Lecture 8
Look at the diagram of the Inferno, choose your favorite sin (THIS IS NOT A CONFESSION!!!) and search online the names of characters Dante places in the respective circle of Inferno.
COMMENT:
1) Check the comments before yours and pick a different sin (no repeats.) Did you recognize the names of any of the characters? Who is your favorite (or most despised?) It can be a minor figure among the many Dante mentions.
SEPARATE PARAGRAPH
2) What kind of punishment would you inflict to the sinners? Creativity is a must.
REPLY: Wait until at least 10 comments have been posted.
Read the comments and reply to the most intriguing punishment your classmates came up with.
It would appear that the second circle of hell which is lust would be one that is interesting to me. Surprisingly, Dante placed Cleopatra and mythological characters like Paris and Helen of Troy in this place. I thought Cleopatra’s relationship with Julius Cesar was one of genuine love.
ReplyDeleteThe most despised in the many circles would be ones who would betray. I also feel anger in my heart for those in the fourth circle of hell which is greed. To see clergymen in this area angers me. This is because these are men who are supposed to be trustworthy.
Among Dante’s many horrific scenes of sin and punishment. I think a
terrible method of punishment and torture would involve isolation, darkness, thirst and extreme sweltering heat. This circle of hell would also have the sinner constantly in fear, running from demons. These demons would inflict pain and dismember the sinners and cast their body parts on the ground. The sinner would be conscious and in extreme agony. The body parts would writhe and eventually reassemble so that the whole process repeats for eternity.
I fully agree with your method of punishment for the lustful. The punishment fits the crime, as they can feel the pain that they inflicted on others, but instead for eternity not just one time.
DeleteMy favorite sin would be the fifth circle of hell which is wrath. Dante put Filippo Argenti in this circle, to which in my opinion wasn't surprised. I would also put a man who took my property away in the same position.
ReplyDeleteThe only name I recognize from Alex's comment is Cleopatra. I would also have to agree with Alex, I despise those who would betray people. If someone puts their trust in you and you betray that trust, I feel that the person is nothing but scum and belong where they are.
A punishment I would create for the sinners would be an isolation in a small room with no windows and no communicating with other. Also, they would have a daily experience on the many different ways they could be killed. They would feel the pain of that death and wake up to being alive but only wishing nothing but death, and they would be all alone with their thoughts in their room.
I found your punishment very intriguing since it reflects the idea of mental torture rather than physical torture. Also, it reminds me of the solitary system of modern day jails where a criminal is kept all alone in a dark cell.
DeleteI actually have the same method of torture (did not realize before). I always think solitary confinement is so depressing and cruel because you will literally run yourself mad. I also relate it to being a vegetable (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) where you are trapped in your own body but can still reach your thoughts.
DeleteOf the circles of sin in Dante’s Inferno, I found the third circle of Gluttony the most interesting. The reason being the inclusion of Cerberus, the guard dog to the underworld in Greek myth. I personally like this inclusion since Cerberus not only acts as a guard but as punishment (both figuratively and literally) for the souls of those who end up in this circle.
ReplyDeleteIf there is one concept that has become very flimsy nowadays, it is the truth. While demons are known in many mythologies to lie and make deals that end in them winning, I feel that people show these qualities more often as time progresses. The truth hurts more than a lie, that’s a cold fact. Each time one would deny the truth, a part of them (a limb, an organ, etc.) is carved out. Each piece will create a horrid version of the original owners, their worst aspects adopting flesh and blood. A new tormentor will rise for the realm, leaving the body of the original for consumption. Nothing wasted.
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ReplyDeleteThe eighth circle of Dante's Inferno, the fraudulent and malicious, is the interesting one for me. Specifically, the 'false counselors' in the eighth circle of the Inferno. I didn't recognize any of the character names but did a google search and find out little bit about them i.e Guido da Montefeltro. This character seemed to be very despising because he was not only a bad/false counselor but also a traitor who gave a bad advice to Boniface.
ReplyDeleteA punishment I will inflict on the sinners will be no sleep and continuous talking/singing in a freezing room. This will slowly diminish their will power without even physically hurting them. It will be a mental torture rather than causing physical pain.
This is rather an interesting punishment for sure. The mental torture on this is far greater than any physical pain.
DeleteThe most intriguing sin in Dante's inferno is from the fourth circle comprising of Avarice and prodigality. Plutus, the god of wealth is the guardian of this circle. We discover both humane (speech ability) and bestial aspects (rage/monstrosity) in Plutus which is a great depiction of anyone that begins to acquire traits of Avarice and prodigality.Dante does not particularly place a specific character in the circle. Although, he does mention that the circle would consist of monks, church leaders and popes.
ReplyDeleteI did not recognize the names of the characters mentioned. However, I did research a few.One despicable character is Filippo Argenti who was an angry politician and a wrathful soul who stole all of Dante's possession after Dante had been exiled from Florence. Thus,Filipo gets justly torn to pieces.
One punishment that I would inflict on the sinners is to remain in a frozen dark room with intense palm itching to control the desire of wanting materialistic items. This punishment is cruel enough to allow them to develop the feeling of gratitude.
I find your punishment suitable considering the sin, and that it would indeed force them to realize exactly why their sin is a sin and begin to develop gratitude.
DeleteI know some classrooms that fit this description. Yes wonderful way to exact awareness of the individual shortcomings.
DeleteI find the ninth circle, specifically round four, to be the most intriguing. Round four is made up of Satan with Brutus, Judas, and Cassius. Judas, of course, is the one who betrayed Jesus. Brutus and Cassius are the ones who murdered Caesar.
ReplyDeleteThe punishment I would inflict on them would be to re-live every day being betrayed by the people they trusted most.
Out of all the circle in Dante's inferno I'll go for the 7th circle (Violence). One reference I found online was pointed toward Alexander the Great. I kinda get why because Alexander did conquer and expanded one of most largest empire in human history and he can't do this with bloodshed and death to his name. But he also had glory attached to his name, after all he did build a strong and powerful empire. Other names included Dionysius I and II with Ezzelino III da Romano.
ReplyDeleteThere's an old saying in the Hammurabi code "An eye for an eye". If one did harmful action to other should be punish with the same harmful action in Hell. For Alexander he might have to go through all the pain he inflicted on the people.
The circle I found most interesting was the 8th circle aka Malebolge. I thought the ring about flatterers was interesting in particular because it falls into the category of sycophancy as well as Dante's category of fraud. The reasoning is because flatterers are seen as people who act a coy-ish way in order to take advantage of another person.
ReplyDeleteDante's punishment for flatterers is "immersion of feces." "Full of crap while alive, death flatterers are plunged into it."
Dante's language mirrors his disgust. For example, he describes a prostitute who scratches herself with her nails as she drips with excrement. "Flattery inspires a coarser treatment and coarse language."
I did not recognize any of the names of the characters. If I were to give a punishment, it would be to to immersing them in what they desired to obtain. For example, if the person had worked so hard to take advantage of someone for money, I would plunge them into an endless pit of coins with nowhere to go and nothing for them to use the money on. As a result, the money loses value since there is no use.
I like the idea of giving what a person desires and then take away its significance. Certain things like status and money (as you used for your example) lose its appeal when it can’t be used. It becomes a permanent reminder of how foolish a person was in life.
DeleteThe circle in Dante's inferno that I found most interesting was the 6th circle. Those who commit the sin of heresy, meaning they contradict the aspects of a major religion (ex.Christianity). A political leader from Dante’s era who is considered a Heretic in the Sixth Circle of Hell, is Farinata. His intense obsession with Florentine politics and opposing ideas from Dante put him to the 6th circle. The Epicureans were also considered Heretics because they believed that the soul died with the body.
ReplyDeleteI did not recognize the name of any of the characters in Dante's 6th circle. I did some research and was able to understand that Farinata as well as the Epicureans denied the immortality of the soul and therefore were subject to eternal punishment and will be "entombed in fiery coffins". I would defiantly say that the most despised characters for me would be the ones in the 9th circle. I think that betraying someones trust is the worst thing to do, and can inflict immense and unforgettable pain. This can ruin lives in so many ways.
I agree with Adam that the best punishment would be to give the sinners "a taste of their own medicine". I believe that it is hard for people to understand what they really did to others unless they can go through it themselves. I do not think that there is any other way. I would say that deprivation of essentials such as food and water is one way that I would inflict punishment on the sinners. Those who sin, in many cases feel no remorse and if that is the case, there is no point in allowing them the time to feel bad about it.
The ninth circle of the second level is the most interesting torture technique to me. To be unable to move is to basically not exist. It is ironic to see an archbishop who wielded massive power end up in a frozen place unable to move.
ReplyDeleteI think an interesting torture device would be reincarnation. However, every time you reincarnate, you die shortly after for entirety. The best way to destroy someone is mentally, not physically.
I agree with Gregory's statement of an isolated chamber. Humans are made to communicate with others. By placing the away from others, they will eventually crack
I think my favorite would probably be the circle of Gluttons, circle three. I don't recognize most of them, except for the Cerberus. Everything else I don't really recognize at all. Since this is the circle of glutton, they chase after food and wine. I believe that the circle has a more complex meaning to it than just being an alcoholic and addicted to food. I believe it does have something to do with the story of Adam and Eve consuming the apple from the tree that they were told not to by god himself. My punishment would probably be something along the lines of, constantly being eaten by the monsters that lurk here or even just constantly baited with good food and alcohol.
ReplyDeleteOh my this is quite the harsh punishment for just wanting to eat some food. I maybe wouldn't go with being eaten alive for ever, but i do find it quite amusing. But i do 100% agree with teasing the sinners with the food they once over indulged in.
DeleteThe sin I find to be the most intriguing in Dante's inferno was the seventh circle, specifically ring two on suicides. The only character mentioned in this ring was Pier della Vigna, who choose to commit suicide upon being imprisoned and blinded after getting accused of betraying his emperor. Despite Dante's sympathy toward his circumstance, he still placed him in this ring due to the Christian belief of suicide being a sin toward oneself.
ReplyDeleteA punishment for those who commit suicide would be total isolation, where no living things or objects would came in contact with the sinner, as it would force the sinner to reflect on their decisions and think about the possibilities of what they could do if they had chosen to live.
My favorite circle of sin is the sin of Gluttonous. I chose this sin because i can relate to it since i sometimes find my self over indulging in things I like. For example food, when it comes to cheese I just over do it all the time or
ReplyDeletewith video games that I stay up to 3 in the morning some times to play. My favorite sinner is Giovanni Boccaccio because they were a respected person belonging to a society that doesn't normally succumb to gluttonous actions but when they do they go all in, very much like myself which i found funny.
The punishment i would submit gluttonous sinners to would be quite simple. I would bar them from what most attracts them to commit the sin but still have them see it. This way they either crave it forever or eventually make them selves at piece and learn tolerance.
I like the punishment you chose because it can be really aggravating to have something we desire right in front of us without being able to have it but I also like the fact that they could potentially learn tolerance.
DeleteMy favorite circle of sin is circle eight of the hypocrites. I find their punishment quite amusing, which is that they walk around with decorated robes and are shaped like a monk's habit, and they walk around forever on a narrow path.
ReplyDeleteI don't really find this punishment suitable for the sin however. I would rather that their hypocrisy be said aloud for ever so they immense in eternal shame and embarrassment.
To me, the most intriguing circle has to be number eight of the seducers and panderers. It is the first section in the large grouping of sinners in circle eight. From what I have gathered from its location, these sins have to be one of the worst. The people under the section of seducers and panderers are subject to a not so severe punishment in my opinion. These people are forced to walk while being chased by demons in a never ending hell. Due to the fact that their crime is so severe, a harsher punishment should be put into place.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the punishment should fit the crime. If any violence should have occurred when they had committed the sin, the same violence should inflicted to that person. However, if there was no violence, they should have visions of their closest friend/family member enduring the same thing as the victim of the person they violated. Like I said, the punishment should fit the crime and this definitely would.
What I found to be one of the most interesting circles is the first round of the 7th circle which is the violent against neighbors. One of the characters that I found to be the most interesting is Nessus which is the centaur that helped Dante cross the river of blood. I think centaurs are terrifying looking due to the fact that they are half human and half horse creatures. They are also very smart and extremely violent.
ReplyDeleteThe punishment of the violent against neighbors is that they are immersed in boiling blood forever. An alternative punishment is that the souls should be cursed with hallucinations of the murders that they have committed but instead of them being the killer, they're the victim. This punishment will forever torment them for what they have done to others.
The punishment you chose was very interesting to me. Getting immersed in boiling blood forever seems very harsh for being violent against your neighbor. But then if they went as far as killing their neighbors then the punishment will definitely be a reminder for what they have done to others.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I was looking at the diagram of the Inferno I did not what to choose and then my eye caught the 1st circle Limbo. In this circle Virgil himself resides. I found this circle interesting because it is for the people who are not sinful enough and did not accept Christ. This circle holds souls that lived before the time of Christ. They are good people also who did not meet qualifications to enter Heaven which I found very interesting. You have to have your soul redeemed in Limbo to be allowed into Heaven. The characters Dante put in limbo includes various non-Christian adults, Saladin, Sultan of Egypt, Islamic Philosophers Avicenna and Averroes. He also put Homer, Horace, Ovid, Socrates, Plato, and Saladin. Dante also has many major figures from Hebrew bible placed in Limbo. I was not that surprised at the characters Dante decided to put in Limbo since it represents being stuck in grief from lack of Gods presence. And most of the characters he chose either lived long before Christ.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite circle was the sixth one. It is the one where the sinners deny God/ are atheist. My favorite characters are the father-son duo, Cavalcante de' Cavalcanti and Guido Cavalcanti. I chose this because in a way I can related to them. I would not necessarily consider myself an atheist but I do question religious validity and religious persecution.
ReplyDeleteIn high school, one of my teachers taught me about Pastafarianism which is a supposed real religion (though people also claim it to be a satire on religion) where an invisible flying spaghetti monster basically created the Earth. It may seem like bs but I think it can be compared to religions where people worship essentially an invisible god, whose to say this isn't real? Fyi, I do support/respect all religious beliefs even though they may not be my own.
I do not think living in an eternally flaming grave is really appropriate, seems like too much torture so my alternative would be eternal isolation in darkness. Just alone in your own thoughts like an eternal mindfulness exercise.
I really like your point about religious beliefs and how if people can believe in an invisible god than why not let people believe in whatever they wish. I agree with the punishment you chose because as humans we are social creatures and isolation seems to be a really cruel to enforce upon anyone.
DeleteMy favorite sin of Dante’s Inferno has to undoubtedly be heresy. Dante’s passion for revering God was intense enough for him to condemn his best friend in the sixth circle mainly because he promulgated atheism. It’s my favorite in that it’s enough for Dante and, many other Christians, to condemn anyone. The pretense of heresy is that it’s unjust because someone disagrees and, therefore, blasphemes against a faith. Now, given that presupposition, who is affected? Who suffers from this grave sin insurmountable to gluttony and avarice? No one innately does and it is, in my opinion the most absurd and that’s why I find it the most interesting. Dante’s work is known for its application of logistics to the ethereal but this is an underrated violation of that.
ReplyDeleteI, in short, think that the torture should be one's worst fears compiled more and more on top of each other as one makes it down through the circles of hell.
My favorite sin is Treachery the ninth circle the worst sin. The character used for this circle was Alexander the Great because of the deadly sin also known as pride. I would punish the individual with a constant haze of illusions in an isolated room with no windows or door. They would be haunted with lies and won't be able to differ reality and illusions. I agree with previous punishments that focus on isolation or mental aspects because I think its a very torturous thing to aim at a persons mind.
ReplyDelete