We come now to the next level of the Paradiso, that of the ‘evening star:’ Venus the source of eros and love. Dante the Pilgrim ascends with Beatrice in the blink of an eye and only realizes they have arrived by the increased beauty of his guide. There is an interesting parallelism here in that those who have arrived to welcome Dante the Pilgrim and Beatrice to this level are indeed ones who lived their lives for love, and they join in a whirling, circling dance as a natural expression of that joy and love. This, of course, should remind us of the whirling gusts of wind in Inferno V as Francesca and Paolo were thrown about as they professed love as well. And yet, the differences between the two are stark, to say the least. Take for instance, the motions of the individuals in each Canto. In the Inferno they are buffeted and blasted by a circular, swirling wind that won’t let them rest, since in their lives they were buffeted and blown about by their eager and ego-driven lusts, dashing from bed to bed and from one and yet another adulterous assignation; as we see in the couples listed, specifically Paolo and Francesca.
31 The hellish squall, which never rests,
La bufera infernal, che mai non resta,
32 sweeps spirits in its headlong rush,
mena li spirti con la sua rapina;
33 tormenting, whirls and strikes them.
voltando e percotendo li molesta.
In Paradiso VIII, there is indeed circular movement again, as if blown by the wind, but instead, this is intentional, shared movement since this love shared by all was agape, more concerned with the other than with themselves. They are joined in a dance, the movement and accompaniment, truly worship in the shared air of respect and the ‘agape’ love found in Paradise.
22 Winds racing down from a cold cloud,
Di fredda nube non disceser venti,
23 in their swift motion, whether visible or not,
o visibili o no, tanto festini,
24 would seem impeded, slow,
che non paressero impediti e lenti
25 to one who had seen these heavenly lights
a chi avesse quei lumi divini
26 come toward us, pausing in the dance
veduti a noi venir, lasciando il giro
27 begun among the lofty Seraphim.
pria cominciato in li alti Serafini;
Of course, we could spend a great deal of time with these two locations that compare and contrast “love” and the consequences of what type of love has been embraced and the consequences of doing so. For instance, upon arriving at each level, sound is one of the first noticeable effects. In Hell, it is the wailing of the wind and the wailing, weeping and cries of the tormented. In Paradise, it is:
28 And from among the closest that appeared
e dentro a quei che più innanzi appariro
29 rang out Hosanna so that ever since
sonava "Osanna" sì, che unque poi
30 I have not been without the wish to hear it.
di rïudir non fui sanza disiro.
At this level, love indeed is a ‘Many Splendored Thing.’
Dante the Pilgrim now meets Charles Martel, eldest son of Charles and Mary of Hungary. He ruled briefly, married young and had three children, then died of the plague in Naples at the age of 24. He had met Dante the Poet and they had shared mutual concerns and dreams. His brother Robert then ruled in his stead and Charles, in Paradise worries that his brother is more concerned with filling his own coffers with gold than caring for the people. The stark difference between the two brothers causes Dante the Pilgrim to once again raise the question of predestination, free will and the character of creation. He asks the question in this way:
91 'You have made me glad, now bring me light,
Fatto m'hai lieto, e così mi fa chiaro,
92 for, listening to your words, I am confused:
poi che, parlando, a dubitar m'hai mosso
93 How from sweet seed may come a bitter fruit?'
com' esser può, di dolce seme, amaro."
Within the confines of God’s creation we find that while intent and culture and political necessity should lead to wise offspring and mature leadership within each generation, free will can and does surprise, delight and disappoint. Whether it be the influence of the stars in Dante’s time or the consequence of gene-splicing and micro-biology in ours, one cannot predict the actions and of a particular child or family tree. Dante, through Beatrice, once again insists that free will is everything. Remember Paradiso Canto V:
19 'The greatest gift that God in His largesse
"Lo maggior don che Dio per sua larghezza
20 gave to creation, the most attuned
fesse creando, e a la sua bontate
21 to His goodness and that He accounts most dear,
più conformato, e quel ch'e' più apprezza,
22 'was the freedom of the will:
fu de la volontà la libertate;
If not for that freedom, intention and ability to follow God’s Will and create a world of beauty and holiness, all would be as Macbeth assumed: “Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing…” [Act 5, scene 5]. Indeed, despite the fear of Charles about his brother, Robert turned out to be a fine ruler, defending the country and caring for the people.
One of the remarkable discoveries in reading The Commedia is that some of Dante’s insights can be truly helpful is dealing with our day-to-day trials and tribulations. Such is found here, in the midst of addressing politics, philosophy and free will, we find the acknowledgement that people will not trust others to be truly themselves, listening to their own hearts and the Spirit’s guidance in their life-choices. Instead, children or friends or partners are forced into pathways that are NOT from their own heart. Rather they go a completely different way because another thinks he or she knows ‘what is best for you.’ The quote “I know what’s best for you; I know you better than you know yourself…” has too often been used to send others astray in a dysfunctional relationship that ends in unhappiness and despair. We do not trust the other to find their own way based on their own unique talents and gifts. Dante the Poet puts these insights in Charles Martel’s final teaching:
145 'But no, you force into religion one born
Ma voi torcete a la religïone
146 to wear the sword, and make a king
tal che fia nato a cignersi la spada,
147 of one more fit for sermons,
e fate re di tal ch'è da sermone;
148 so that your path departs from the true way.'
onde la traccia vostra è fuor di strada."
We all too often destroy friendships, family and communities by putting our own expectations on others; “why don’t you act the way I think you should act;” “why don’t you live the way I want you to live;” and so it goes. This of course does not apply to addictions and mental health issues, but it certainly is relevant in many lives, including my own. True agape love is not about control and unreasonable expectations. We need to trust one another’s heart if we are to join in the great dance of love.