, you the only one from which the noble style for which I have honored.” Then they got close to the entrance of hell …show more content…
The relationship grows slowly over the story, this journey takes time to grow a bond as Dante’s pity makes Virgil unhappy that he shows them pity for actions that they took themselves. While on the journey in hell Virgil gets angry at Dante due to his showing pity for suffers in hell. Dante on the other hand feels that Virgil is a great poet and looks to him for guidance. Thought the turmoil of hell to the safety of purgatory. In the beginning, Dante says while in the forest when he sees Virgil, he then explains to Dante, who he is and what his purpose was. Do not attempt to block his faded path: Our passage has been willed above. (Dante