Substantive Reponses Assistance

Your responses should be substantive, which means that you should provide a significant level of detail in your reply and show active engagement by referencing the readings, drawing on your own experiences, giving your opinions, respectfully disagreeing where appropriate or asking questions designed to generate further discussion on the material and its implications outside the realm of the question.  150 words per question please.

1) De Monticelli, R. (2000). Dante’s inferno: Phenomenology of a strange passion.

  Psychopathology, 33(4), 182-90. Retrieved from

     http://search.proquest.com/docview/233336416?accountid=87314

This article is showing us the difference between good and evil through Dante’s eyes. The Inferno shows us how people who are considered to be sinners are punished by being sentenced to hell. The writer says, “Wrath is a two-faced passion. As just indignation it inflames the saints of Paradise, but in its vicious degeneration it may make a raving madman out of a man” (De Monticelli, R., 2000). To me he is saying that there are two sides to every man, even the devil was once an angel. It is sometimes said that if people have good in them there is also some bad in them as well.

The three sins I chose are: Treason, Murder, and Lust

Treason, betraying a person or ones country is wrong for any reason. This is the sin that is closest to the pits of hell. Being as though I am ex-military, I am strongly against treason so I am in agreement that treason should be the closest to the pits of hell ((Dante, White & Doré, 1948).

Murder, to take someone’s life before the will of God is wrong and to me an abomination. It is in the first ring of the seventh circle but I think that it should be in the circle closest to hell. Taking someone’s life should be the ultimate sin ((Dante, White & Doré, 1948).

Lust being up there with greed, in my opinion. When someone wants what another person has and will lie, cheat, and steal to get it should be a sin. Although it is a sin, I think it is one of the less severe sins of my three. Lust can be something innocent but lead to something more serious. The Trojan War was ultimately fought over Helen of Troy. Because of her lives were lost that should not have been, I think someone like her should be closer to the ninth circle of hell ((Dante, White & Doré, 1948).

2) Kleinhenz, C. (2007). Perspectives on intertextuality in dante’s divina commedia. Romance Quarterly, 54(3), 183-194. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/208422241?accountid=87314

This article written by Christoper Kleinhenz is an analysis of Dante’s writing style that elucidates Dante’s use of different texts, from the Bible and the Vulgate, to tie together his work to present the larger picture of the commedia.  He goes into further detail by explaining why and when certain things are highlighted by phrases from the Bible or the Vulgate.  

Kleinhenz has completed research on Dante before this article.  His continued research of Dante’s works adds to his base of knowledge on this poet.  However, Dante’s work is translated and many words or meanings could be lost in translation due to this.  Overall, I believe this article could provide evidence to assist me on my discussion question.  

Canto XXVIII Sowers of dissension and scandal was the least of the three sins chosen. Here sinners were forced to be wounded and walk in a circle until their wounds had healed and then they were forced to be wounded again.  The severity of their wounds depended on the severity of their treachery.  “I surely saw, and it still seems I see, a trunk without a head…….”  (Dantes, Canto XXVIII, line 118)  Bad advice was given to a king, which ended up turning a father and son against each other.  So due to this Bertran de Born was given the worst punishment because not only was he false in his words but he caused problems between father and son.  

In Canto XXXIII traitors were forced to stand in a frozen lake however there was a traitor present that had a double punishment. Archbishop Ruggieri had double crossed Count Ugolino; both were traitors though.  However, the Archbishop’s sin was greater because he locked the Count in a tower with his sons with no food or water causing the Count to eventually eat his dead sons.  This is why the Archbishop is being gnawed on by the Count. 

In Canto XXXIV Fraud was the worst sin in contrast to God’s love because the betrayal of a person’s freely given trust and love was the worst sin as shown here with, “Judas Iscariot-/his head inside, he jerks his legs without.” (Dante, Canto 34, Line 61) who betrayed Jesus.  Out of the three betrayers present he was the only one who was head first in Lucifer’s mouth and had to suffer the most for his crimes. 

Thank you for you help.

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