Thursday, February 25, 2010

Don Quixote Chap 19 - 27

1. I first wanted to address the scene with Quixote and the barber – as Sancho and Quixote see the barber approaching, Quixote immediately states that this is fortune opening another door of opportunity for him with the alleged helmet of Mambrino on his head.

-Sancho immediately disagrees with Quixote, who describes the barber as a “knight upon a dapple-grey steed, wearing a helmet of gold,” (p. 166, Chap 21). Sancho perceives: “All I can make out is a bloke on a donkey, brown like mine, with something shiny on his head,” (p. 166, Chap 21).
-Quixote then continues to charge at the barber and take the “golden helmet” from him, which he has vowed to not continue without.
-Quixote then assumes this barber basin helmet and is pleased with his find, when Sancho says it is not a true helmet, Quixote immediately deems the helmet as enchanted – as to explain its odd size and shape.

“I think that this famous piece of this enchanted helmet must, by some strange accident, have fallen into the hands of a person who did not understand or appreciate its value, and, not knowing what he was doing, he must, on seeing that it is made of the purest gold, have melted down the other half to sell it, and with the reaming half made this, which seems, as you say, like a barber’s basin/ But let it be what it will; for me, who knows it well, its transformation is of no consequence; I shall have it corrected in the first village where there is a blacksmith…”(page 168, chapter 21).

Quixote has transformed his reality and everything in it, into a fantasy world. Sancho tries to warn him that this really is not a golden helmet, but a barber’s basin – yet Quixote has an explanation for all of this and refuses to agree with him.
However, I think that the above quote shows a critical point when Quixote says that the helmet “fell into the hands of a person who did not understand or appreciate its value.” This can be interpreted in several ways; one is that the helmet represents some form of truth, knowledge, or power. I think that power is something that falls into the wrong hands so often, and can cause devastating effects. Quixote sees his “power” for seeing a greater truth and potential to enlighten those around him who are consumed by daily life. Quixote sees the value in being able to understand something and appreciate things beyond surface value or appearances - just as he treated the prostitutes like princesses. All things being treated equally, and the ability to transcend judgment and false pretenses is a big theme and piece of chivalry that Quixote works to promote amongst those he encounters.


2) I also looked at the scene where Quixote frees the criminals from their chains.
I thought this scene was particularly interesting, because although these men recounted their tales which had led them to be incarcerated, he still felt as though they should be freed and not condemned by the king and prison guard, but by God when they die.

Here, we also see the blurred lines of class in Quixote’s world. Quixote regards himself to be a highly acclaimed Knight, rich in chivalrous efforts and justice – when in reality, he is not even a real knight, and would be considered classes lower than a knight. Sancho is considered to be Quixote’s squire – which is actually classes above his real peasantry. The idea of class and hierarchy are links in the "chain" of society, as they inhibit people from being free from judgement and discrimination, and create schisms in our lives.

When Quixote talks with the prison guards, they mock him for wanting to free the prisoners, Quixote retorts: “You are the cat, and the rat, and the villain too!” (Page 184, chapter 22).

Thus, in nature the rat is “lower” than the cat, which is “higher,” but the villain can be of any class. So Quixote is removing class distinctions that are considered to be such a critical facet of society, and viewing everyone, including the prisoners, prison guards, Sancho and himself, as equals. Thus, he defies the chains of society as he tries to promote greater truth and justice.

I also think it is ironic because through out the book, Quixote commits crimes himself, like when he steals the barber’s basin and violently attacks innocent bystanders. Yet, he is not punished for his crimes as these men are. I think this also contributes to the theme of “fighting for justice,” which may not always follow a logical, or socially acceptable route. People may think things to be unjust or corrupt – the masses opinion can prove to be detrimental to a society.

In my philosophy class we are studying Socrates, the Meno, Apology and Phaedo. Socrates was put on trial and sentenced to death for “corrupting the minds of the youth” – what Socrates preached did not break any laws, however, he was viewed as an outlier in society and as a threat to the conformity of society, thus he was eliminated. In the same way, Quixote appears to be an outlier of society, who uses tales of knighthood and chivalry to promote enlightenment and the greater good of those around him.

Power, truth, and reason fell into the “good hands” of Quixote as he tries to push for the greater good in his own, unique way.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Don Quixote Chap 10 - 18

1) the first scene I examined was at the beginning of Chapter 11, as the goatherds shared their “goat – stew” with Sancho and Quixote. In this scene, they first “beg” Don Quixote to sit on an upside down bowl to eat, Sancho stood beside Quixote to serve him the drinking horn. When Quixote saw that his squire was standing he said:
“So that you may see, Sancho, what great good there is in knight-errantry, and how close those exercising any of its ministries always are to being honored and esteemed by the world, it is my wish that you should come and sit by my side in the company of these excellent people, and be one with me, your natural lord and master – that you should eat from my very own plate and drink from my very own cup: for of knight-errantry may be said what is said of love, that it makes all things equal,” (Page 83, Chapter 11, Quixote)

Quixote’s resilience to sit on the overturned bowl while everyone else sat on the floor, and the fact that Sancho was forced to stand and serve the drinking horn, was the opposite of the “truth” and “seeds of enlightenment” that Quixote is trying to instill in those around him.

Although chivalry and knighthood are mere fabrications of Quixote’s reality, the principles and honor associated with knighthood are relevant to the needs of society. According to www.Medieval-life.net : Chivalry is recognized for “virtues and qualities it inspired in its followers, chivalry directed that men should honor, serve, and do nothing to displease ladies and maidens.”

Quixote conducts himself in an upright manner, without acting superior to Sancho when he offers his own cup and plate – which Sancho dishonorably refuses, (and says he refuses all future honors offered to him by Quixote) thus, Quixote forces him to sit down, as “You shall sit down all the same; for he that humbleth himself shall be exalted,” (Page 84, Chapter 11, Quixote). This quote also exemplifies the importance of “lowering yourself,” from the high post society has delegated to you, to promote equality for all.

Quixote draws a parallel between the power of love and the power of knight-errantry; he states that each “makes all things equal.” Unconditional love allows humans to transcend the inequalities established by society; those that deem women to be inferior to men, minorities’ inferior to white, homosexuals to be unequal to heterosexuals who desire to be married. When Quixote forces Sancho to sit down, it is a literal, violent “destruction” of societal inequality and hierarchy; knighthood and love are able to transcend such harmful caste systems, and Quixote is able to see the greater “truth” for humanity. Just as Martin Luther King Jr., and Suffragists fought for the equality of blacks and whites, men and women, Quixote is portrayed as “forcibly destroying” the inequality that Sancho represents as he stands during dinner.


2) The second scene I examined was at the end of Chapter 14, when Marcela appears at the burial site of her dead admirer, Grisostomo, who had blamed his jealousy, despair, greatest sorrow, and death on his unrequited love for Marcela. The dead shepherd’s friend Ambrosio quickly scolds Marcela for appearing, and demands an explanation for her presence, since it was her beauty and refusal of his best friend that led to his lonely demise.
Marcela quickly states that she has come to defend herself and prove to everyone who places the burden of Grisostomo’s death on her delicate shoulders, what the TRUTH of the matter is. Subsequently, she begins her speech on beauty, love, God, virtue and blame.

“By the natural understanding which God has granted me I know that whatever is beautiful is lovable; but I can’t conceive why, for this reason alone, a woman who’s loved for her beauty should be obliged to love whoever loves her.’
‘ – It could happen that the lover of beauty is ugly, and since that which is ugly is loathsome, it isn’t very fitting for him to say ‘I love you because you’re beautiful; you must love me even though I’m ugly,’ – even if well-matched, not all beauty inspires love.’

‘True love cannot be divided, and must be voluntary, not forced on you.’

‘If heaven had made me ugly instead of beautiful, would I have been right to complain about you not loving me? What’s more, I did not choose this beauty of mine – heaven gave it to me, exactly as you see it, without my asking for it or picking it. And just as the viper doesn’t deserve to be blamed for her poison even though she kills with it, because nature gave it to her, so I don’t deserve to be blamed for being beautiful; because beauty in a virtuous woman is like a distant fire or sharp sword, which don’t burn or cut anyone who doesn’t come too close. Honor and virtue are ornaments of the soul, and without them the body, even if it is beautiful, shouldn’t seem beautiful.’

‘I was born free, and to live free I chose the solitude of the countryside. The trees on these mountains are my company, the clear waters of these streams are my mirrors; and to the trees and waters I reveal my thoughts and beauty. I am the distant fire and the far-off sword. Those who have loved me for my looks I have disabused with my words. And if desires are kept alive on hope, I have never given any hope to Grisostomo or fulfilled any man’s desires, so it can truly be said of all of them, that they were killed by their own obstinacy rather than by my cruelty.’

‘If Gisostomo was killed by his own impatience and uncontrolled passion, why should anyone blame my modest and circumspect behavior for that? If I keep my purity in the company of the trees, why should anyone want me to lose it in the company of men?’

‘These mountains mark the limits of my desires, and if they do extend any further it is only for the contemplation of the beauty of the heavens, the way along which the soul travels back to its first abode.’

All the above quotes were extracted from Pages 109 – 111, Chapter 14, Don Quixote.

Marcela’s “miraculous” presence and consequent speech is remarkably different than what I had expected. She represents truth, beauty, reason and harmony with nature – Marcela exemplifies all of these divine virtues, which exposes the flaws of man. Marcela appears to be angelic, and encapsulates beauty to the fullest extent –appearing to be magnificent, but exhibiting purity, self-sufficiency, and truth. She acts in a manner that is in line with the codes of chivalry, treating every man, woman and animal as an equal – she extends this treatment to nature in every form: trees, rivers, mountains, and heavens.
Marcela defends herself against being the cause of the hopeless shepherd’s death; that she never provoked his admiration nor did she ever give in to the desires of other suitors who sought her affection. She claims that she only “disabused them” with her words, without the possibility of change. Thus, the torture she is alleged to have inflicted upon Gisostomo and other suitors who had succumbed to her beauty, was actually self-inflicted by the death of false hope and birth of extreme sorrow that suitors felt after her blatant rejection.

She also begs the question, if Heaven had made her to be ugly, would she be justified to complain about the suitors not loving her? The answer to this opposite reality would be “no,” because it sounds ridiculous when posed as a question since one does not have the ability to choose their outward beauty, and also because of stereotypes that women have to be beautiful and possess good qualities to be desired by men. The idea that women have to appeal to / appease the needs, desires and fantasies of men in order to “deserve” their care and affection – these double standards still exist today, and image is much more critical for a woman than a man. Marcela emphasizes the importance of true beauty that lies within (that which we have control over) versus outward beauty that is so highly esteemed, yet is not our own choice, but dictated by nature.
The snake (image of temptation/fall of Eden) does not choose its poison with which it kills, it is a trait given by nature. In the same respect, Marcela did not choose her outward beauty, (which killed the shepherd because of his stubborn desire) but she also possesses virtue and honor in her soul – which are critical to TRUE beauty, one may appear to be beautiful on the outside without these virtues inside, though the presence or lack of these virtues SHOULD be reflected in outward beauty. (Lacking = ugly, Possess virtue = beautiful). In this way, Marcela uses her beauty as a power for good, not evil, but these men are so infatuated by her outward appearance that they are unable to see the truth, as beauty can be “dizzying,” (as Socrates says in Lysis).

Furthermore, Marcel represents the ideals of many philosophers, especially Marcus Aurelius who emphasized the importance of one’s harmony with nature. Aurelius believed that we need to understand our lives and our role in nature, as we are each a part of nature, we just progress through different forms throughout our lives. From the earth at birth, on the earth during live, back into the earth at death (either through burial or scattered ashes). Thus, Marcela was at peace with nature and completely embraced the natural landscape as her “home.” She did not desire the superficiality of the suitors who chased her for her outward beauty alone, she felt as though only nature could keep her satisfied, as she was a product and part of nature herself. She also wants to maintain her freedom that she was born into – she sees herself in aspects of nature; reflection in the water, trees, and mountains that lead towards heaven and serve as the limits of her desire. For heaven is above the mountains, and is the place where she will return to after death.

Don Quixote ensures that every one at the funeral respects her wishes to not follow her or torment her after her speech, and Quixote recognizes the truth and reason within Marcela as he does not blame her for the shepherd’s death after all. Instead, the blindness of these men who succumbed to their superficial nature of beauty left them dissatisfied and sorrowful at rejection.

Don Quixote is a good example of what Marcela talks about - as he exhibits "blindness to women," but in a way that he treats each woman, despite appearance or rank, as a princess.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Don Quixote Chap 1- 9

Cervantes- Don Quixote - Chapters 1 – 9
According to www.merriam-webster.com, quixotic means: “Foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially: marked by rash, lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action.”
This definition is extremely relevant to Don Quixote’s character and his consequent actions. The ideals by which Quixote conducts himself are those of the stories and characters in the books he sacrificed his livelihood to acquire. Quixote became consumed by the fantastical stories he had access to in these books, and he craved the next level of satisfaction; to be a part of such chivalrous tales.
My reading was interrupted by a call from my boyfriend who, when I told him I was reading Don Quixote, recalled that his father used to refer to my boyfriend and his childhood best friend as “Quixote y Sancho.” At this point, I had only read the first chapter and asked my boyfriend why he wasn’t offended that his father called him that name? Didn’t he know that Quixote was a crazy-lunatic wrapped up in a storybook world? But, my boyfriend clarified that his father called him Quixote because of his extraordinary imagination and fantastical adventures that he and his best friend constantly tried to portray between the ages of 5 and 10.
This discussion reshaped my perception of Quixote from an old, creepy, crazy idiot, to more of a dreamer with an incredible imagination, who chose to ignore the rules created by society and the church, and live his life through literature & imagination. Because of this revelation, from the point of my phone discussion through the ninth chapter, I began to imagine Quixote as a small child – a boy dressed up in plastic armor, makeshift cardboard helmet, wielding a plastic lance on his rocking horse. (However, his true age and ignorance is obvious with the predicaments he finds himself in after he decides to charge at men with his shattered lance and decrepit horse.)

1) The extreme capabilities of Quixote’s imagination are first revealed when he arrives at the inn and the events that ensue.
Quixote uses his literary knowledge and imagination to transform his perception and sight; as he approached the inn with prostitutes standing outside, into a castle with a moat, drawbridge, and towers.
Then, Quixote used his vast imagination and “stories” to manipulate his own sense of reality and expectations for what he believes is to ensue; thus he believes that he cannot only control what he perceives within himself, but also the actions of others that he anticipates and accepts as reality, (despite knowing they come from his own imagination). Quixote paused as he approached the “castle,” because he was waiting for “some dwarf to appear upon the embattlements and announce with a trumpet-blast, the arrival of the knight,”(p.32). He didn’t see a dwarf with a trumpet as he approached, but he expected the dwarf to appear since he believed himself to be a knight (though he acknowledged he had not been knighted officially), arriving at a castle, (perceived through his own manipulated sight and reality).
Furthermore, the fact that the prostitutes and “wag” of an innkeeper are laughing at Quixote and mocking him, bring to light how ridiculous he must be acting – so ridiculous that the “scum” of society are mocking his actions.
Quixote establishes himself as the opposite of a true knight; he represents everything that knighthood is not – especially when he beats the muleteers who he is supposed to be protecting, because he removes Quixote’s armor from the pig’s trough! The fact that his armor, absolutely sacred to true knights, is in a pig’s slop dish makes a big statement about his false knighthood and just how perverted it is!
The ridiculousness of this entire night is filled with various moments that Quixote acts radically, and makes himself look insane – even to prostitutes and muleteers at a brothel. This is where we first see the scary reality of Quixote’s mental state.
Also to note: 1) Everyone stares at Quixote through the window because the moon is so bright, they all see him pacing back & forth, sometimes stopping to lean on his lance; all the while Quixote is blatantly seen, exposed “transparent.”
2) Quixote transforms the disgusting salted cod and moldy bread into a feast in his mind – which he is unable to eat because he refuses to cut the ribbons holding his helmet on! These ribbons give him a certain femininity, and also childishness, which are two attributes that valiant knights would not possess.

2) I also thought the scene where Quixote finally awakens after two days in bed (post-injury), and is unable to find the library which his “friends” sealed off and burned most of his books to prevent any further perversions of the mind.
The barber, priest and housekeeper assumed a “three-stooges” image as they judged which books were worthy of being burned, and which should be saved.
The fact that their plan to seal up the wall to the library and burn his books seems so childish and futile, as there are obvious alternatives to finding this poisonous literature, but their trick works on Quixote! (But ultimately backfires).
They also tell Quixote that the devil….err, an enchanter (whose name is disputed) carried his books away. This only feeds Quixote’s distorted sense of reality as he now has an adventure to pursue in the quest of his books.
Quixote’s acceptance of such a ridiculous notion, which propels him to continue his fantasy adventures, is proof that he has completely separated his mind from reality. He is living, and interacting with the people around him, but he is not thinking rationally or in terms of what society finds acceptable. Quixote cannot just “snap out of it” as his friends hope he will, but it seems that despite Quixote is crazy, his friends are more ignorant than he. So who is really worse off?

Quixote’s character is described mockingly, sarcastically, and blatantly.
1) “He was ingenious enough,” (p.28) to make a makeshift helmet with cardboard.
2) “He strung these absurdities together with many others, all in the style of those that he’d learned from his books. This made his progress so slow, and the sun was rising so fast and becoming so hot, that his brains would have melted, if he’d had any,” (p.31)
3) “During his idle moments, (which accounted for most of the year), the hidalgo took to reading books …”(p. 24).
From all this I am thinking back to Dante- and how Quixote is the epitome of how NOT to use fictitious literature. People can find truth beneath the surface of chivalrous, romantic tales, but Quixote spends his time trying to live out the fantasies of the books that were created to clothe the “naked truth,” and entice readers to delve beneath the surface in order to learn something. Instead, Dante became so mesmerized by the language and images that he fell victim to literature’s false front.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Canti 27-34, Quote #2

2) “If once he was as fair as now he’s foul and dared to raise his brows against his Maker, it is fitting that all grief should spring from him. Oh, how amazed I was when I looked up and saw a head – one head wearing three faces! One was in front (and that was bright red), the other two attached themselves to this one just above the middle of each shoulder, and at the crown all three were joined in one: The right face was a blend of white and yellow, the left the color of those peoples skin who live along the river Nile’s descent,”(Canto 34, lines 34-45).

Here, the imagery of the terrible Lucifer, who was once considered God’s finest angel, is now the exact opposite since his pride pitted him against the Almighty. Thus he sits, stuck upside down in the pits of hell, inner earth, beating his wings so that the innermost circle of hell is frozen over.

The three faces I interpret to be another perversion of the trinity. And the colors of the faces also provide insight into the greater meaning of the text. Although there have been many interpretations about the meaning of Lucifer’s face colors, I am in accordance with the meaning which shows each color to represent something opposite of divinity.

1. God: One part of the holy trinity representing Highest Wisdom and Enlightenment. This could be pitted against the darkness of ignorance, represented by Lucifer’s black face.
2. Jesus: Representative of divine omnipotence is compared to Lucifer’s yellow face, as yellow is the color of impotence.
3. Holy Spirit: Representative also of love and the spirit of Jesus and God living within those who follow the path to divinity is conversely representative by Lucifer’s red face of hatred or envy.

The punishments of the sinners in hell all are the opposite or parallel of the sins they committed. Thus, Lucifer is dwells in the place furthest from Heaven, unable to move, constantly weeping and beating his once-angelic wings to promote the suffering of those he suffers alongside. We see that Lucifer suffers most of all, that he has no power (despite those who fear Lucifer and his evil may believe otherwise). Dante shows that God truly is the almighty with complete power because he conquers and condemns all kinds of evil in hell and suffering.

With the end of The Inferno, I think that Dante and Virgil’s journey opened my eyes to the truth of sin and evil: it is not an uncontrollable entity or disease, it is within all of us and also within our control. What I mean is that I believe, as Dante seems to, that people are not innately evil. Instead, within all of us are good and evil parts of our soul, it is our choices in life that dictate our fate and everyone is born with the ability to achieve divinity. We need to conduct ourselves with reason and logic, we cannot fall victim to greed, lust, sloth, etc., and we also cannot be distracted by pleasure and pain. We need to rise above our animalistic instincts and create temperate souls within ourselves so that the “good parts” of our soul have control over the “bad parts.”

Our journey to heaven or hell is within our control, Dante wants us to use his literature to journey to make the decisions to lead us to divinity and paradise. Not to get caught up in all the temptations life presents us with.

Canti 27-34

Quote #1
1) “Because you try to penetrate the shadows,’ he said to me, ‘from much too far away, you will confuse the truth with your imagination. You will see clearly when you reach that place how much the eyes may be deceived by distance, and so, just push ahead a little more.”

Then lovingly, he took my by the hand and said: “But now, before we go father, to prepare you for the truth that could seem strange…”

“As, when the fog begins to thin and clear, the sight can slowly make out more and more what is hidden in the mist that clogs the air, so, as I pierced the thick and murky air, approaching slowly, closer to the well, confusion cleared and my fear took on more shape.” (Canto 31, lines 22-39).


I felt that these quotations were important to our comprehension of Dante’s Inferno because the overall meaning of Virgil’s warning and the scene that ensues is critical to Dante’s personal journey, and our own. Virgil warns him not to believe what he sees too hurriedly, that the shadows and distance are masking what truly lies in the distance. This is important in daily life as well; we cannot jump to conclusions and make assumptions based on what we see as first glance. Perhaps Virgil also is implying that we need to search beneath surface level, and take time to investigate in order to find the truth in life. What Dante thought were towers were actually giants that were terrifying in hell. Virgil cautions Dante to use reason and logic and his senses on the journey to divinity. Myth teaches us lessons that ring true and important today. Today our society so highly values looks and surface features that many times we do not divulge beneath the surface, and consequently do not learn the truth before we pass judgment or make decisions based solely on “what we see.” In order to achieve divinity and be with God in paradise, we must not judge others based on how they look or how we perceive them to be through the “fog and mist and shadows,” we need to use the light of reason and truth to govern our own actions and interactions with other people so that we may live a better life.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Dante's Inferno Canti 21-27

1. Is the Inferno “character-driven?”
I do not believe that Virgil and Dante are the forces that propel the storyline of Dante’s Inferno. Rather, I feel that the Pilgrim and Virgil are Dante’s (the author) puppets in the epic, and Dante is the puppeteer. I also would argue that Dante expertly manifests the storyline as it appears of the Inferno, yet the REAL story and meaning of his Inferno is not that of his own. Dante constructed this elaborate, perfectly intermingled storyline of the Pilgrim & Virgil’s journey through Hell – but it is all one big metaphor for the “journey/cycle/circle of life,” which Dante did not originate.

Reading the canti of the Inferno, I have increasingly felt as though I am being “pulled” through the story and different circles of Hell naturally; it seems as though this path I/Virgil/Dante/humanity are traveling only provides one fate, and since in Canto 23 I am exiting the 5th ditch, my next move will undoubtedly land me in the 6th ditch. Dante the author uses his mastery of language to enhance the reader’s experience, and drag us sensually in this metaphoric journey through Hell; Dante accomplishes this mainly through foreshadowing, dark humor, allusions & imagery, and language manipulation.

Some examples of Dante’s expert language-manipulation are in canti 20-23. Dante foreshadows the military-action and busy nature of the Malebranche when he opens Canto 21 with a description of the Venetian shipyards in winter. This description of “boiling pitch used to caulk ships in winter” then melts into the present scene; Dante sees boiling pits of tar where sinners are submerged, cautiously avoiding the hungry hooks of the Malebranche who wait for them to emerge. This military theme carries readers through Canto 22, where Dante opens by mocking Malacoda’s “farting salutation” to his squad & compares it to the likes of trumpets, bells and drums. Dante’s dark humor and sarcasm is clear here, and continues with his allusion to Aesop’s fables: stories of cat & mouse, frogs at the pond, falcon darting at prey, otters being thrown, etc. At this point, (& with all the game references) Dante’s language has begun to speed up & become more playful – it is as though the Pilgrim & Virgil are delighted at the games the shades and black angels are playing, and the lightheartedness only turns to fear once the Pilgrim thinks about how angry the Malebranche probably is after the fiasco in Canto 22 with Navaresse. The language speed reaches its peak in Canto 23, as the Pilgrim first jovially recounts Aesop’s fables which remind him of the incident with Navaresse and the Malebranche, then with the lines; “As from one thought another often rises, so this thought gave quick birth to still another, and then the fear I first had felt was doubled,”(lines 10-12, Canto 23). “Doubled” is a key word, for myself as a reader, it was as though the author stepped on the accelerator and the wild goose chase of Malebranche behind Dante and Virgil began. The language is fast paced, and the reader hurries along Dante’s short, choppy descriptions as Virgil races around Hell with Dante on his back.

Dante the author dictates how the reader receives the plot, but the plot itself is propelled BOTH naturally, and through Dante’s manipulation of language. The majority of readers comprehend immediately that Dante’s Inferno is not a literal account of his journey through Hell with Virgil the dead poet; most of these readers will also realize through all the Biblical allusions and parallels, that the Inferno is encapsulating everyone’s journey through life, the true nature of all the sins we commit, and the natural life cycle, especially as it pertains to Christianity and the quest to paradise. With this realization also comes the readers’ previous knowledge of the journey to divinity and where the Pilgrim (or myself/the reader/Dante/Virgil etc) begins his journey and where he is going to end up if he follows the “path to righteousness.”


2) Quote(s) Analysis:
“Come on, shake off the covers of this sloth,’ the master said, ‘ for sitting softly cushioned, or tucked in bed, is no way to win fame; and without it man must waste his life away, leaving such traces of what he was on earth as smoke in wind and foam upon the water. Stand up! Dominate this weariness of yours with the strength of the soul that wins in every battle if it does not sink beneath the body’s weight. Much steeper stairs than those we’ll have to climb; we have not seen enough sinners yet! If you understand me, act, learn from my words,” (lines 46-57, Canto 24).

The context of this quote is that Dante the Pilgrim is exhausted and sits down after climbing up the steep embankment to the 6th ditch. Dante describes his tiredness and breathlessness as something incredible, that of which he has never felt before.
At this time, Dante the Pilgrim gives in to his pain, something that prevents the temperance of his soul and perseverance of his courage. This is proof that Dante the Pilgrim is not yet at the end of his journey, and he has not finished learning. This conclusion of the Pilgrim’s intemperate soul and lack of courage seemed obvious to me because of my recent exposure to Plato’s Ideal Republic, in which the true nature of virtue and wisdom are explained. Virgil is sometimes referred to as “Reason,” or as “acting with reason,” which is clear many times during the journey through Hell; Virgil neglects to acknowledge his pain and breathlessness at the top of the slope, mostly does not express fear towards creatures in Hell, (because he possesses courage, which includes the ability to distinguish between what warrants fear as a reaction, and what does not), and finally he does not indulge in pleasure or curiosity to distract him on his journey with Dante the Pilgrim.

After Virgil’s short lecture, Dante the Pilgrim instantly snaps to attention and pretends that he is barely winded from the climb, this clarifies the role of Dante and Virgil as student and teacher, respectively. Also, when Dante spoke with Benetto Latino, he thanked him for teaching him how to be immortal through his written word. Thus, when Virgil says that the way Dante is giving into pain and resting will not win him fame, he strikes a serious cord with his student.

The last line of this quote is quite interesting because of its duality: “if you understand me, act, learn from my words,” (line 57, Canto 24). Not only is this message being sent from Virgil to Dante as a call to action and divinity, but it is also a message from Dante (the author) to readers of the Inferno. Dante references the story of King Arthur, which had (allegedly) caused Francesca to commit lust and end up in Hell, which Dante includes as an example of how NOT to use literature. This also reappears with the issue of fraud and literature – since fictional literature is a truth told through a lie (fictitious story). In this way, Dante the author wants readers to find the truth in the fictional Inferno, and act and learn from his words, not misinterpret them at face value and sin.

This lesson and quotation is placed at an interesting point in the epic; because in Canto 23, which immediately precedes this quotation, Virgil is illustrated as acting on impulse and without reason:

“My guide instinctively caught hold of me, like a mother waking to some warning sound, who sees the rising flames are getting close and grabs her son and runs - does not wait the short time it would take to put on something; she cares not for herself, only for him,” (lines 37-42, Canto 23).

Here Virgil is described as a female figure, as a mother. This is important and strengthens the notion that he is acting without reason because women were not perceived (and still are not) as creatures that act on logic, but emotion. This is evident today as women hold less executive positions or positions where an emotional bias would gravely impact her ability to perform effectively. Virgil impulsively reacts to fear and the threat of the Malebranche, but rightfully so, carrying Dante the Pilgrim and himself out of harms way and into the 6th ditch. This scene may put Virgil in a negative light for acting on impulse, but his natural instinct and fears were legitimate. In the same respect, although mothers may be at the mercy of emotion, many times a mother’s instinct is invaluable, and still cherished in society today.

I thought these two quotes created an interesting paradox of Virgil’s virtuous and “reason-oriented” nature to the natural instincts of mother and child.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Dante's Inferno, Canti 14-20 CONTINUED

3) CONTINUED: Furthermore, through the language and images in Canto 17, readers can clearly see the transformation of Dante that is occurring. Though at the beginning of his journey Dante was always clinging to Virgil and putting his fear on blatant display, here we see a valiant effort at “courage.”
In my honors philosophy class we recently read Plato’s Ideal Republic, wherein virtues, morals and courage were among the many issues trying to be defined. I enjoyed Plato’s notion that courage was not only knowing “what is to be feared, and what is not worthy of being feared,” but also the persevering of courage despite pain, pleasure, or despair.
In line 81, Virgil tells Dante “And now, take courage and be strong.” Dante takes these words to heart, and although he describes himself as man who “shivers of a fever,” with “nails dead of color,” he did not cry out to his master that he was afraid. “But then I felt those stabs of shame that make a servant brave before his valorous master, I wanted to cry out, ‘Hold on to me,’ but I had no voice to second my desire”(lines 81-92, Canto 17). We see evidence here that Dante is learning the true nature of courage, virtue and sin during his journey through Hell.



2) Canti 15 & 16 – Homosexuality, Brunetto Latino & naked, oiled wrestlers
In Canto 15, Dante encounters his old teacher, Brunetto Latino whom he can barely recognize because his face was so burned and crusty from his punishment. From Brunetto’s first line it is obvious he is happy to see Dante, and must be a close friend to be so bold as to grab the hem of his garment and shout; “How marvelous!” (Line 24, Canto 15) Dante expresses his desire to talk with Brunetto, so long as Virgil doesn’t mind. Dante tell how he is walking through Hell, “Up there above in the bright living life before I reached the end of all my years, I lost myself in a valley,”(lines 49-51, Canto 15). The valley is the dark wood where Dante initially descended into hell and met with Virgil who has been guiding him to salvation.
Brunetto speaks with flowery language and loving sentiments for his past student during Canto 15:
1. “Follow your constellation and you cannot fail to reach your port of glory, not if I saw clearly in the happy life; and if I had not died just when I did, I would have cheered you on in all your work,” (lines 55-59, Canto 15).
2. “Among the bitter berries there’s no fit place for the sweet fig to bloom,”(lines 65-66, Canto 15).
3. “Your destiny reserves such honors for you: both parties shall be hungry to devour you, but the grass will not be growing where the goat is,” (lines 70-72, Canto 15).
4. “Let the wild beasts of Fiesole make fodder of each other, and let them leave the plant untouched (so rare is it that one grows in their dung-heap) in which there lives again the holy seed of those remaining Romans who survived there,” (lines 73-77, Canto 15).
It is evident that Dante holds Brunetto near and dear to his heart that he says is now “pierced,” with his kind image, loving and paternal. Dante accredits Brunetto with having taught him how to “make himself eternal.” This would be through written text, which Dante is not afraid to boast about. After this, Dante claims that he is ready for whatever Fortune wants, and so let Fortune turn her wheel as she pleases,”(line 95, Canto 15). At this, Virgil breaks his silence, and praises Dante for remembering the other prophecies and believing they will be interpreted by Beatrice: “He listens well who notes what he hears,”(line 99, Canto 15).
The sin committed by Brunetto and the others in this circle of hell is sodomy. This is most blatantly referenced when Brunetto describes the Servant of Servants’ fate, “transferred to the Bacchiglione from Arno where his sinfully erected nerves were buried,” (lines 113-114, Canto 15).
All the while, Brunetto and Dante had been walking alongside one another, constantly moving with the threat of being punished to lie one hundred years unable to brush off the flames if they were to stop. Brunetto departs, telling Dante to remember his “TrĂ©sor” the works through which Brunetto is immortal – just as Dante strives to be with his Divine Comedy.
Brunetto runs off as if he were in “Verona’s race,” back to the pack of people, naked. This image of “running a race” serves as a smooth transition to foreshadow Canto 16, about the naked, oiled wrestlers (also athletes, as those who would be running in Verona’s Race).

Homosexuality is implied through the sin of sodomy in its basic definition: “anal or oral intercourse between two human beings; Sexual acts deemed abnormal or unnatural.” Thus, homosexuality would also be deemed as abnormal or unnatural at this time, so this is where the homosexuals or sodomists are punished in Hell.
The interaction between Dante and Brunetto can be compared and contrasted to his interactions with the naked wrestlers in Canto 16.
These men circle around in a wheel formation, naked, keeping their faces pointed up at Dante so that their feet and necks moved in opposite directions. The naked, oiled wrestlers use language and mannerisms that is far coarser in comparison to Brunetto.
Instead of reaching up to grab Dante by the hem of his garment, the naked wrestlers shouted at Dante: “O you there, stop! From the clothes you wear, you seem to be a man from our perverted city!”(Lines 8-9, Canto 16).
Virgil then tells Dante (and the readers) that these naked, oiled shades deserve respect. “Wait for these are shades that merit your respect. And were it not for the nature of this place to rain with piercing flames, I would suggest you run towards them, for it would be more fitting,” (lines 14-18, Canto 16). When Dante encountered Brunetto, he recognized his old teacher and knew he was a virtuous man deserving of respect. However, Brunetto’s flowery language and mannerisms may have caused Dante to pass him by and disregard him as a sinner of sodomy had he not known his true identity or nature.
The fact that the men are in the formation of the wheel, pushing it round and round is symbolic of the “circle image,” representing the life cycle and eternity, and also of Fortune’s Wheel that have been recurring themes throughout Dante’s Inferno. These men were honorable citizens in Dante’s city, men whose actions Dante tried to emulate. The men inquire about the integrity and current state of their city, and to their dismay, Dante had no good news to bring.
“And if the misery along these sterile sands,’ on of them said, ‘and our charred and peeling flesh make us, and we ask, repulsive to you, let our great wordly fame persuade your heart to tell us who you are, how you can walk safely with living feet through Hell itself,”(lines 28-33, Canto 16).
In both the case of interaction with Brunetto and the naked wrestlers, Dante has a lot of respect for these men. Homosexuality is not clearly illustrated, but implied through the sin of “sodomy.” The voices and mannerisms of the naked men and Brunetto are practically polar opposite, yet Dante has respect for all, based on their individual virtues.

Dante's Inferno Canti 14- 20

3) Canto 17 & Geryon:
The severity of what Geryon comes to represent is established in the first line: “And now, behold the beast with pointed tail that passes mountains, annulling walls and weapons, behold the one that makes the whole world stink!”
Geryon makes the whole world stink, Geryon is the representation of Fraud in the 7th and 8th circles of Hell. Geryon’s face was that of an honest man, but his tail was that of a scorpion. Geryon also had one head, two arms, but three bodies. Geryon proves to be another of Dante’s monsters who is a perversion of the holy trinity. His body and back were painted with the most appealing and desired arabesques – finer than the fabrics of the Turks & Tartars and Arachne. The Turks & Tartars were the best weavers of the middle Ages who made highly colored and ornate fabrics that were highly esteemed at the time. Arachne was the best weaver who challenged the goddess Minerva to a contest, Minerva was infuriated by Arachne’s perfect weaving and tore it to shreds. Arachne hung herself but Minerva loosened the rope and turned it into a web, and Arachne into a spider. Geryon is also described as a “beaver,” as beavers sit along the river with their tails in the water as they try to catch fish; just as Geryon sits with his tail in the water waiting for people to trap with fraud and deception. Geryon sits partly in Circle 7 and partly in Circle 8 of Hell – thus, linking the sinners of violence and fraud.
Geryon is described as the most terrible beast because Dante believes fraud to be the worst kind of sin. Dante was falsely accused of selling the privileges of his office and was consequently exiled from his native Florence. But the fraudulent crime committed against him was not Dante’s sole reason for so fervently condemning this sin because “fraud frustrates the virtuous use of intellect.” (www.bookwire.com/dante) According to my research, Dante felt that people who have an influence over society (as he did since he was a Chronicler, intellect & political activist at the times) also have a responsibility to society to speak the truth. The falsehoods of corrupt politicians and money-hungry industries are responsible for the destruction of society.
“If one doesn't know or care what the truth is it becomes impossible to love the right things or to act as a responsible person or citizen, and society deteriorates. Ordered and just, personal and political life is thus wrecked by the false or irresponsible or self-serving portrayal of reality. For the ability to know and consequently to choose rightly is, according to Dante, the prerequisite for all authentic and productive human and political behavior.” (www.bookwire.com/dante)
I also thought it was interesting to note that Virgil, the “guide, master, teacher, voice of reason” deceives Fraud itself by asking it to carry Virgil & Dante to the next circle of Hell. At the end of the canto, Geryon is described as having “show off like a shaft show from a bowstring,”(line 136). This line was also used to describe Phlegyas as he angrily approached Virgil and Dante. Geryon is angry at the end of the canto because he realizes he was deceived himself. This is evident since his descent is described as a “falcon on the wing for many hours, having found no prey,” (lines 127-128). Also, “so Geryon brought us down to the bottom at the foot of the jagged cliff, almost back against it,” (lines 133-134). This hints at Geryon’s anger and frustration, like a falcon without prey, as he nearly slams Virgil and Dante into the jagged cliff before flying off.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Inferno Canto I-V

1) Dante “sets-up” the journey in Canto I in the first line where he writes “midway along the journey of our life.” Life is often referred to as a journey, the goal of life is to make it heaven with God, and therefore we see that this story is about the Pilgrim’s journey in life to God.
Next is landscape: this is essential to the story. The first hints are the second and third line of the story “I woke to find myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path,” (p. 67). Just as we had discussed with Chretien de Troyes, the “woods” usually represent fear, the unknown, and sin. And the phrase “wandered off the straight path,” is indicative of sin or trouble in the pilgrimage of life. Next, the main character finds himself at the “foot of a hill,” “I raised my head and saw the hilltop shawled in morning rays of light send from the planet that leads men straight ahead on every road,” (p. 68). But the Pilgrim is unable to take this straight path because wild beasts are obstructing it. This is setting up the “journey,” “taking the road less traveled,” “obstacles in life,” as the Pilgrim begins his “mid-life journey” to understand the true nature of sin. These three beasts could also represent sin or the three sections of hell. It is necessary to take the dark road and know the bad things in life before Dante can achieve “divinity” and see the divine light described at the top of the hill.
The Pilgrim is initially very scared and reluctant, but Virgil earns his trust as his guide and as a mentor for this journey to hell and back.


2) Canto V described the threshold of the Second Circle of Hell, which reveals those damned for lust. First the Pilgrim and Virgil are faced with Minos, who judges and dictates “how far down” sinners have to go by wrapping his tail around himself. Initially, Minos warns the Pilgrim to beware and not be fooled, where Virgil responds with a line he also said to Charon at the river, “It is so willed there where the power is for what is willed; that’s all you need to know,”(p. 92 &110). Both times this response silenced the aggressors, so I wanted to better understand why this phrase held so much power in the depths of Hell. My initial thoughts are: Charon and Minos are both creatures out of hell who are questioning and trying to stop the Pilgrim from continuing on his journey, Virgil then responds with this phrase each time and the two are allowed to pass. I think that it is a reference to the “Almighty,” or of Fate; some entity that has more power and importance than these creatures of the underworld. I also think that since the Pilgrim is on this journey to understand the true nature of sin, Virgil serves as his leader so that he may successfully complete this journey, and not be taken advantage of or captured by the slick, deceitful creatures in the underworld.
Secondly I was captured by the language and images used in Canto V. This place in hell is described as having no light where an infernal storm rages. “…Bellowing like the sea racked by a tempest, when warring winds attack it from both sides, the infernal storm, eternal in its rage, sweeps and drives the spirits with its blast: it whirls them, lashing them with punishment,” (p.110). Those damned because of their lust are constantly being lashed in this windstorm as punishment and a constant reminder of their sins, eternally. The image of birds appears three times during Canto V; “…and as the wings of starlings in the winter,” “…and just like cranes in flight,” “As doves, called by sweet desire to return,” (pps. 110-112). Birds are used to describe the wind that constantly whips the sinners, also to describe the flocks of sinners, and finally to describe Francesca and Paolo who are summoned by the Pilgrim, as sweet doves. I think the image of birds is representative of love, which the damned perverted in their lustful sins. The images of doves, starlings, and cranes, all beautifully graceful birds powerfully juxtapose the dark depths of hell.
Finally, the Pilgrim’s conversation with Francesca and Paolo, who are eternally bound together in hell for their lust, show his failure of understanding the true nature of sin. Francesca retells the story of her descent into hell and pulls and the Pilgrim’s heart strings with pity and a false allusion. Francesca references the story of Lancelot, yet claims Paolo pursued her. However, in Lancelot, Guinevere pursues King Arthur, thus she tries to twist the story in her favor to make the Pilgrim feel bad. Pilgrim does feel so badly and so much sadness that he faints. The Pilgrim does not yet understand the nature of people in the depths of hell, which is why he needs Virgil as a guide.