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blog#7

“Us, and them
And after all we're only ordinary men.
Me, and you.
God only knows it's knows what we would choose to do.”- Pink Floyd

 

            Though out life people in a way are all ordinary, but what they do, god only knows. He knows the lies, falsies, and goodness people do in life, and what they choose to do. This quote pertains to the nature of human kind in the Christian belief. As Dante finishes his journey though the Circles of Hell, the description is prevalent that god makes the decisions because he is all knowing to what the soul did during his or her life on Earth. As he accuses the souls, he sends them to heaven or to hell depending on the actions that he knows each and every human did in the past.

            During Dante’s journey he is surrounded my depressing endless hopelessness created by the souls around him that suffer for all eternity. For him, however, the journey is for the hope of gaining the entrance to heave by learning the mistakes of others. He is filled with hope even though his surroundings are forever punished. The book ends with the quote, “He first, I second, without thought of rest we climbed the dark until we reached the point where a round opening brought in sight the blest and beauteous shining of the Heavenly cars. And we walked out once more beneath the stars.” As stars being the last word of the book, it indicates that the hope that Dante had during his journey thought Hell was not lost. The stars are a symbol of hope and virtue, and also the though of every conclusion of a soul who is allowed into heaven is toward the starts. Even though the devastating visions that led Dante though the cries of Hell, the book ends in a way that gives hope and justice.

            In the quote, “Up and down, But in the end it's only round and round” by Pink Floyd, it describes the figure of Virgil. He goes up to Heaven and back down to hell to help people like Dante experience the ways of afterlife. He can not go into ether one, so thus he goes up and down between Heaven and Hell which creates a circle between worlds.

           

entry 6

"They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe, Pools of sorrow waves of joy are drifting thorough my open mind, Possessing and caressing me" The Beatles

 

            This quote describes how some people are unnoticed as they pass in life, and are forgotten as they go on to heaven or hell. Through the sorrows and joys of life that drift through the mind of someone who remembers the ones who are forgotten makes one think possessing and caressing them. This is prevalent through Cantos 26-30 Dante is exposed to the evil counselors, the sowers of discord of religion, politics, and discord between kinsmen, and the falsifiers. As each had extended their life to the point of corruption, they slither in ways by Dante as they go into the eternal universe of Hell and damnation. The sorrow that Dante feels for them is ecstatic when he sees them in their tortures caused by their actions as humans.

            Pools of sorrow waves of joy explains how there is more sorrow in ones head when in Hell then there is joy. "Such shrikes and strangled agonies shrilled through me like shafts, but barbed with pity, that my hands flew to my ears," Page 244, this quote is from when Dante enters the Bolgia of the Falsifiers who during their life on earth told lines and falsifications. Now in hell they are punished by affections of every séances by possessing them in darkness, stench, thirst, filth, loathsome disease, and a shrieking din. The sorrow drifts through the open mind of Dante, which creates his action to cover his ears in protection from the pain of sorrow.

            He sees and feels almost joy when in the Eight Bolgia Count Guido Da Montefeltro. Hearing the Italian language the soul quivers with his eagerness to hear the recent news from his home town. This brings joy to Dante in a way by encountering with the hidden soul about the country that belongs in a way to both of them. Even in such a depressing situation of pain and suffering, Dante brings the outside world into the depths of Hell, to relieve the sinners for a few moments.

entry #4

"O human race born to fly upward, wherefore at a little wind dost thou fall" The Divine Comedy

           

            As a whole this quote means that humans are meant to go up to heaven rather than down to hell. The after world in which the story is based on is a dichotomy of one world. This quote could in ways exemplify the basis of the book as a whole. Within Cantos 15-20 as Virgil and Dante further their exploration into the darkness of Hell. As they enter the eight circle, Malebolge, the punishments seem to get in was "less aggressive" but more prevalent to their actions on earth.

            As citizens of the Earth people take upon themselves to uphold jobs based on their talents. During Canto 30 when Dante enters Bolgia Four he sees the macrosocpic "victims" of being fortune tellers and diviners in their previous live of being a free soul. Now in Hell they are punished for their talent and almost "helpfulness" to people who did seek to know their future. To them it seems like a peccadillo, but to God "the arts of sorcery are a distortion of his law. Since in ways they went against the ways of "god" they are forced to have their heads backwards on their bodies and walk, blinded by tears, backwards for all eternity. Once an action has been done,

 "a little wind", the decision for the entrance of ones soul into Hell is made. No turning back and no sympathy is given. "I wept. I leaned against the jagged face of a rock and wept so that my Guide said: "Still? Still like the other fools? There is no place for pity here. Who is more arrogant within his soul, who is more impious than one who dares to sorrow at God's judgment?"(p175)

As the soul is designated into the grasp on God, and the power of Hell, there is no turning back. This is the way that the people that Dante encounters with during the whole book.  Dante, however, is not yet sucked into the stronghold but still has hopes for not falling behind. By God's sagacious behavior, he forces the decisions after death. One is not able to rationalize any further after their last breath on earth to their first breath in Hell. "Led by my Guide and his truth, I leave the gall and go for the sweet apples of delight. But first I must descend to the center of all."(p 144) Led by Virgil, Dante has to descend to Hell before he can reach Heaven.

entry #3

“He listens well who takes notes.”

 

            This quote is relates to the actions within cantos 11-15. Now that Dante has experienced Upper Hell, he has now been lead into the Lower Hell by the continuous guidance of Virgil. As Dante experiences more and more aspects of hell he becomes more and more familiar with the constant pain, suffering, and sadness that is brought upon him as he views the ones of the past. With out “taking notes”, comprehending the guidance that Virgil gives him, Dante would not survive through the drama that he is lead into.

            “I moved on, deep in thought; and my Guide to me: ‘You are wondering perhaps about this ruin which is guarded by that beast upon whose fury I played just now. I should tell you that when last I came this dark way to the depths of Hell. This rock had not yet felt the ruinous blast.”(p112) As Virgil explains to Dante changes in hell around the changes that Virgil explains to Dante are put into notes by the visual surroundings of where he is.

            “There for my Master said: ‘if you break off a twig, what you will learn will drive what you are thinking from your heard.’”(p120) When Dante and Virgil are in the Woods of Suicides, Virgil gives Dante instructions on what to do to driving thoughts from his head. Dante takes notes in the form of actions. By doing what Virgil explains physically Dante’s understanding of Hell furthers tremendously.

            “But if these waters flow form the world above, why is this rill met only along this shelf?” The next way in which Dante takes notes is asking questions toward Virgil. At the edge of the Wood of the Suicides at the blood-red rill that flowed boiling from the woods and across the burning plane Dante questions Virgil of how it exists here in Hell. He sees it, can feel it, but questions it to know and learn about it. These are three examples of how “He”, Dante, listens well and takes notes through cantos 11-15.

entry #2

“If the present world go astray, the cause is in you, in you it is to be sought” –The Divine Comedy

 

Through cantos 6-10 Dante continues though the third through sixth circle, and finishes his journey through the Upper Hell. The quote from the Divine Comedy is a representation of why there are people in the circles of hell. The world goes astray because of the ones such as gluttons, wasters, and greedy people, as a result of their actions. As a denouement of their life, they are put into the different circles where their actions are sought out from torture in the circles of hell. “I see new torments and new souls in pain about me everywhere. Wherever I turn away from grief I turn to grief again.” (p 65) this quote tells how the punishments surround Dante, engulfing him in a torture himself.

            This quote relates to the person that Dante meets in the third circle of hell that is designated to gluttons, those who wallowed in the affluence of food and drink, were the producers of garbage, and had no deference for their appearance. He meets a citizen from Florence that tells him how has friends nicknamed him Ciacco, the hog, when he was on earth. “Your citizens nicknamed me Ciacco, The Hog; gluttony was my offense, and for it I lie here rotting like a swollen log.”(p 67) This relates to the quote due to the fact that when Ciacco was on earth it is due to this actions as a glutton that he now has the imprecation of Hell upon him. The cause for his greed for food and drink is continuously being sought through the icy paste, in which he lies forever, and continually being ripped and tarred by the claws and teeth of Cerberus that impairs him further and further into the future.