The Theme Of Karma In Dante Alighieri's Inferno

Ever since I started understanding philosophical ideas, one of the most feared things for me was karma. When people follow their bliss, they forget that the sins they commit in order to attain their bliss will follow perpetually. Dante Alighieri’s Inferno is a prime example of karma which conveys to the audience what to avoid when “following one’s bliss,” an idea of Joseph Campbell. Campbell believes that myths “won’t tell you what makes you happy, but it will tell you what happens when you begin to follow your happiness, what the obstacles are that you’re going to run into,” which is clearly demonstrated by the myths in “Canto 5” of the Inferno (Campbell 373). In “Canto 5” of the Inferno, Dante makes allusions to myths to convey the sins of deceive and lust which serve as an illustration for what to avoid when “following one’s bliss.” …show more content…
In Greek mythology, Achilles was the Greek hero of the Trojan War who was fell in love with Polyxena, the daughter of Trojan King and Queen. He agreed to switch sides in the war in order to marry her. However, he was killed by Paris at the wedding. Achilles’s lust led him to deceive his people which brought him to the Second Circle. This allusion depicts the power of lust; one does not stay true to oneself and cheats others. Dante also meets Francesca, who deceived her husband to have a love affair with his brother, Paolo. Francesca states “that day we read no further” in accordance to the day she was killed while being sexually indulged with Paolo. This sentence of her is similar to that of Book 8 of Saint Augustine’s Confessions. In that book, Augustine read a book by Saint Paul and decided to convert to Christianity while stating “No further would I read; nor needed I.” Augustine turned closer to God while Francesca turned away from God. During this conversation, Francesca starts blaming for her adulterous