Thesis Proposal
Thesis Statement
Dante's vision of hell in the Inferno reveals that failure to do good and/or evil does not absolve one from punishment because following the blank banner forever is a form of a never-ending punishment.
Introduction
In a carefully worked out structure that indicates punishment for particular crimes while ranking sins in accordance with their seriousness, the vision of hell that Dante creates in his imagined trip to hell presents a horrifying perspective of hell that seems to suggest that every person is subject to punishment, one way or another. The structure of hell according to Dante comprises of nine cycles, each cycle representing different crimes depending on their seriousness, and every punishment that he associates with each of the cycles plays an important role towards understanding his perception of what hell is all about. Dante’s idea of hell is such that the more grievous the crime the nearer one gets to the ultimate punishment, which is represented by the centre of circle. By interrogating every cycle, one is able to relive the mental picture that the poem creates and the inescapability of punishment for humans.
Short Synopsis
The structure of hell according to Inferno is conical in the sense that an increase in the severity of the sins leads down the core of the earth, which shows that punishment for wrongdoing is not a preserve of a specific person or a group of persons, but is something that every person is likely to endure in their lifetime. Considering Dante’s perspective of hell, it is safe to conclude that those condemned to the perpetual agony of punishment/hell are people who have ultimately lost all hope of salvation. The aspect of retribution for sin, it is the most attractive element of the Inferno given the way it establishes a multiplicity of punishment based on the seriousness of sin. Notably, the Inferno incorporates the aspect of allegory, and this emerges through the poem when Dante gradually develops different punishments for different sinners. One of the most interesting aspects of the poem is the acknowledgement of people in the state of “Ante-inferno”, that is, those who are yet to devote their lives towards good or evil and have to follow a “blank banner” forever because non-commitment does not excuse anyone from what Dante considers proper punishment. Ultimately, following the blank banner forever seems to suggest a form of never-ending punishment.
Work Cited
McCarthy, Dennis. “The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)”. Trans. Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). Atlanta, GA.: The Project Gutenberg Etext of Dante's Inferno. n.d. Web. 26 Jun. 2016. http://www.planolibraries.org/books/inferno.pdf
“The Divine Comedy of Dante”. Trans. Henry F. Cary. Seattle, WA: PublishingOnline, 2001.
Web. 30 Jun. 2016. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwji4aaQ4tDNAhXErRoKHeZ8CtYQFggeMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2F202.117.122.45%3A85%2Fdmtzy%2Fyy%2F7%2Fwwdzs%2Fwlc%2F208.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGcmHNrC6cesgJzzPy4Z-x4wdhrnQ&cad=rja
