Dante’s Inferno Relevance to Today Dante created a hell in Dante’s Inferno that portrays what Dante believe hell was. Dante’s hell is outlandish to many readers, but in some instances the text does have relevance to today’s society. In other cases, the times have changed therefore the relevance of Dante’s Inferno to today’s society has decreased. Gluttony is one of the most persistent issues today. In Dante’s hell, people that were accused of this sin constantly get rained on by fecal matter to punish them for what they have done.
All people are born sinners. Natural men must be reborn to be saved; “…hell is waiting for them…” (Edwards 46). These views are that of Jonathan Edwards in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Edwards belonged to a religion that was lingering and was close to disappearing due to the growing numbers of Christians, so he used figurative language and imagery in order to scare people back into the Puritan way of life. “Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downward with great weight and pressure toward hell.” (Edwards 47).
For example when Benvilio says “I do but keep the peace.” To which tybalt replies “…peace? I hate the word. As I hate hell, all montagues and thee.” Tybalt clearly expresses his anger towards the montagues by comparing them to hell. The word “hell” is very powerful and is used to insult the montagues. To be compared to hell in those days would have been extremely bad, because hell is the ultimate punishment and there is nothing worse than hell.
Was Shakespeare trying to simply tell a story of revenge? Of course there is the possibility that Shakespeare included all the violence to teach a lesson to those who view his works. The persistent physical mutilation and injury in Titus Andronicus shows the audience that violence, in the name of revenge, is considered a social and moral norm, especially when said violence is argued as necessary. Over and over again the audience watches characters commit physical sins against their peers; however some characters seem completely justified in their actions while others do not. Titus is the prime example of a character that commits acts of physical violence and possesses reasoning for such acts that is acceptable and justifiable.
Dante expresses his opinion of sins when he places the lustful, the avarice-filled, and the panderers in upper Hell. As Hell descends in a downward spiral, the sounds made by man become more bestial. By the Ninth Circle of Hell, the convicted sinners can no longer speak or produce any sounds of pain, yet they can still feel the pain; “writhing, but not a word will he scream” (Dante. Canto 34. 65).
Some people use their power in a wrong way, and commit crimes because they want even more power that they already have. The blinding act marks a turning point in the play, because some actions like cruelty, betrayal, and even madness may be reversible, but blinding is not. Gloucester reflects the profound despair that drives him to desire his own death, after being blinded by Cornwall and Regan, “As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport” (4.1.37–38). More important, he emphasizes one of the play’s principal themes, the question of whether there is justice in the universe. Gloucester’s philosophical musing here offers an outlook of miserable despair, he
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay and Lord of the Flies by William Golding have much to say about a man's sinful nature. Both of these novels contain scenes in which the main character(s) goes savage; their savagery comes about because of their sinful nature or the sinful nature of others around them. Man's sinful nature is revealed through the thoughts and actions of the characters in both novels. The authors show through their works their belief that if everyone revealed their true natures, the world would tear itself apart. In both novels, evil is revealed by the telling actions of the characters.
David starts to develop hatred towards his father, wanting to hurt and give him the pain he has felt over the years. “[David] pictured things, played them out in [his] head, a hundred different violent acts.... It was when [David] realized [he] could kill him and get away with it.” (Gould, 115) David’s anger towards his father has turned in to infuriate. Now that David has more power over his father, he uses the same method Carl used over him; separating from reality and physical abuse. “[David] jumped [Private Island] and hit [Carl],
Dimmesdale, however, as the town minister, wears his own scarlet “A” burned upon his flesh, since it is the community's rage he fears the most. Chillingworth sees the “A” as a quest for revenge to find the adulterer. Chillingworth's misshapen body reflects (or symbolizes) the anger in his soul, which builds as the novel progresses, similar to the way Dimmesdale's illness reveals his inner turmoil. The “A” also stands for "Angel" when it is seen in the sky on the night when Hester and Dimmesdale are standing on the scaffold together. One of the most complex and misunderstood characters in the novel is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne.
Ethno-violence this type of crime doesn’t call for legal normal however, is still a hate crime. Mission hate crimes are an act of “war” against different people. Thrill hate crime are usually done by a younger crowd seeking pleasure. There are different hate groups everywhere such as, White Supremacy, Neo-Nazi, Volksfront, Racist Skinheads, Hammerskins, American Front, The Vinlanders Social Club, Supreme White Alliance, Fraternal White Knights, Racists prison groups. The list goes on and on however, with all the hate groups they all mean the same thing and they all commit crimes against other people.