Examples Of Allegory In Dante's Inferno

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Dante Alighieri, author of The Divine Comedy, uses Dante’s trusted guide, Virgil, as an allegory throughout his work. Dante meets Virgil while he is lost in a dark forest and Virgil explains that he was sent by Beatrice to help Dante get back on the path of God. Virgil leads Dante through Hell and Purgatory, showing him the different levels of sin and how straying off of God’s path will only lead to sin. Representing human reason, Virgil, is a key figure in Dante’s growth and understanding of the True Way. Alighieri uses Virgil as an archetype of an old mentor, but also as a symbol to show human reason and how human reason is inferior to God’s wisdom and power. Virgil is a poet that died before Christ came down on earth and lies in the …show more content…
Dante knows of Virgil as he is a well-respected poet and is able to understand Virgil and why he is taking him on this journey. Without Virgil being sent by Beatrice, they would not be able to cross through the different levels because Dante is a living being. Every time they approach a new level of Hell or Purgatory, Virgil must say, “it is his fate to enter every door. This has been willed where what is willed must be, and is not yours to question.” Without saying that a heavenly being willed Dante’s journey, the guards of the gates would not let them pass. Virgil is not only Dante’s guide and mentor, but also Dante’s friend, which makes Virgil the most appropriate guide. When Virgil leaves Dante because he cannot ascend to Heaven, Dante cries saying “Virgil had gone. Virgil, the gentle Father to whom I gave my soul for its salvation!” This shows Dante’s love for Virgil and how his absence saddens him, showing the bond between the two. Without Virgil, Dante feels as though he has lost human reasoning and understanding, which Virgil represents in this story. Although Virgil is a sinner, Dante could not be given an ampler guide to take him through Hell and Purgatory.
Without Virgil, Dante’s journey is impossible. Dante not only needs him to get him through every gate, but also as mentor and someone to keep him in check as he goes through each circle. Even though Virgil is not an angel or heavenly being, he constantly proves that he is an ample guide and is more than capable of mentoring
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