Divine Comedy - The Guardians of Dantes Inferno :: Divine Comedy Inferno Essays

The Guardians of Dantes Inferno Dantes Inferno is one of the best written works of all time because it was written as an parable inside an excellent story. A key part of this allegory was how Dante used different guardians in the various portions of hell. These guardians were used to symbolize the punishments of the sinners. Minos is the guardian of lap II, the circle of the Lustful. He symbolizes an accusing personality because his job is to give punishments to the sinners. The bodies of the sinners confess the sins automatically, and that shows the sinners know everything about themselves when it is too late to repent. Minos is important because he is used to stress that none of the sinners can doubt which sins they have committed, and that the crime will receive a matching punishment. The lustful were carried away by their passions in their previous lives, and therefore they be thrown about by a black wind. Dante considers lust to be the highest sin because it is mutually committed to the pleasure of both parties. Cerberus is the guardian of Circle III, the circle of the Gluttons. Cerberus is meant to portray the image of uncontrolled appetite. In mythology, he was known to devour people who approached hell, and therefore is a glutton himself. However, being a glutton, he must surrender himself to his appetite. His appetite just overtakes him when Dante throws dirt in Cerberus mouth, and the poets are allowed to enter the circle. Cerberus is an example of how everything must submit to the gluttons appetite, including his soul. This is a non-white sin because they now worship food instead of God, and this is reciprocated by the rain, which belies the jolly nature of gluttons and gives them dark temperaments. Gluttony is a sin which involves one person, and it is more of a selfish sin, but the gluttonous are alone because they always ate alone. Pluto is the guardian of Circle IV, the circle of Misers and Spendthrift. Pluto is meant to symbolize riches, as he is the god of wealth that springs from soil in ancient mythology. This is appropriate because he guards those who hoarded money and those who spent it foolishly.