The allegory of the Commedia is transparently obvious here, for those who wish to stop and think for a moment or two. One has to not worry about the fact that pagan myths dominate at times, for they represent obvious sins found in classical philosophy and Medieval Christian Scholasticism. We are in the Circle of the Violent now. These are those who have not only hated others and been filled with ire [hence the anger and wrath consuming the Minotaur as he consumes himself], but they also acted on that hate by killing the other. From Zeno to Socrates to Augustine to Aquinas the bestial side of our nature was to be subdued and brought under control by our rational side. If that did not happen, then an individual was indeed “half and half,” half animal and half human. This is even represented by the conception of the Minotaur by that randy wife of the King of Minos, Pasiphaë, who had a hollow cow created so she could mate with a bull. Again, the animal side of her nature leads to actions that astound and stagger if taken literally.
Half and Half The allegory of the Commedia is transparently obvious here, for those who wish to stop and think for a moment or two. One has to not worry about the fact that pagan myths dominate at times, for they represent obvious sins found in classical philosophy and Medieval Christian Scholasticism. We are in the Circle of the Violent now. These are those who have not only hated others and been filled with ire [hence the anger and wrath consuming the Minotaur as he consumes himself], but they also acted on that hate by killing the other. From Zeno to Socrates to Augustine to Aquinas the bestial side of our nature was to be subdued and brought under control by our rational side. If that did not happen, then an individual was indeed “half and half,” half animal and half human. This is even represented by the conception of the Minotaur by that randy wife of the King of Minos, Pasiphaë, who had a hollow cow created so she could mate with a bull. Again, the animal side of her nature leads to actions that astound and stagger if taken literally. But literalism is not the point here, control of our nature and emotions is. Loss of that control is what led these violent murderers to be placed in the boiling river of blood. They spilt blood in hot-headed fury and must remain in hot boiling blood for eternity. The Minotaur shows what results when anger consumes a person, [and I have indeed known people whose lives were filled with anger, driven by anger, consumed by their own anger]. The centaurs give us a hint of admission that there are indeed two natures in us all, but the animal side can be controlled, such as in Chiron, who was Achilles’ tutor. There are times when I truly continue this battle with a variety of natures and emotions, all of which are appropriate in their own time and nature, but they will want to rule my life in ugly and evil ways if allowed.
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Field Trip Postponed There were times when, in the course of my schooling, field trips had to be postponed. Due to unexpected circumstances, we could not reenact the Battle of Antietam on the Alamosa High School lawn with Mr. King’s history class. As a result of finances we couldn’t accompany Dr. Dick to the ‘Bat Cave’ in Northern New Mexico for a dig. Whatever the causes, the result was we were relegated to lectures as opposed to participating in object lessons. Hence, the same is here, as Prof. Hollander states so well in his notes from the Princeton Dante Project site. Indeed, I would encourage one and all to take advantage of these notes on the site. [Professor Robert Hollander, professor emeritus at Princeton provides the study notes and helped with the translation. His wife, Jean Hollander crafted the poetry of the translation being a published poet herself.] The study notes are the most extensive available. In hardback there are 670 pages for the Inferno, 768 pages for the Purgatorio and a whopping 944 pages for the Paradiso, and one can read them for free on the Princeton website. (You gotta love my Princeton!) You will find Hollander comparing different views and reviews of this great work through the centuries. He brings in views from Dante’s contemporaries to stolid Christians like Tozer to radical modernists like Durling who tried to prove that Dante was gay. For those who truly want to dive into the languages or any reader who has studied any foreign language, Italian or Greek or Hebrew, Hollander lets one know when a “hapax legomenon” appears in the work. This is a technical term that describes when a word is used only once in a work of literature. But Hollander will explain if it’s used only once in the Commedia, or once in each part, or only once in all of literature: remarkable and fascinating [at least for me, nerdy dude that I am…]. I also appreciate his willingness to take a stand in some places, stating that such and such were way off in left field when they assumed a certain interpretation of Dante’s work. In one place he is rather kind when he calls one view an “extravagant misreading” but in another place he lets fly with a blunt diagnosis: “this is a numb-brained remark.” Great! I’m sorry not to have taken a course with him. At the left of the screenshot one can see the place to click / select in order to read commentary on a certain verse, see an image from the collection, read Toynbee’s translation, etc. Click on the SUMMARY button in the bar just above the text and one gets this review for Canto XI 1-9 a second group of heretics: Pope Anastasius 10-15 the stench of sin from lower hell 16-27 Virgil's description of the sins of lower hell: malice resulting in use of violence or fraud 28-51 violence (Circle 7) vs. neighbor, self, or God 52-60 fraud (Circle 8) vs. others 61-66 treachery, a worse form of fraud (Circle 9) 67-75 Dante's question: why are not the inhabitants of Circles 2-5 punished in Dis? 76-90 Virgil's answer: incontinence less offensive to God than malice and mad brutishness 91-96 Dante still puzzled by Virgil's words about usury 97-111 Virgil on the sin against art, 'God's grandchild' 112-115 coda: Virgil announces it is time to go (ca. 4am) Explore while we pause here with Dante the Pilgrim and Virgil. This website is a stunning resource not to be missed … as is Dante himself! You Are Here We are treated to an overview of Dante’s organization of Hell based on Aristotle, Virgil and Cicero. The levels of sin, the reasons for their placement in Dante the Poet’s scheme and the moral landscape which dictates the suffering necessitated by each sin are of his own creation. We will find a similar pause to get our bearings and view the layout in Purgatory and Paradise as well. I’d like to share a few thoughts on this Canto XI without trying to justify or correct Dante’s views of sin and judgment. Again, it is remarkable how this work is embraced by the full spectrum of worldviews through the centuries: theology, philosophy, literature, and recently, psychology, morality and ethics. Prue Shaw in her recent book “Reading Dante: From Here to Eternity,” does a remarkable job in opening up the many ways which Dante continues to create wonder and insight for a wide variety of readers. For doctrinal Christians, there will be more and more views of clarification of Medieval Christian Scholasticism as Dante the Pilgrim progresses through all three levels of this universe. For the secular atheists, one will find enough food for thought and philosophical discernment to last a lifetime. For anyone who lives, moves and has being there are insights and allegorical lessons around life, love, morality, self-centeredness and sacrificial surrender. It is fascinating to me that Dante uses Aristotle and Cicero in his division of Hell, yet he infuses it all with Christian teachings in the allegory and symbolisms. I love the fact that we find classical characters like Ulysses mixed in with his own Florentine contemporaries. And covering it all, at least in my opinion, is the fact that sin at the most basic level, is just as relational as love. The level in Hell that one finds oneself planted is dependent upon the depth of betrayal and harm that has been done to the other: a person, in society, God. It is entirely consistent with this relational worldview, Christian or secular or classical, that Satan is stuck in a loveless frozen waste, munching on three who have betrayed their dearest friends and their Lord. Personal betrayal is placed furthest away from God, the heart of love and the incarnation of sacrificial love for each and every one, as if they were the only one. The Heretics At first blush, this Canto seems to have precious little to do with medieval doctrinal purity and right belief. There seem to be only three lines that deal with actual heretical belief: 13 'Here Epicurus with all his followers, 14 who hold the soul dies with the body, 15 have their burial place. The rest of the passage seems to be hijacked by the imposing speech and figure of Farinata who surprises and frightens Dante the Pilgrim as they walk along. Indeed, he interrupts Dante and Vigil with his thundering “O Tuscan passing through…” We have in him a figure who may indeed have served as a type or model for Milton’s portrayal of Satan in Paradise Lost. Farinata stands proudly in the open tomb, refusing to show pain, raising an eyebrow at Dante’s lineage as opposed to his own. His pride even baits and draws out Dante the Pilgrim’s pride in ‘winning the battle’ of the two families. Pride of Place, even in the Sixth Circle of Hell, is important it seems. 32 Look, there Farinata stands erect -- 33 you can see all of him from the waist up.' 34 Already I had fixed my gaze on his. 35 And he was rising, lifting chest and brow 36 as though he held all Hell in utter scorn. Hopefully your translation and notes will unpack this canto and all the backstory of Farinata’s betrayal of Florence. Here, more than any other to date, one needs to know some of the history behind the politics and choices that tore Florence and, in fact, much of southern Europe apart. Mark Musa does a good job in his notes explaining all this, as does the website out of the University of Texas, Danteworlds. I will share simply two insights from Canto X. 1.-Pied Piper It seems to me that Dante the Poet [and theologian] places the Heretics here as much for whom they have chosen to follow as for the specific doctrinal belief systems they embraced. I’ve mentioned before that where one chooses to stand dictates where one resides in Hell, but that should be expanded, of course, to who one chooses to FOLLOW leads one to this inevitable place of standing. Epicurus is there in the Sixth Circle, as are his FOLLOWERS. Farinata is there due to who he FOLLOWED, the actions which resulted and because of those whom he led astray. It behooves us all to examine our beliefs and question those whom we have chosen to follow. Dante will give no excuses to the followers that are led astray by their leaders. Each person has a responsibility to choose wisely and well, and one’s beliefs should in fact, dictate who one follows as a leader. That person or persons can help us sharpen and examine our beliefs, but in the end, we ourselves are responsible for what we believe and the actions that follow from those beliefs. I’m sorry, but there is no getting to heaven [or hell] on the coattails of another. 2.-Miscommunication There seem to be several layers here of inability to communicate or even refusal to communicate and perhaps these too contribute to heresy and the integrity of belief. Virgil assumes that Dante the Pilgrim has hidden desires that are not being expressed or shared. 16 'But soon your need to have an answer 17 will be satisfied right here, 18 as will the wish you hide from me.' Dante assures him that, indeed, he may have kept a few things from him, but it was only out of respect and etiquette and a desire to say only the most necessary things. 19 And I: 'Good leader, from you I do not keep 20 my heart concealed except to speak few words -- 21 as you've from time to time advised.' Immediately their line of communication is interrupted by Farinata’s cry, rising from the tomb as in a bad B-Horror movie. 22 'O Tuscan, passing through the city of fire, 23 alive, and with such courtesy of speech, 24 if it would please you, stay your steps awhile. We then have verbal jousting as opposed to honest communication between these two Florentines. And even that is interrupted yet again by a third party, the father of Dante’s best friend and fellow poet, Guido, who pokes his head up out of the same tomb, apparently resting his chin on the ground. 52 Then, beside him, in the open tomb, up came 53 a shade, visible to the chin: I think 54 he had raised himself upon his knees. In the lack of communication here, even the space between words is misunderstood and dialogue stopped abruptly by a turning away with a mistaken assumption and the father burying himself again in this ignorance. How often, indeed, have I witnessed similar interruptions, outbursts and cutting off of dialogue based solely on mistaken assumptions which are nurtured without the benefit of clarification. Farinata then continues his own dialogue in media res, as if he had never been interrupted. He is not interested in dialogue for he now continues and tries subterfuge and self-justification; yes, he may have helped slaughter many of his neighbors, but at least he told them to keep the buildings intact. [Hmmm, any parallel here with two people carrying on two monologues, each trying only get a pet point across without listening to or reacting with the other’s ideas and responses? Hmmmm…] Dante the Pilgrim, to his credit, attempts to find some real dialogue, clarification and care in asking about knowledge of the souls and their limitations as well as the name of those who share the tomb with him. He then also asks Farinata to help the father of Guido to know the truth about his son, but almost certainly that won’t happen. There is some resolution, but as they turn away from these open tombs, the air is still filled with self-justification, half-truths and refusal to listen to or acknowledge the other. Apparently for Dante, how well one communicates and respects one’s neighbor also impacts one’s belief system and its integrity. Go and ‘boil your bottoms’ … you cannot come in! The interruption of movement and forward progress remains central for our two travelers. They are on a timeline, they have to be at a certain place at the just the right moment and yet, it seems as though everything is conspiring against them. At least it seems so here, outside the walls of the City of Dis. Virgil, the secular, rational poet is rebuffed. I would not DIS-miss the seriousness of this moment, but I wonder if Monty Python, Oxford and Cambridge educated such as they were, based their French guards at the castle wall in The Search for the Holy Grail on just this episode in the Inferno. One certainly has exactly that feel of dismissiveness and complete lack of respect by the three weird sisters looking down at the two, cowering below them. They may not stick out their tongues and waggle their heads, but the snakes weave around them, they beat their breasts and they call for Medusa to come turn Dante to stone. 49 Each rent her breast with her own nails. 50 And with their palms they struck themselves, shrieking. 51 In fear I pressed close to the poet. 52 'Let Medusa come and we'll turn him to stone,' 53 they cried, looking down… The Limits of Reason
We are reminded yet again, that Reason only will go so far in the move toward holiness, wisdom and salvation. The gates of Hell are wide open for anyone and everyone to enter. The gates of Dis are closed tightly with a self-referent and willful disregard for God’s Holy Will. One has the sense that those who willingly turned against the Divine Will would gain entrance to Dis, but those who have surrendered their will to God’s Will are left out. Hence, we once again find that the best way to move forward is to stay still, the truest hope is to wait, seemingly without hope. This forces both Dante the Pilgrim and Virgil the Guide to stop depending solely on their own wisdom and courage. Courage leaves them both and Virgil mutters in his beard concerning help from above and why is it taking so long. Dante the Poet, who has been exiled from his beloved Florence, that city’s gates shut to him [and never again opened to him in his lifetime], knows that indeed, comes a time when one must stop, wait, pray and simply trust. This is a lesson hard-learned for many of us, at least it has been for me. Dante and Virgil come to a place of realization that their power is meaningless and the three weird sisters remain without understanding that their own apparent power appears absolute. And yet, and yet, just the opposite is true. Humility, trust and faith will open the doors and willful spite and power ultimately is defeated. These are lessons little learned still at so many levels of our shared journey even now, in the 21st century. The Opening of the Gates One can find many, many reflections on this canto and the parallels it seems to show to Christ harrowing Hell, coming and opening the gates to bring out the chosen. Here we have the heavenly messenger opening the gates to let in the chosen. Mark Musa in his commentary has a mini-essay on the different ways this canto can be understood. Sayers unpacks the theological reality of intentional surrender to Divine Grace. We find that in fact, sin is not really about giving in to perversions, but standing in the wrong place and on the wrong side. I keep coming back to this truth: intentionality matters. Dante and Virgil may be standing, cowering even, embracing each other, but they are on the side of intentional surrender, obedience and trust. Dante does remarkable things with his images, for he truly is one of the greatest poets in the Western Tradition. I found the brief description of the opening of the gates to also be deeply Biblical as well as poetic. It parallels the surprise I experience when reading Revelation 5 when the question was asked as to who was worthy to open the Scroll. It was stated that the Lion of Judah was worthy. Yet, when John turns to look, expecting a mighty lion [I expected Aslan…], instead he sees this: “And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain... (Revelation 5:6 ESV)” It’s a bit like cognitive dissonance. I am told that one thing is to be expected, but I see something completely different that still achieves what is needed. Similarly, when I first read Canto IX in the Inferno, I expected to see a mighty Archangel, such as Michael, striding across the landscape with a holy vengeance wielding a mighty sword that would destroy the gates to the City of Dis and punish those who have refused to cooperate! Instead, what do we get: an almost disinterested presence, a little wand and the gates merely swing open immediately. 88 Ahi quanto mi parea pien di disdegno! 88 Ah, how full of high disdain he seemed to me! 89 Venne a la porta e con una verghetta [lit. petite wand] 89 He came up to the gate and with a wand 90 l'aperse, che non v'ebbe alcun ritegno. 90 he opened it, and there was no resistance. This is almost anticlimactic and yet also perfectly understandable. The fear and importance we give to certain “crises” in our lives, when our will has been suppressed or our plan subverted are very often of secondary concern in the broader scheme. What, I wonder, is of the most importance in God’s Economy and for the good of all? Surely it isn’t simply getting my own way and having everybody act the way I want them to. A Place to Stand In Canto VIII we move into a place of paradox and puzzlement. Suddenly, having journeyed with this pair swiftly, moving a circle for each canto, we now are stymied and stopped. They cannot continue, for they run smack-dab into fierce resistance, intentional evil and willful denial of God’s desires. From this point on, even to move forward in their journey requires several cantos. Here is where our modern sensibilities need to be set aside and we must remember that this great poem is also one of the deepest allegories on Christian growth and salvation that has ever been written. I think it would be helpful if we simply break this canto into sections and look at it in small sections. Lines 1-30 We were left standing on the banks of the Styx, just about to leave the first main level of Hell. This was the level where sins of Incontinence were punished… It’s a shame that in the 21st century the only image conjured up when the word “incontinence” is used is a packet of “Depends Adult Diapers”. In reality of course, it refers to anything which is out of control, not just our bladders! Hence, Francesca da Rimini’s out of control lust and egoism, here the out of control anger and sullenness that roils the black waters of the Styx [the overly angry thrashing on the surface, the incessantly sullen burbling under the surface]. A medieval method of communication is used to notify either shore of their arrival, hence the use of flaming beacons. [The author J. R. R. Tolkien and movie director Peter Jackson used this method to great effect in the Lord of the Rings.] Note the immediate obedience here, when the boatman Phlegyas speeds over to pick them up, assuming there is yet another soul to torment. Obedience and the reasons for it play a huge part in these cantos. Why we do what we do and for whom, ultimately, is a measure of our faith, love and integrity. Lines 31-63 As they pass through the filthy water, one particular suffering soul asks Dante who he is, alive in this land of the dead: 33 'Who are you that you come before your time?' And it is here that many are shocked and confused. Dante the Pilgrim recognizes him as fellow Florentine and in this marsh of anger Dante responds in anger to a soul who lived in anger all his life. And Virgil embraces Dante for doing so. And encourages him when Dante requests to see Filippo Argenti experience even more suffering. 52 And I: 'Master, I would be most eager 53 to see him pushed deep down into this soup 54 before we leave the lake.' 55 And he to me: 'Before the shore 56 comes into view you'll have your satisfaction. 57 Your wish deserves to be fulfilled.' 58 Soon I watched him get so torn to pieces 59 by the muddy crew, I still give praise 60 and thanks to God for it. What is this all about? Is it merely schadenfreude, the pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune? Or worse, is this a spiteful mean-spiritedness by one who resents past insults and affronts? Not at all, for this is the first hint we have of Dante actually recognizing that these sinners are here for a reason. Twice now, he has fainted ‘out of pity’ for the sinners, but here we begin to see that Dante the Pilgrim realizes that evil is often a CHOICE on the part of the perpetrators. Virgil reacts with pleasure not because of the suffering created, but of the first hint that Dante the Pilgrim is beginning to understand that intentionality is crucial in the life of faith and the growth in wisdom. Dante has moved beyond standing with the presumably innocent sufferers, like Francesca, and is now on the way to viewing evil and recalcitrance for what it is: ego incarnate. The only god these people truly worship is themselves, and Dante’s rather immature reaction still is commendable in that he has chosen to stand on the side of surrender to the one true God. Dorothy Sayers puts it like this: “It is the first feeble stirrings of the birth of Christ in the soul, and Virgil hails it with words that were used of Christ Himself.” 45 blessed is she that bore you in her womb! Lines 64-130 They are deposited outside the gate of the mighty city of Dis, the capital of Hell, filled with fire and ferocity. As if to drive home the point of where one chooses to stand determines how one views this reality, the two pilgrims are stranded as a result of stubborn disobedience to God’s Will. The fallen angels refuse to allow them entrance, even though God demands it. Faced with this refusal, each pilgrim reacts in a different way. Dante the Pilgrim panics, and seems ready to quit completely. From a moment of understanding on the journey over just minutes ago, he now wants to pack it in. This sounds very familiar to me, at times I get it right and the next moment I lose my way. 96 for I thought I would never make it back. 97 'O my dear leader, who seven times and more 98 have braced my confidence and rescued me 99 from the grave dangers that assailed me, 100 'do not leave me,' I cried, 'helpless now! 101 If going farther is denied us, 102 let us at once retrace our steps.' Virgil, of course, comforts him, encourages him, and tells him that he will take care of this. Surely they will listen to reason, especially Virgil who represents the pinnacle of Human Reason. And they don’t. The truth is that there is unreasonable evil in this world, there are always those who will do what they do because of their own designs and desires, reason be damned… literally! And the self-assured Virgil comes back to Dante, suddenly just as helpless as Dante the Pilgrim. 115 Then our adversaries slammed shut the gates 116 against my master, who, left outside, 117 came back to me with halting steps. 118 He had his eyes upon the ground, his brows 119 shorn of all confidence… Of course, within the allegory of Dante the Poet, this is to be expected. Comes a time when reason and our own ego needs and personal drive and individual resources all fall short. Dante the political exile discovered this. Then we are forced back into the arms of God and must depend upon Divine assistance alone. If one is to journey deeper into the life of faith, one must learn over and over to surrender, to die to self, to trust completely. Here we find also that Dante the Poet is a remarkable writer, for he leaves them, and us, standing alone, before locked gates, in a fierce and darkened land. Help is on the way, but it is not here yet. And so we wait. In faith and trust, we wait. Who of us has not been in this place before, between fear and hope, with dark waters on one side and unfulfilled promises on the other… I love this work of literature! Fear, Fortune and Fury This is a transitional canto, covering a number of issues for Dante the Poet as he guides us and Dante the Pilgrim further into the heart of darkness which will lead to a healed heart of light. Hopefully we can read these cantos and come to these mythical characters with an eye toward allegory and lessons as opposed to an assumed literalist interpretation. Of course Dante and his readers knew that Plutus / Pluto or Dame Fortune / Luck are not actual characters, but the themes represented by them and many of these other characters are crucial to development in wisdom, faith, love, maturity and integrity for any true pilgrim moving toward the light. Let me touch on three of these themes in this canto. FEAR I find hidden among all the strange names and almost absurd and visceral descriptions wondrous gems of truth for our growth and discernment. In the first two stanzas is to be found such a little gem and it is easily passed over due to the strange beginning from Plutus. The nonsensical opening is surely something created by Dante the Poet to emphasize the weird setting in which Dante the Pilgrim finds himself. And the odd and fearsome sounding words in a voice that is gross and guttural would almost certainly fill anyone with fear and doubt. We have lost the power of words in today’s word-filled world. In generations past, to utter the name of Satan aloud would be to invite that presence to appear. Even to give one’s own name to another before one knew that person could be trusted would be to give a level of power to that unknown person that would be unwise. Hence, one can see perhaps Dante the Pilgrim hesitate at such a fierce and overt proclamation of the Evil One. And yet, and yet, Virgil responds immediately and wisely. All but one of the translations I read seemed to get it right. Hollander: 4 …'Do not be overcome 5 by fear. However powerful he may be, 6 he'll not prevent our climbing down this cliff.' Musa: 4 …“Pay no attention 5 to your fear, for no matter what his power be 6 he cannot stop our journey down this rock.” Pinsky: 4 “Don’t let your fear harm you; whatever power he has 5 Cannot prevent us climbing down this rock.” …and so on. Ciardi misses it by merely having Virgil pat Dante’s arm, saying “don’t be startled….” This is far more than being startled however. There is an acknowledgement here that fear can derail even the best of God’s guides and abort the new life that has begun within us. There is a recognition that, in fact, fear is to be admitted, owned, and then one is to move forward despite the fear. Virgil lets both Dante the Pilgrim and Plutus the guard know that there is a higher plan here that must be followed, even if the reality with which we are presented is, in fact, profoundly fearsome. One must move ahead, regardless, trusting in one’s guide and guard. FORTUNE We find the bulk of this canto dealing with wealth, its use, misuse and the lack thereof. Some spend without concern for those in need, while others hoard and never give as demanded by God. The two camps circle around as if on a giant spectrum and the further one goes in one direction the more one becomes like the other. In point of fact, anger and acquisition seem to go hand in hand at this level of Hell. Virgil gives a brief lesson on the Medieval figure of Dame Fortune. One can find more about this in the notes in your version of the Inferno, but it also is rooted in the Christian teaching that all good things come from God above, and not simply one’s own manipulation of, in today’s parlance, stocks and bonds and diversifying one’s portfolio. Ultimately, one must learn to rejoice in what is available while not taking too much pride in what one has accomplished. “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” [Revelation 3:17] We know that in the world where the plague devastated society and entire cities, one felt at the mercy of luck or fortune. And yet, even today, we must recognize how precious each day is and the level of ‘giftedness’ there can be in simply receiving (or ‘receiving simply’) the Grace of the Moment and the Practice of the Presence. Hence the monk, praying in the Medieval image and he observes Dame Fortune reminding even the Pope, on the far downward side of the wheel, that we are all at the mercy of Fortune and, ultimately, Grace. FURY The canto ends with a remarkable vignette of what happens when one is never content… ever… with anything: anger takes over. There is never enough to go around so everyone else becomes one’s opponent. What you have should really be mine. I deserve that. And even, under the black muck of the marsh, there is an undercurrent of complaint that is almost an equivalent to the Gregorian Chant that sings God’s praises seven times a day in the monasteries. Instead, it is the mumbling of despair and they have become complaint incarnate. That which they did throughout life is that which they became in death. In another context C. S. Lewis describes what I am trying to say: “Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others... but you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. It is not a question of God "sending us" to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE hell unless it is nipped in the bud.” Lessons from the Farm There are still places in America where youth are raised on small farms and have to slop the hogs two or three times a day. They would find Canto VI familiar territory: dogs being tossed gobs of glop to shut them up, pigs wallowing in muck, rain and hail pounding down on one as the chores are being done, for they HAVE to be done regardless of the weather. And here, in the third circle, the weather is always bad. Gluttony is the sin of the circle, but not really the topic of this Canto. We are reminded again that we are in a moral landscape and Dante the Poet shows how the little touches of description make this come alive in a visceral way. A pig-sty in heavy rain becomes a foul place… 10 Heavy hailstones, filthy water, and snow 11 pour down through gloomy air. 12 The ground it falls on reeks. Even the guard dog Cerberus is gluttonous… 16 His eyes are red, his beard a greasy black, 17 his belly swollen... But in this Canto, the greatest glutton of all is the city of Florence, filled with envy to overflowing, abounding in sinful townsmen to the point that this city feeds Hell itself! Dante is recognized by a fellow citizen, Ciacco [‘the pig’], but it is not his sin of gluttony that is lifted up, but the ruinous heart of the city of Florence. The city itself seemed to claim Ciacco and destroy him, not letting him go. 49 And he to me: 'Your city, so full of envy 50 that now the sack spills over, 51 held me in its confines in the sunlit life. And then we find that many, many from Florence are further down in Hell, and indeed that will be the case. Dante the Poet shows Dante the Pilgrim still and ever fixated on the political machinations of this city that will exile and try to ruin him. But we will also find, as Dante the Pilgrim travels through the three levels of the Medieval Christian universe, that priorities are revealed and reversed. It is good to be suspicious of Dante the Pilgrim as he continues to weep for these who claim it’s not their fault. Francesca in Canto V said ‘love’ made her do it. Ciacco in Canto VI claimed it was the ‘city, so full of evil’ that would not let him be good. And Dante the Pilgrim weeps for them. I wonder, for myself, how often I still do the same, rarely accepting my own failings, always claiming it is another’s fault or at least the consequence of the present reality is not my fault. Hmmm…. Perfection Leads to Pain We have a fascinating glimpse in this Canto into the philosophy of Aristotle through the writings of Thomas Aquinas. I won’t go into depth here concerning the sources of this Medieval conceit, but basically it comes from these lines: 103 'Master,' I asked, 'after the great Judgment 104 will these torments be greater, less, 105 or will they stay as harsh as they are now?' 106 And he replied: 'Return to your science, 107 which has it that, in measure of a thing's perfection, 108 it feels both more of pleasure and of pain. Both Aristotle and Aquinas wrote of the union of physical body and the psyche, or the soul. As the two become one, then the individual is made more perfect, for Aquinas, more Christ like. This led to the belief that the betrayal and crucifixion felt by Christ was infinitely painful to Him because of the infinite perfection and beauty of His incarnational being. Therefore, in Dante’s time it was assumed that at the Final Judgment, everyone would be made whole, or one, but that would also mean that those in Hell would feel their pain in ‘perfect’ ways just as those in Paradise would live in glory in ‘perfect’ ways. I wonder if this is still accepted today? Have It Your Way! We begin this canto with a solidly rooted image of Minos, snarling, ugly, whipping his wicked tale around and around himself to show each sinner which level of Hell is their destiny. We end this canto with wind-whipped beauty that is constantly in motion. Yet the stolid solidity of Minos forces truth from the sinners; they can no longer lie to themselves or him but must confess and hear the consequence of their actions: 15 They tell, they hear, and then are hurled down. And the two lovers, clinging to one another at the end of the canto are the ones who continue to lie and make excuses, blaming poets, books, sighs, society, anything they can for their own misplaced actions. Dante knew Augustine of Hippo’s expectation that reason, true Christian reason, is not simply stating logical syllogisms but rather right choices that reflect true community. Reason that focuses merely on MY needs and MY desires and MY happiness alone is self-referent to the extreme. We find this reflected in remarkable ways in this, the most famous of all the cantos in the Commedia. Medieval Storyboarding We find Dante’s art reflected here in remarkable ways. From Minos planted at the beginning with only the movement of his tale we then find ourselves in the circle where people have allowed their desires, emotions and lusts to move them whichever way they want. Hence, the moral landscape is that of tempest tossed starlings or birds following one another. There is the symbolism of only following the crowd, of moving from here to there willy-nilly. The images begin with great sweeping movements that quickly focus in on certain ones that whiz by: Semiramis, Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Achilles, Paris, Tristan, etc. The movement is remarkably cinematic. We finally focus in on one couple, and we can see and hear them clearly. No more mass movements with a hand-held camera, but a close-up instead, on one person and her story: Francesca da Rimini. This was an actual occurrence of adultery discovered during Dante’s time and was well known in his day. The husband murdered his brother and his wife in the act of adultery. It is she who speaks: 88 'O living creature, gracious and kind, "O animal grazïoso e benigno 89 that come through somber air to visit us che visitando vai per l'aere perso She makes immediate assumptions and her words reflect that which is most important to her. Common courtesy would require that she ask who they are, why they are there and what was their reason for calling her over to them. Instead, she does not even acknowledge their humanity, but instead, calls them “animal” albeit gracious and kind animals. Of course the only thing that makes them gracious and kind in her eyes is that they apparently have come all this way into Hell… just to visit her! “that come through somber air to visit us.” I thought immediately of the tragedy of pornography, where human beings, women almost totally, are treated as animals, as receptacles for another’s lust and need. Even here, at the beginning, the most important thing in Francesca’s world is her own satisfaction and desires. You’ve come to see ME! In point of fact, Dante is there because he is in the middle of a Dark Night of the Soul. He lost his way and has admitted to himself and others that he is not the center of his universe. He knows that left to his own devices, even if outwardly he has been successful, he loses his way. He is being guided and is following another. Yet Francesca assumes she is the reason he is there. Amazing. And this will happen in other ways as he continues through Hell. Each person is the center of their own little universe. It is all about ME. Self-Delusion
It is good to read and reread this canto. Find the places where one should question Francesca. Dante the Poet shows great insight and art in representing her. 91 'if the King of the universe were our friend se fosse amico il re de l'universo, 92 we would pray that He might give you peace, noi pregheremmo lui de la tua pace, She is in Hell and tosses off a remark about the King of the Universe… “oh, if He were our friend…” she doesn't say that she would then repent, for as we soon see, it is not her fault she is there. The Lord is not their friend, hence they get tossed into Hell. And so she begins to tell her tale and much is wrong here. Read through this fascinating monologue line by line. For instance, she has personified “Love” and it is all “Love’s” fault! Love SEIZED this man. [line 101] Love ABSOLVES no one [line 103] Love SEIZED me [line 104] Love BROUGHT us to death [line 106] As I said before, she takes no responsibility! I know of two professors who teach the Divine Comedy in prisons. Often the prisoners will identify with this canto and Francesca in particular saying: “That’s me! It was always someone else’s fault for my problems! I am always trying to convince others that the only reason I’m here is because someone had it in for me.” And of course, what kind of “Love” is this? Let’s be clear here… she is using the Medieval literary language of “love” in the same way Petrarch and Dante used to. Dante had written as a young man, gushing love poems for Beatrice and they had just this form and tone! Hopefully you can read this through several times and make the necessary discoveries. Do realize, however, that Dante the Poet is also having a go at himself, and when he faints in the poem, Dante the Pilgrim is still far from understanding how truly sinful and selfish Francesca is. Dante the Pilgrim has much to learn, as we shall see. [Dante is in the circle of lust, and wants to hear every detail of their affair and then swoons afterwards…. Hmmmmm, is there a problem with that?] Awake O Sleeper! This journey for me will not involve repeating information that can be found in any creditable commentary on the Commedia. Hence, the structure of this universe, the nine rings of Hell, Purgatorio and Paradiso will not be a topic for me. However, those who inhabit these places and what they have meant to me over the years will of course form my thoughts and reflections… and hopefully yours as well. After the puzzle of the wide open gate into Hell, the throngs of dead chasing after every windblown cause and the paradox of clamoring crowds fearing, yet yearning to cross the river into Hell itself, Dante faints at the sight of fiery eyed Charon. Fainting will be an often used literary tool for Dante, but it is also interesting in that it is used at times of transitions across thresholds. We often “wake up” to find ourselves at a new place in our journey, having advanced, or even become a “backslider” without even realizing it. Indeed, Dante began this journey due to just such an awakening and realization that he had gone far, far astray from the road of hope, wholeness and wisdom. This is a constant, periodic practice for Dante the Pilgrim that seems to be forced upon him and yet profoundly helpful: to stop in the journey, to “wake up” to one’s true standing on this journey of life, to see if one is still being guided wisely and well and ask oneself which voices are, truly, one’s real guides at this very moment… Light and Dark There is a wonderful play of light and dark by Dante the Poet in this Canto IV. He awakens from the darkness of a deep sleep: 1 A heavy thunderclap broke my deep sleep 2 so that I started up like one 3 shaken awake by force. And he looks around in a startled manner, as one does when shocked awake in a strange place… “Where am I?” he seems to ask himself. 4 With rested eyes, I stood 5 and looked about me, then fixed my gaze 6 to make out where I was. And he discovers that sleep does not remove oneself from the necessary journey one is on. The great escape for some who do not want to face this reality or that test or these family members is to go back to bed. And yet, and yet, one must at some point still wake up and face reality and deal with the journey. 7 I found myself upon the brink 8 of an abyss of suffering 9 filled with the roar of endless woe. He then proceeds to look down into another form of deep darkness: from darkness of sleep into the darkness of his surroundings and where he must go. 10 It was full of vapor, dark and deep. 11 Straining my eyes toward the bottom, 12 I could see nothing. But here is the great paradox and the great joy: it is only through the darkness that one can find the light, it is only in the night of fear is one brought to the Light of the World. We are reminded again that it is only through letting go in the diminishment of one’s ego and forceful demands that one begins to grow toward the light of wisdom and love. 22 'Let us go, for the long road calls us.' And in the very last line of this Canto he steps into the night in order to come to the light… 151 And I come to a place where nothing shines. Doing the Limbo Here we find ourselves in the Medieval Christian world that is foreign to many of us. Dante accepts the structure in that those who were not baptized into the Christian Church are not allowed into Paradise, despite their goodness or brilliance. But Dante also reminds us that we all are indebted to one another and he lists many, including Muslims, who are important to him and his own growth. We cannot safely assume that Dante the Poet is a ‘company man’ for we will find popes in Hell and pagans in Purgatory. Dorothy Sayers and others do not spend much time trying to explain exactly who each of these great ones were, but there is a recognition that this list is an acknowledgement that we do not stand in the present without the guidance and help of those from the past. Dante however does acknowledge that reason will only take us so far. Without faith in the Light of the World, we will never get to where we need to go. Hence, Virgil will be his guide only to the top of Mount Purgatory: then Divine Guidance is required. Housekeeping Notes: I am ever hopeful that those few of you who are reading this will remain steadfast through the entire journey. I am also fiercely, yet fearfully desirous that each of you actually read the primary material, that you read the great poem itself as we go, rather than simply my reflections only. I would much rather see Kurosawa’s great movie Red Beard after talking with a friend about its greatness, rather than simply taking his word for it. Please, dear ones, read the primary material. Abandon All Hope No Locked Gate Upon first reading this canto many, many years ago I was confused that there were no locks to Hell. I’d heard, of course, that Peter had been given the keys to Heaven, hence the golden gate to Paradise was locked. Not so for the Inferno. Wide open. It seemed almost inviting. But, were not people FORCED to go to Hell? Would they not WANT to flee out the wide open gate? Here we have the first of several opportunities to visit the reasons for the ontology of this reality: why was Hell created in the first place? Regardless of what Rob Bell writes in “Love Wins” or others presume is the reason for Hell, Dante seems to be fierce in his assertion that free will and the right exercise of ‘intellect’ decides one’s place in this life and the afterlife, hence there must be a place for those who want no part of the divine presence or reality. In point of fact, we also have several places where Dante the Pilgrim must intentionally choose to step into a place of uncertainty and fear, crossing a threshold with absolute trust in his particular guide, despite all appearances to the contrary that all will be well. It would be a good study, if one so chooses, to mark the places where Dante the Pilgrim must cross a new threshold, or find a way further along the journey and to see how many times he must trust another. It rankles some, at times, to see in fact how there is a balance between Dante’s choices and Dante’s letting go of control. Perhaps, then, that is the road to holy wisdom, knowing when to choose and knowing when to trust, knowing when to walk and knowing when to be carried. The Danger of NOT Choosing Indeed, there is wonderful counterbalance in this Canto of what one should let go and when one should fiercely take a stand. In line 9 we have that famous line on the Gate of Hell: 9 ABANDON ALL HOPE, 9 Lasciate ogne speranza, In the Italian, if your version has that option, one can see that speranza is to be completely cast off. No hope. And at the same time, Dante is told a few lines later to also abandon something: 14 ‘Here you must banish all distrust, 14 ‘lasciare ogne sospetto, One must know when to let go, and when to “let God” so to speak. And we are given a perfect example of those who never stood firm, of those who were afraid to take a stand, and who were afraid to trust one leader and follow that path to the death. Dante the Pilgrim comes upon the massive crowds, both angels and humanity, who never took a stand for or against anything. And so they are blown about by every wind of chance, following any flag that flies in the wind. They go back and forth, despised by both Heaven and Hell. Moral Landscapes I want to mention just briefly the fact that we will come across scenes such as this throughout the Commedia: the very geography and landscape reflects the theological and moral reality that is being addressed. Dante is not simply about finding new and inventive ways to gross people out with tortures in Hell or shock people in Purgatory or mystify readers in Paradiso. That truth which Dante the Pilgrim is required to learn in a certain circle is reflected in the actions and accidents of the geography he witnesses. We will speak more of this as we journey with him. Fear Turned to Longing We return to the absence of locks at the entrance of Hell. People seem almost eager to cross the river Acheron. 121 'My son,' said the courteous master, 122 'all those who die in the wrath of God 123 assemble here from every land. 124 'And they are eager to cross the river, 125 for the justice of God so spurs them on 126 their very fear is turned to longing. Perhaps another way to express this is as follows: that to which we give all our energy, time, intelligence and power is that which begins to form our very being. To spend our life in accumulating power or trying to win some perceived competition or nursing past betrayals or injuries means that, in fact, we BECOME that very reality toward which we strove our entire lives. If our world is narrowed down to a self-referent neutron star that gathers only that which feeds our self, then we simply become a black hole, out of which no light shines. Dante the Pilgrim will discover, through his walk through this moral landscape, indeed how who the denizens of Hell were in life has determined what they have become… in the afterlife. |
Kelby CottonSelected insights and reflections from 30 years of teaching and reading and leading retreats. Archives
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