Dantes Inferno

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In The Inferno - Dante’s Immortal Drama of a Journey Through Hell, Dante allows the reader to experience his every move. His mastery of language, his sensitivity to the sights and sounds of nature, and his infinite store of knowledge allow him to capture and draw the reader into the realm of the terrestrial hell. In Canto 6, the Gluttons; Canto 13, the Violent Against Themselves; and Canto 23, the Hypocrites; Dante excels in his detailed portrayal of the supernatural world of hell. In each canto, Dante combines his mastery of language with his sensitivity to the sights and sounds of nature to set the stage. He then reinforces the image with examples that call upon his infinite store of knowledge, and thus draw a parallel that …show more content…

This response encourages the reader into thinking that the soul within the tree is now in great pain and also lets the reader understand the situation that souls are eternally in the form of trees. Dante’s mastery of language and sensitivity to the sights and sounds of nature in Canto 13 immensely influence the reader’s interpretation of the woods of suicide. Similar to Canto 6, Dante expresses in Canto 13 his infinite store of knowledge through Greek mythology and the history of his society. Dante again uses characters from Greek mythology in the punishing of the sinners. The harpies role in Greek mythology changes from “soul takers” to obsessive eaters. He respectively uses them to feed on the sinners who are in the form of trees. Dante expresses his knowledge of the history of his society by mentioning Frederick II and Pier delle Vigne. Both individuals are well known in history in this time period. At this point, the reader is able to understand the punishment and people present in this layer. As in the previous Cantos discussed, Dante once again exhibits his mastery of language and sensitivity to the sights and sounds of nature. In Canto 23 Dante does not describe in great detail the land that the hypocrites dwell so the reader can assume it to be plain and barren. He does

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