Dante’s Inferno portrays an interested concept of hell and a design of crime and retribution. Most of the punishments seem harsh in relation to their connected sins and, furthermore, the connections between the crimes and penalties appear tenuous.
As punishment, those overcome by lust are blown about to and fro by a violent storm. Such sinners are thrown and whirled by winds as in life they were helpless in storms of passion (Dante). This punishment is directly relevant to the crime. However, it seems somewhat harsh in view of the actual sin committed. After all, lust does not tend to hurt anyone directly unlike, for example, violence. Therefore, being forever trapped in a swirling storm is arguably disproportionate.
People who had committed the sin of gluttony were punished by being made to lay in the dirty combination of shadows and of rancid water (Dante). The sinners had eaten in superfluity and therefore they met their fate underneath the cold and unclean rain. Cerebus, a canine monster harsh and vulgar with his three heads, lives on the same level as the gluttons (Dante). The idea is that those who over-consumed are forced to dwell like pigs in a mire. Once again, although a connection can be seen between the crime and the punishment, the two are not obviously linked. As with the punishment for lust, this also seems somewhat over-the-top.
Dante’s concept of hell more complex than any other I have learned about. There are various levels and circles to his hell and different types of sinners are given different punishments. My concept of hell is vastly different. Firstly, I am not sure that hell even exists. However, if it were to exist, I believe that it would only be for truly bad people, such as child-abusers and cold-blooded murderers. Furthermore, I believe that hell would be rather more like the first level of Dante’s; it would be a state of limbo, rather than involving physical punishment.
Dante’s Inferno is a fascinating and entertaining read. However, the punishments are disproportionately harsh for the crimes.
Works Cited
Dante. “Inferno.” World Literature Anthology: Through the Renaissance. Vol 3. Apus Epress. 2011.
