I am a student at western, for my final in my 'early western world' class. My paper for my final. The objective is to read Dantes inferno and write a comparative paper. I was thinking about comparing the levels of hell and the punishments to society and their hierarchies. is that a good idea? How do I approach it? Or are there other good ideas that would make this paper happen??? I APPRECIATE THE HELP!!!!!
iam STUCK!!!!
If I recall correctly, the levels of hell were commensurate with the degree of harm caused by each detainee. The lower the level, the more punishment they got because they committed the most harm. It would be interesting to see who were viewed as the most harmful -- my recollection was that political criminals were at the bottom and suffered the most in hell.
Was this a reflection of the church's views? the social view? or was it Dante's view??
What do you think?
As for me, being the glutton that I am I would be in level three for my incessant gluttony. Not that I ever deprived anyone else of a square meal (which, hopefully, would mean that I wouldn't get punished as badly), only that I admit to feasting on many occasions and still not being totally satisfied. But who is to say that we gluttons deserve this punishment? Again, was it the church? society? or was it Dante who felt gluttons deserved that level??
Divroced people were considered adulterers back then and were severely punished. But today, divorce as is common as the common cold. Today, we do not view adultery as being that sinful. Therefore, where would divorced people be today?
Would you compare today's attitudes to yesteryear's attitudes? How would a modern day Dante view the degrees of sin and punishment??
When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent
~ Isaac Asimov
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