The Divine Comedy Illustrates Dante Pilgrim’S Heroic Journey

The Divine Comedy illustrates Dante Pilgrim’s heroic journey that is commonly displayed in numerous other epic poems of his time. However, Dante cannot begin his journey through his starting place in Hell, which is where his beloved Virgil comes into the text. Inspired by Virgil’s writings, especially the Aeneid, Dante willingly accepts to follow Virgil on a journey into an unknown world. Dante as a character develops his personality as he nears Heaven, which makes him consider Virgil to be less of a guide and sees them as independent individuals. Another intriguing perspective is that Dante is trying to reach Heaven, yet he allows Virgil, a shade residing in Hell, to lead him on his journey towards enlightenment. The spiritual changes†¦show more content†¦Dante endorses Virgil for his success as a poet, through which he mimics the writing style of Virgil. Virgil was not chosen as a guide for Dante because he was the right person for the job; instead, he was ch osen because he is the right guide for Dante. Dante feels comfortable around Virgil, as he has trust in his idol. Virgil admits to Dante that he is a pagan, but he had no choice to reach Heaven as he says, â€Å"And if they lived before Christianity, they did not worship God in fitting ways; and of such spirits I myself am one. For these defects, and for no other evil, we now are lost and punished just with this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Inferno. IV. 37-42). Thus, Virgil did no evil to earn his spot in Hell because he did not have the opportunity to show his love for God during his time on Earth. Dante does not judge Virgil due to his lack of love for God but pledges to follow him in their journey. Dante’s acceptance of Virgil is the first key piece that ignites their ongoing relationship. Dante shows the promising faith and trust he has for Virgil. Virgil is a wise man who shows Dante valuable life lessons throughout Hell and up until they reach Heaven. Not only is Virgil wise, but is also a trustworthy guide that attempts to protect Dante at all costs. On the trip through Hell, Virgil explains the sin committed in each circle and sub-ring to teach Dante what to avoid when he returns to the above world. The lessons Virgil teaches Dante is only beneficial if he listens to everythingShow MoreRelatedThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagessuccessive rhymed lines that are equal in length. A heroic couplet is a pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter. In Shakespeare’s plays, characters often speak a heroic couplet before exiting, as in these lines from Hamlet: â€Å"The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right!† Quatrain: A four-line stanza. The most common form of English verse, the quatrain has many variants. One of the most important is the heroic quatrain, written in iambic pentameter with an ABAB