Violence In Dante's Inferno

Register to read the introduction… Art requires a skill which includes painting, sculpture, architecture, music and literature. Dante believes that he is an artist because he writes poetry and therefore dedicates the inner edge of the seventh circle to people who have been violent against it. This violence against art is so important to Dante that he places it in the seventh circle of the Inferno out of nine circles. The sinners Dante encounters are guilty of usury and are forced to wear money purses around their necks (Alighieri). Each one of the sinners had a coat of arms in life and now they are forced to stare at what should have been a reminder of God’s greatness but to them was a symbol of greed. Mocking art is the same as mocking God and his works, and in Dante’s eyes any person who would commit this sin should suffer in hell. However, this creates quite a plight for …show more content…
Dante realizes that he has condemned people who are blasphemous, fraudulent, harmful, but yet he may be one of them. He hopes that his comedy is divinely accepted, so he stays within his limits as a poet. He takes what he thinks the course he has chosen is not out of ignorance or pride, which were the downfalls of Arachne, Daedalus, and Phaeton (Lindemans). Arachne was a young woman from Lydia and was very gifted in the art of weaving, which offended the goddess …show more content…
Dante must come to terms with the fact that he is straddling a thin line between mimicking and interpreting God. He is the first mortal that has walked the halls of Hell. As such, Dante must fear and worship God in all his wisdom for choosing him for this exhausting task. He cannot make light of the situation however he can also not place his readers in a panic over what he has seen. He must reaffirm their belief in God’s plan and uphold his values in their lives so as to spare themselves from the horrors Dante’s eyes have laid witness to in the depths of