"Death 9000"

Embarking on a journey that deals with finding one’s “way” implies to “ABANDON ALL HOPE.” Or it could have total different meaning, something like: catharsis. Dante the pilgrim has changed some of his ideas, but we can still see him as the same person. It is important to recall that Dante has two characters, the poet and the pilgrim. Most of his expedition through hell happens to Dante the pilgrim. He is the one travelling with Virgil to every circle of the Inferno. The experiences that Dante lives while being at “… the city of weeping…eternal pain and … the lost people” affect Dante the poet. These effects are exposed when he steps out of the character to talk as the writer directly to the audience. Showing that at certain stages of Inferno, Dante wants to emphasize the importance of an idea he has concluded or an event that has happened.

At the beginning of Date’s journey (the actual path once entering the gates of hell) show his fear or confusion about this place. Virgil tries to encourage him to continue with his course and acts as a voice of wisdom to Dante. This type of actions done by Virgil are shown in Canto III lines 13-15, he is an allegory of knowledge in Inferno. So far we have seen how difficult it is to walk this track, hoping in the place of hopeless. Throughout hell Dante encounters creatures, friends, enemies, sins and punishments among others. He shows how pity can be felt while watching others suffer during the first cantos. And later we see a pilgrim showing that going against God’s will (commandments) should be penalized with a severe punishment. This is the stage in which we can’t define his journey as abandoning hope or a road to find the ideal “way that does not stray.”

Catharsis can be a valid topic depicted in Dante’s expedition throughout the inferno. It could be an allegory of his journey. This is seen by the change we see in both the poet and the pilgrim. We understand how losing our way maybe the only way of finding our path. As to say, how contradictory situations can lead to relief in a longer term. As we can recall: “Those who are subject to the emotions of pity and fear and the feelings generally will necessarily be affected in the same way; and so will other men in exact proportion to their susceptibility to such emotions. All experience a certain purge [catharsis] and pleasant relief. In the same manner cathartic melodies give innocent joy to men.” (Politics VIII: 7; 1341b 35-1342a 8, trans. J. Burnet). This excerpt proves that catharsis is shown in Dante’s behavior. He at the beginning seems confused or repressed because he feels he has lost God and the motive of his existence. As he moves along the rings of hell he realizes others can’t look for forgiveness while he can. He does not feel compassion for the sinners he has is relieved because he knows he will be able to escape from “divine justice.” At the end of chapter XXXIV as he admires the stars of the ceiling he once lost, we see his satisfaction (leaving hell) and his motivation to reach heaven. Through a tough treatment his emotions (fear, disappointment, frustration,) are now gone by understanding there is still hope for his soul.