Virgil: The Ultimate Guide
Whenever you are going somewhere you have never been, you have to rely on someone to get you where you want to go. In Dante’s Inferno, Dante finds himself lost in life and in the midst of darkness and winds up in Hell and has to make his way through Hell. Since Dante has never been to Hell, he is going to need a guide to take him through. Dante being the first living person to go through Hell, Mary had to pick someone special and someone that could help lead him through Hell. Dante thinks that Virgil is just a normal guide but Virgil ends up being more than that and plays a huge part in him getting through Hell and the rest of his journey.
Virgil was handpicked to be Virgil’s guide through Hell and also teach him as they went through their journey together. In Dante’s Inferno, Mary saw that Dante was struggling at that moment in his life so she asked Lucy to get Beatrice to help Dante. Beatrice then asked Virgil for his help to get him through the dark place in his life. Once Virgil heard that he could help Beatrice’s friend, He was eager to help Dante. In the text, Virgil is explaining to Dante how he was sent and said, “When she had finished speaking to me so, / she turned to her glistening eyes all bright with tears — / which made me all the readier to go, / And so I came to you as she desired, / raising you from the beast that faced you down (2.115-119). Virgil took his mission to guide Dante through Hell and wanted to start helping right away. I believe that Virgil was chosen to guide Dante through the journey because it was someone that he studied while he was writing. Whenever he meets Virgil, Dante is happy to learn that he is a poet. In Canto one, Dante said, “ ‘Honor and light of every poet, may / my long study avail me, and the love / that made me search the volume of your work (1.82-84). This was the perfect person to guide Dante because it's someone that he studied and would listen to. This is why Virgil was chosen to be Dante's guide.
Dante is found midway through his life in darkness and confused on what was true and what wasn't. He is given a guide to take him through Hell and now has to learn how to live on the straight and narrow path. In the beginning of Inferno, Dante said, “It is so bitter, death is hardly more — / but to reveal the good that came to me, / I shall relate the other things I saw (1.7-9). Dante wants to make well of what he has done in the world because he thinks that death is close to him. So that he can learn that he can learn about the true and good things, Virgil acts as a teacher while he guides Dante through the depths of Hell. Even in the beginning of the journey, Virgil has to assure that Dante is capable of the trip and worthy of the journey. Virgil teaches Dante that he is worthy of the journey and that he is better than he thinks. In Canto two, Virgil said, “ ‘your spirit has been bruised by cowardice, / Which many a time weighs a man’s heart down / it turns him from a glorious enterprise / as shadows fool the horse that shies away (2.45-48). Virgil uses this metaphor about the horse that is scared away from his shadow to teach Dante that he is capable of making the trip. Even though the horse can't be hurt by the shadow, the horse is still scared because of his cowardness. Virgil also teaches Dante about the level of punishments and also small life lessons. While they are in the tenth ditch of malebolge, Dante is watching some guys fight and Virgil gets mad at him for watching. In Dante’s Inferno, the text said, “I was entirely fixed upon those two / when said my Teacher, ‘You keep looking there / and in a while I’ll pick a fight with you.’ (30.130-132). He was mad at him for watching something so shameful and pointless and warns him to stop watching them and move on. This is how Virgil was a teacher to Dante.
Virgil made it through Hell with the help of his great guide and learned important lessons that he would take with him through the rest of his journey. Virgil turns out to be a great guide and a great teacher because he has been through Hell and knows what he needs to show him to help him through life. This is why Virgil was the unlimited guide.
Virgil was handpicked to be Virgil’s guide through Hell and also teach him as they went through their journey together. In Dante’s Inferno, Mary saw that Dante was struggling at that moment in his life so she asked Lucy to get Beatrice to help Dante. Beatrice then asked Virgil for his help to get him through the dark place in his life. Once Virgil heard that he could help Beatrice’s friend, He was eager to help Dante. In the text, Virgil is explaining to Dante how he was sent and said, “When she had finished speaking to me so, / she turned to her glistening eyes all bright with tears — / which made me all the readier to go, / And so I came to you as she desired, / raising you from the beast that faced you down (2.115-119). Virgil took his mission to guide Dante through Hell and wanted to start helping right away. I believe that Virgil was chosen to guide Dante through the journey because it was someone that he studied while he was writing. Whenever he meets Virgil, Dante is happy to learn that he is a poet. In Canto one, Dante said, “ ‘Honor and light of every poet, may / my long study avail me, and the love / that made me search the volume of your work (1.82-84). This was the perfect person to guide Dante because it's someone that he studied and would listen to. This is why Virgil was chosen to be Dante's guide.
Dante is found midway through his life in darkness and confused on what was true and what wasn't. He is given a guide to take him through Hell and now has to learn how to live on the straight and narrow path. In the beginning of Inferno, Dante said, “It is so bitter, death is hardly more — / but to reveal the good that came to me, / I shall relate the other things I saw (1.7-9). Dante wants to make well of what he has done in the world because he thinks that death is close to him. So that he can learn that he can learn about the true and good things, Virgil acts as a teacher while he guides Dante through the depths of Hell. Even in the beginning of the journey, Virgil has to assure that Dante is capable of the trip and worthy of the journey. Virgil teaches Dante that he is worthy of the journey and that he is better than he thinks. In Canto two, Virgil said, “ ‘your spirit has been bruised by cowardice, / Which many a time weighs a man’s heart down / it turns him from a glorious enterprise / as shadows fool the horse that shies away (2.45-48). Virgil uses this metaphor about the horse that is scared away from his shadow to teach Dante that he is capable of making the trip. Even though the horse can't be hurt by the shadow, the horse is still scared because of his cowardness. Virgil also teaches Dante about the level of punishments and also small life lessons. While they are in the tenth ditch of malebolge, Dante is watching some guys fight and Virgil gets mad at him for watching. In Dante’s Inferno, the text said, “I was entirely fixed upon those two / when said my Teacher, ‘You keep looking there / and in a while I’ll pick a fight with you.’ (30.130-132). He was mad at him for watching something so shameful and pointless and warns him to stop watching them and move on. This is how Virgil was a teacher to Dante.
Virgil made it through Hell with the help of his great guide and learned important lessons that he would take with him through the rest of his journey. Virgil turns out to be a great guide and a great teacher because he has been through Hell and knows what he needs to show him to help him through life. This is why Virgil was the unlimited guide.
Hey Susie! Ok, so I see Virgil and Dante and the original friendship goals. Virgil cares so much for Dante. When they were in hell, he was constantly encouraging Dante to not watch those who were fighting because Virgil knew that it was not right to take pleasure in watching people, or in this case souls, get angry with one another. Virgil was with Dante through all of his struggles. I hope to one day have a bestie like Virgil in my life- someone sticks with me even through hell. Haha! Get it?
ReplyDeleteHey Susie I really enjoyed reading this. It was truly a refresher because I read Dante a while back. I really love Virgil so I am glad you call him the ultimate guide. I like the part where you talk about how Virgil warns Dante not to look at the shameful sin. Do you think this makes him a moral guide as well? Could this be representative of something far deeper? I think like you said he really is a teacher that teaches him about the meaning of the journey.
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