Dante's Guide

In the first ring of Hell, there’s a castle. Before you get too excited, you should be aware of two things: no, you won’t find Satan reclining on a lavish throne, nor will you meet any Disney characters. In the sixth circle of hell reside the virtuous yet godless, those who lived uprightly but without faith. Behind those great, stony walls roam souls that are void of all punishment except the absence of God. Among these "neither joyful nor sorrowful" men and women are great philosophers and poets of old, such as Homer and Socrates (Inferno 4.125). Amidst all these great names, however, two quite particularly stand out. One man is regarded by Dante as “the Master of all those who know” (Inferno 4.131): Aristotle. The other is “the honor and light of every poet” (Inferno 1.82), who is also described as being Dante’s “teacher and authority” (Inferno 1.85). This man is Virgil himself, one of the greatest names in poetry and literature. Dante seems to hold both men in equal authority, respecting them for their accomplishments in their respective fields. His writing shows a great influence by both men, with Dante drawing parallels back to The Aeneid and Nicomachean Ethics frequently throughout the Divine Comedy. However, only one of these men is chosen to lead Dante through the afterlife: Virgil. In a seemingly even match, why does Virgil win out over Aristotle? What does Virgil have that Aristotle does not? Despite Dante clearly admiring philosophers such as Aristotle and being heavily influenced by philosophy and moral topics, he chooses Virgil as a guide rather than a philosopher due to both personal preference and the Divine Comedy’s significance as a work of art.

Although Virgil is ultimately chosen as Dante’s guide, it would be foolish to disregard philosophy’s influence on the Divine Comedy. Dante draws upon vices from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics such as incontinence, violence, and fraud to organize the circles of Inferno. As Dante progresses through Hell, he is drawn into vices such as greed and wrath, often finding himself participating in the very sins he sees punished. This holds significance for the readers if the Divine Comedy is read through the lens of self-discovery. Dante seeks to uncover the moral shortcomings of the readers and ultimately guide them to become better people, and does so by weaving philosophical ideas into his writing.

The Divine Comedy is not just a work of philosophy, however. While philosophy may be one essence of the comedy, it is just one part of the whole. Dante seeks to create a beautiful and artistic work by utilizing poetry and philosophy. One way that Dante develops the artistic side of the Divine Comedy is through irony. Dante works to create irony throughout the punishments that make up Inferno and Purgatory. He creates multidimensional punishments that are both painful at face-value and painful on a deeper level. Take the 9th circle of Inferno, for example. Even in the deepest, darkest parts of hell, there is a beauty in the irony of Satan’s punishment. Satan is described as being up to his chest in ice, constantly beating his wings in a fruitless attempt to escape. If he chooses to let go of his pride and stand still, he can escape his chilly prison. He never will, however, because he truly believes that if he flaps his wings a little harder that he can be free. Satan has created and reinforced his own prison, a harsh and bitter truth that resonates with anyone suffering under the sin of pride. This kind of poetic justice is prevalent throughout the Divine Comedy. Dante’s symbolic irony is the backbone of the Divine Comedy, and only further illustrates the important role that art has to play in his trilogy. The parallels drawn and the underlying symbolism that ties the Divine Comedy together uses both artistic techniques and philosophical ideas to create a masterpiece.

Up to this point, it seems as though both the philosophical and the artistic sides have something to bring to the Divine Comedy. Both are essential to the trilogy, and neither could be very effective without the other. Dante is then faced with the decision to choose either his greatest philosopher or his greatest poet, and he chooses the poet. After all, Virgil and Dante share something that is foreign to Aristotle: a love and appreciation of poetry. While Aristotle may excel in matters of wise counsel, Virgil is capable of speaking to Dante on a much more intimate level. Poetry is music to Dante’s ears, and he is more attuned to songs than lectures. Imagine, for instance, taking a stroll along the Great Wall of China with your first language as English. As an American tourist who barely speaks Chinese, would you prefer a tour guide whose first language was also English, or someone whose first language was Chinese? Most would opt for the former, as it is preferable to have something familiar amidst the unfamiliar. In the same way, Dante chooses Virgil as his guide through the afterlife as a close friend who understands Dante rather than a philosopher who is detached from the arts.

The journey through the afterlife is not an easy one. Between getting whirled into the temptations of sin and eventually facing Satan himself, Dante experiences many trials and setbacks during his pilgrimage. Without a guide, the journey would be hopeless, and Dante would quickly find himself led astray. With the help of a trusted companion, however, Dante succeeds in both traveling through the afterlife and creating a written work of incomparable artistic and philosophical value.