Canto 4: Limb- The First Circle of Hell
In this Canto, We enter the first circle of Hell. The earlier Canto took place in the Vestibule, the lobby area if you will, of Hell. This canto takes place in Hell itself. The first circle is Limbo, where the "virtuous non-Christians"(page 97) dwell.
The Shades in this circle "have not sinned. but their great worth alone was not enough, for they did not know Baptism, which is the gateway to the faith you follow/ and if they came before the birth of Christ, they did not worship God the way one should"(lines 34-48). The shades, like the ones we encountered in the previous Canto, do not qualify for Heaven. However. there is a difference. these shades lived virtuous lives, they were good souls, they did not sin. Yet they were not baptized so they cannot qualify for Heaven.
I think it safe to say that the author, Dante, believed that only Baptized souls could go to Heaven. This is a issue/question which I think is still being debated in church cirles: will you only get into Heaven if you are baptized?
At PMA, the Original Sin and it effects on us was explained to us by a theology teacher. she said it was like a pan that was branded with a design, and so after that, any pancake you put on it will have that same design, handed down over and over. To Catholics, Baptism occurs at birth or when you are a child because it takes away that stain of original sin. while I'm not saying this is right or wrong, using this analogy means that these shades, while they did not add any other sins(designs)to their pancake, they still have that original design on them and therefore do not qualify for Heaven.
It's not the best analogy in the world, and I'm sure there are a million theologians out there that would disprove my analogy, but I think it's a good way to describe The first circle of Hell. I find this circle interesting, especially when considering how close the shades of the first circle are to ones in the Vestibule. neither group sinned, but while the shades in the Vestibule did not live a bad life, neither did they live a good one. the shades in the first circle, however, were Virtuous, they did live a good life. The two groups are so similar, at least to me, that it's hard to really explain how they are different. Maybe that's the point.
Some lines that I love in this canto help explain this first circle. Being the first circle, it is the best of the worst, if you will. None of these shades are experiencing the kind of torture that we will see in the circles to come. one of these lines that I like is "the sounds of sighs of untormented grief."(line 28). I love this imagine that this line paints, of grief without torment. usually, when I think of grief, I think of not just being sad but being tormented, being haunted. the idea of grief without this haunting it is...a bit hard for me to wrap my head around. It paints this picture of a grief that does not hurt yet you can still feel it.
"cut off from hope, we live on in desire"(line 42). this line is my idea of torture. of hell. longing and longing and desiring and desiring something, without any bit of hope for it. not even delusional or false hope. what can be worse than that?
I feel that in this circle, the first circle of hell, there is a question posed: which is worse: to feel desire without hope but no physical pain, or to be in the other circles where they are punished physically? I think that the first circle is, in many ways, a worse fate than the other circles. But I suppose that is only my opinion. if you are reading this, let me know what you think.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
The Divine Comedy: Nowhere Versus Dammed
In Dante's Divine Comedy, the very first soul that we meet are outside Hell; in the vestibule that leads to Hell itself. These souls are not dammed. at least not dammed in the way in which we traditionally think of souls in Hell.These souls are not wanted by Hell, but neither do they qualify for Heaven. See, these are the souls of those who did not choose a side, they did not stand for anything. They neither believed in or stood against God; they neither sinned or not sinned. they simply did not stand for anything. therefore, they are not evil enough for Hell, but neither are they good enough for Heaven. Their punishment is to eternally chase a fast-moving banner that never stops. in life, they refused to take a stand. now they must chase a stand that they can never catch for all eternity.
To me, I find this interesting. these souls have no place, they are not wanted by Heaven or Hell; they are neither rewarded nor punished.It leads me to wonder what would worse: to be dammed in Hell for eternity...or to know that you are between Hell and Heaven; nowhere. the first instinctive answer is: nowhere. i would rather be nowhere than be dammed in Hell. but let's think about it a little more shall we?
I think, though I have no real research or anything to back me up, that it is part of our nature as humans to want to belong somewhere. We are always seeking out a place to call our own, whether it be friends, family, a job that suits us, the right city or house to live in, etc. so to have to spend eternity belong nowhere, having to chase a stand, a banner that you know you will never catch yet you cannot stop chasing it...to have to look up and see the closed gates of Heaven and then look down and see the closed gates of Hell...knowing that you do not belong in either place...your soul forever caught in between. They say that not all who wander are lost, but this is a wandering of souls who have no place to go.
Yet would it be better to be in Hell? to be in a place with no light, only darkness where pain and suffering make their home and know yourself to belong there?
I have no real answer, I do not know where I would prefer to be, or what would be worse. It's a little like that quote: better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. it is a nice and beautiful quote yet sometimes I would rather not have loved at all than feeling the pain of losing love. maybe it would be better to be between Heaven and Hell than feel the fires of Hell. yet the idea of belonging nowhere...for all eternity....
To me, I find this interesting. these souls have no place, they are not wanted by Heaven or Hell; they are neither rewarded nor punished.It leads me to wonder what would worse: to be dammed in Hell for eternity...or to know that you are between Hell and Heaven; nowhere. the first instinctive answer is: nowhere. i would rather be nowhere than be dammed in Hell. but let's think about it a little more shall we?
I think, though I have no real research or anything to back me up, that it is part of our nature as humans to want to belong somewhere. We are always seeking out a place to call our own, whether it be friends, family, a job that suits us, the right city or house to live in, etc. so to have to spend eternity belong nowhere, having to chase a stand, a banner that you know you will never catch yet you cannot stop chasing it...to have to look up and see the closed gates of Heaven and then look down and see the closed gates of Hell...knowing that you do not belong in either place...your soul forever caught in between. They say that not all who wander are lost, but this is a wandering of souls who have no place to go.
Yet would it be better to be in Hell? to be in a place with no light, only darkness where pain and suffering make their home and know yourself to belong there?
I have no real answer, I do not know where I would prefer to be, or what would be worse. It's a little like that quote: better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. it is a nice and beautiful quote yet sometimes I would rather not have loved at all than feeling the pain of losing love. maybe it would be better to be between Heaven and Hell than feel the fires of Hell. yet the idea of belonging nowhere...for all eternity....
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
The Divine Comedy: Inferno Cantos 1-3
The Divine Comedy is a three part book series about a man, named Dante or the Pilgrim , who is being traveling through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.;he is being guided by the poet Virgil.
I first was introduced to these books in one of my English classes while during my Bachelors at ACU. We only read selected Cantos(chapters) from the first volume, Inferno, but now I'm going to read the entire series. I mentioned "Cantos" and those are like chapters, but not really. See, this entire series is a poem, so Cantos are the various parts of the poem. As a writer, I could not do this type of writing. I'm more of a fantasy/magical writer, so this is up my alley in a sense, but I have a hard enough time taking grammar into account, let alone writing it in poetry style. That alone makes this an interesting series. The whole premise of a journey through Hell, then Purgatory, then Paradise is super interesting to me.
Canto 1:
Pilgrim wakes up in a dark wood, finds a mountain bathed in light but is blocked by three beasts. Poet virgil comes to him and says he must go through another path, and he(Virgil)will guide him.
"Midway along the journey of our life/ I woke to find myself in a dark wood,/for I had wandered off from the straight path."(lines 1-3). This is the opening lines to the Divine Comedy, and it's one of my favorites. It's one of my favorite lines because it's something that, I think, most people can relate to at some point in their lives: getting lost, wandering off from your path. and it doesn't have to be a "went off the rails, started doing drugs, sleeping around" kinda wandering off the path. it can be as simple as not knowing what to do with your life or what job to get or what major to pick. He goes on to write: "How I entered there I cannot truly say,/I had become so sleepy at the moment/ when I first started, leaving the path of truth;(Lines 10-12). These two lines paint to me an image of a man who wakes up and suddenly is in a scary place, and he doesn't even really know how he get there. ofttimes, we cannot pin point the moment that things go wrong. usually, we just wake up in the dark wood, and there we are and no clue as to how we ended up there. I know that's the case with me and the situation I'm currently in. I wish I knew the moment when my life just…de-railed a bit, where I was no longer happy and content but just sad and it feels like it is all wrong. one of the things that I like though, is that the pilgrim doesn't spend a lot of time, or really any time, figuring out how he ended up where he is. I like that because while it is important to understand the choices you made that led you to this point, I think it is more worthwhile to concentrate your energy on dealing with where you are, with what is in front of and ahead of you, instead of where you have been, how you got there, etc. Don't get me wrong. It's important to understand that you have gone from the straight path, that you are not where you once were and if you can figure out the choices that led you there, then that's good. but sometimes, that is impossible and a wasted effort. Sometimes, you spend so much time looking back and trying so hard to figure out where things went wrong...that you end up not fixing or solving anything.
Canto 2: Pilgrim begins to waver in his courage; Virgil informs of the chain of great Heaven ladies by which he, Virgil, ended up being sent to help the Pilgrim.
This canto is important I think, because it adds some background information to the reader as to how, and why, Virgil is guiding the pilgrim. It also, to me, adds a sense of realism to the story and it helps us to relate to the pilgrim a little bit more. after all, most of us would be terrified if we were about to take a tour of Hell. sure, it might be exciting, fascinating, etc. but it would also be very scary to see a place of darkness, without hope and joy. I love to travel, though I don't have money for it anymore, but before each trip, there is a sense of nervousness, of wondering if you should go after all. sure it is nowhere near as bad as the nerves in this Canto, but I can still relate to that "what if I'm making a mistake" feeling. actually, I can relate to it right now, as I'm sure most of us do, even if it's not about a trip.
At one point the pilgrim says that he is "not Paul,/ neither I nor any man would think me worthy;"(lines 32-33). It reminds me of the story of Moses, at the burning bush. He too was facing a difficult and scary journey, and he too said that he was not worthy, that who was he to lead such a mission for God. and I'm sure that Paul too must have had doubts, given his background as a murderer. I find it...reassuring to know that some of the greatest leaders in the world have not thought themselves worthy.
One another point, my favorite verse in this canto, and thus far in the story, is "Because your question searches for deep meaning,/I shall explain in simple words,"(Lines 85-86). I LOVE this verse. I love it because so often, we assume that a serious and deep question or concern, needs an answer just as deep. My friend, whose name shall be B for the purposes of this post, always does that to me. I ask a question about God or the bible, and he feels that it is such a deep question that he cannot answer because the answer would be too long. Sometimes, a simple "I don't know" or the basic version of the answer will do. It doesn't always have to be a 10 page research paper answer. sometimes it does not even have to do with a question per say, but just people's reaction to an emotion I'm feeling or something. I cannot tell you how many times I have told a friend that I hate being single, I want a relationship...and I get a 20 minute lecture on "God's timing" or "be patient" or how the fact that I want a relationship is what is keeping me from getting it...it gets so annoying! I don't always need a lecture on the virtues of single hood; I just need...a listener you know? and I feel sometimes that as Christians, we are so bad at that! sometimes, people want a simple answer or no answer. they just want you to listen, to comfort them, to be there. they don't always need or want or require a Christian lecture.
Canto 3: The indecisive and Charon
In this canto, we are at the Gates of Hell; in the Vestibule that leads to Hell. The first group of soul which we meet are the indecisive; these are souls which are nowhere, in-between good and evil, neither black or white but gray:
I find it so fitting that this is the first group of souls which we encounter: those who were not faithful and so are not in Heaven, but they never really sinned so they are not bound for Hell. instead, their punishment is to constantly follow this rapidly moving banner that moves and moves fast and without stopping...a banner, a stand, which they can never catch. In life, they refused to take a stand, to take a side. and now when they are so desperate to do so...they can never catch it; it is eternally out of their reach.
I actually find the contrast between the Indecisive and the next canto, in which we encounter Limbo, to be very interesting, and I actually am gonna write a separate post on that next.
Charon ferries the souls newly arrived to Hell across the river to judgment, so when he sees the living poet he gets angry. but Virgil says to the Pilgrim: "a good soul never comes to make this crossing,/ so, if Charon grumbles at the sight of you,/you see now what his words are really saying."(Lines 127-129). I like these lines because it's a good reminder that sometimes, anger is a good sign. it's hard to get mad at someone that you don't have any feelings, good or bad towards. so if someone is angry at you, you can at least know that it is better than being indifferent. which leads me back to my interest between the Indecisive souls and those in Limbo as well as the Dammed souls...which is worse: being nowhere, or being in Hell? My next post will be a "special" post about that.
Canto 2: Pilgrim begins to waver in his courage; Virgil informs of the chain of great Heaven ladies by which he, Virgil, ended up being sent to help the Pilgrim.
This canto is important I think, because it adds some background information to the reader as to how, and why, Virgil is guiding the pilgrim. It also, to me, adds a sense of realism to the story and it helps us to relate to the pilgrim a little bit more. after all, most of us would be terrified if we were about to take a tour of Hell. sure, it might be exciting, fascinating, etc. but it would also be very scary to see a place of darkness, without hope and joy. I love to travel, though I don't have money for it anymore, but before each trip, there is a sense of nervousness, of wondering if you should go after all. sure it is nowhere near as bad as the nerves in this Canto, but I can still relate to that "what if I'm making a mistake" feeling. actually, I can relate to it right now, as I'm sure most of us do, even if it's not about a trip.
At one point the pilgrim says that he is "not Paul,/ neither I nor any man would think me worthy;"(lines 32-33). It reminds me of the story of Moses, at the burning bush. He too was facing a difficult and scary journey, and he too said that he was not worthy, that who was he to lead such a mission for God. and I'm sure that Paul too must have had doubts, given his background as a murderer. I find it...reassuring to know that some of the greatest leaders in the world have not thought themselves worthy.
One another point, my favorite verse in this canto, and thus far in the story, is "Because your question searches for deep meaning,/I shall explain in simple words,"(Lines 85-86). I LOVE this verse. I love it because so often, we assume that a serious and deep question or concern, needs an answer just as deep. My friend, whose name shall be B for the purposes of this post, always does that to me. I ask a question about God or the bible, and he feels that it is such a deep question that he cannot answer because the answer would be too long. Sometimes, a simple "I don't know" or the basic version of the answer will do. It doesn't always have to be a 10 page research paper answer. sometimes it does not even have to do with a question per say, but just people's reaction to an emotion I'm feeling or something. I cannot tell you how many times I have told a friend that I hate being single, I want a relationship...and I get a 20 minute lecture on "God's timing" or "be patient" or how the fact that I want a relationship is what is keeping me from getting it...it gets so annoying! I don't always need a lecture on the virtues of single hood; I just need...a listener you know? and I feel sometimes that as Christians, we are so bad at that! sometimes, people want a simple answer or no answer. they just want you to listen, to comfort them, to be there. they don't always need or want or require a Christian lecture.
Canto 3: The indecisive and Charon
In this canto, we are at the Gates of Hell; in the Vestibule that leads to Hell. The first group of soul which we meet are the indecisive; these are souls which are nowhere, in-between good and evil, neither black or white but gray:
"This wretched state of being
is the fate of those sad souls who lived a life
but lived it with no blame and with no praise.
They are mixed with that repulsive choir of angels
neither faithful nor unfaithful to their God,
who undecided stood but for themselves.
Heaven, to keep its beauty, cast them out,
but even Hell itself would not receive them,
for fear the dammed might glory over them."(Lines 34-42).
I actually find the contrast between the Indecisive and the next canto, in which we encounter Limbo, to be very interesting, and I actually am gonna write a separate post on that next.
Charon ferries the souls newly arrived to Hell across the river to judgment, so when he sees the living poet he gets angry. but Virgil says to the Pilgrim: "a good soul never comes to make this crossing,/ so, if Charon grumbles at the sight of you,/you see now what his words are really saying."(Lines 127-129). I like these lines because it's a good reminder that sometimes, anger is a good sign. it's hard to get mad at someone that you don't have any feelings, good or bad towards. so if someone is angry at you, you can at least know that it is better than being indifferent. which leads me back to my interest between the Indecisive souls and those in Limbo as well as the Dammed souls...which is worse: being nowhere, or being in Hell? My next post will be a "special" post about that.
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