Fame and Glory in Dantes Divine Comedy Essay - 2297 Words

What is fame? Fame is but a slow decay Even this shall pass away. Theodore Tilton The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri, is a poem laden with such Christian themes as love, the search for happiness, and the desire to see God. Among these Christian themes, however, is Dantes obsession with and desire for fame, which seems to be a surprising departure from conventional medieval Christian morality. Indeed, as the poem progresses, a striking contradiction emerges. Dante the writer, in keeping with Christian doctrine, presents the desire for fame and glory among the souls of Inferno in order to replace it with humility among the souls of Purgatorio. Yet this purification of desire is not entirely embraced by Dante,†¦show more content†¦To which Pier replies, Your sweet speech draws me so that I cannot be still (Inferno, Canto XIII, Lines 55-56). Even Dante is spurred on by promises of fame while in Inferno. During the difficult ascent to the seventh pouch in th e eighth circle, Virgil emphasizes the importance of fame to urge Dante to persevere. He says, Now you must cast aside your laziness, for he who rests on down or under covers cannot come to fame (Inferno, Canto XXIV, Lines 46-47). Indeed the willingness to be bribed by earthly fame is an aspect unique to those souls in hell. As Dante travels towards God and towards perfection, through Purgatory and finally through Paradise, he will find that the bargaining power of earthly fame is markedly diminished as souls become less and less interested in and motivated by fame. As Dante continues to Purgatorio the theme of humility starts to overshadow that of fame and glory, especially in Dantes encounter with Oderisi, Guido Guinizzelli and Statius. In Canto XI, Dante meets Oderisi, a respected artist. After Dante praises him, Oderisi quickly points out that Franco Bolognese is now more famous: Brother, the pages painted by the brush of Franco Bolognese smile more brightly: all the glory now is his; mine, but a part (Purgatorio, Canto XI, Lines 82-85). His earthly fame wasShow MoreRelatedDante and Machiavelli Essay1084 Words   |  5 PagesThis difference in the two could be expressed in terms of religious faith—but they could also be said to have differing views of human nature.   Try to get to the heart of the distinction.   Why is Machiavelli’s sense of right and wrong so opposed to Dante’s? Written two hundred years apart, The Inferno by Dante and The Prince by Machiavelli both contain examples of society during the late middle ages and also the beginning of the Renaissance. While not contemporaries, both men held similar cynicalRead MoreEssay on Ulysses in Hell1081 Words   |  5 PagesBaer Goolsby Honors World Lit 4 April 2013 Ulysses In Hell In Dante’s Inferno, Ulysses, a man known for his skillful word weaving, is sent into eternal damnation in Hell by Dante. In the Odyssey, after the Trojan War ends, Ulysses sails back to Ithaca. In the Inferno, Ulysses recounts the story about how he convinced his men to sail with him past the Pillars of Hercules. It was previously believed that nothing lay behind these pillars, until Ulysses and his men discover the Mountain of PurgatoryRead MoreAnalyzing Dante and Machiavelli ´s Characteristics of a Good Leader1796 Words   |  8 Pagesprince so esteemed as when he personally accomplishes things rare and exemplary. In our times we have Ferdinand of Aragon, the present king of Spain. He may also be called a new prince, because from being a weak king he has become through the fame and glory he has achieved, the first king among Christians, and if you consider his actions you will find them great and some even extraordinary.†(Quote from the prince page 94) Even th ough Machiavelli realizes that it is wrong to use religion to attain