Which Sinners Does Dante Feel Sympathy Towards?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Dante is far more sympathetic to sinners who have committed

smaller sins

, like being ignorant of God or rejecting Church doctrine. He sympathizes with these people because although they did sin, they did not harm others in the process.

Where does Dante feel sympathy for the sinners?

Virgil tells Dante that the only place where pity is acceptable in the underworld is

in the First Circle of Hell, Limbo

, where the virtuous non-Christians spend their days. Pity is allowed here because the sinners are not truly at fault, since they did not know about Christianity.

Why does Dante pity sinners?

He is also faced with many enemies and tests. The sinners cause

Dante to show sympathy for them because of their punishments they have to face

. When Dante reaches the fortunetellers and diviners he begins to feel sympathy for them. Virgil explains, “ There is no place for pity here.

Who does Dante cry for?

Suddenly, Dante sees three Furies—creatures that are half woman, half serpent. They shriek and laugh when they notice Dante, and call for

Medusa

to come and turn him into stone.

How does Dante’s reaction towards sin change?

At the beginning of Dante’s journey he was horrified and felt pity and compassion toward the tortured souls he encountered. Through his journey Dante’s attitude changes

from pity and compassion to ridiculing

and wishing more punishment of divine retribution upon the sinners within the circles of hell.

What might Dante be suggesting about those who sin?

During his journey through hell, Dante sees that sin

must be punished because it goes against God and the perfection of the world

. … Moreover, he learns that sin functions on a continuum from least terrible to heinously awful; sins are punished by evaluating the gravity of the sin committed by the sinner.

What sinners are located in Canto V?

The sinners are

tossed and whirled

by the winds, as in life they felt themselves — helpless in the tempests of passion. This canto also begins descriptions of the circles devoted to the sins of incontinence: the sins of the appetite, the sins of self-indulgence, and the sins of passion.

Why does Virgil angrily rebuke Dante’s sympathy for certain sinners but then compliment Dante when he chastises other sinners?

Why is Dante’s sympathy for certain sinners so angrily rebuked by Virgil? … But Virgil rebukes Dante

because he wants him to remember that it is the sinners own faults for being in hell and forever punished.

Why does Dante faint?

Virgil tells Dante to take comfort in Charon’s first refusal to carry him on the boat, because only condemned spirits come this way. As Virgil finishes his explanation,

a sudden earthquake, accompanied by wind and flashing fire from the ground

, terrifies Dante to such a degree that he faints.

What is the punishment in Circle 9?

Those who get sent to the Ninth Circle are stuck in the lake,

their bottom halves frozen into it and unable to move

. The Devil, also called Lucifer or Satan, is at the center of the innermost layer of the Ninth Circle because he was originally an angel who ultimately rejected and betrayed God.

What happens to the souls who betray their guests?

be murdered as soon as he stepped ashore. Dante displays his abhorrence of such crimes by devising a special rule for those who betray their guests:

their souls descend immediately to hell and their living bodies are possessed by demons when they commit

these acts (Inf. 33.121-6).

What is the punishment in Circle 7?

While traveling to the seventh circle, Dante and Virgil cross paths with a minotaur that protects this ring. The souls punished here

are forced to drown in boiling blood

and if they try to resurface above the level of their punishment they are shot with arrows by hundreds of centaurs who watch over them.

What is the point of Dante’s Inferno?

The Divine Comedy is the allegorical record of Dante’s quest to overcome sin and find God’s love; in Inferno, Dante explores

the nature of sin by traveling through Hell

, where evil receives punishment according to God’s justice.

How does Dante change from the beginning to the end?


The influencers and assistants that Dante comes across will change Dante and make him closer and more united with God in the end

. When Dante first begins in this story he was lost and clueless physically and mentally. Dante was located in a forest with his life ruined and not knowing what was in store for him.

Why is betrayal The worst sin Dante?

The 9th circle includes the most deadly of sins – betrayal. This method of prioritization shows that Dante believes that

living a life dedicated to taking in God’s love allows for one to be an honorable and trustworthy person

, for there is no greater pain than to be betrayed by the one you loved.

What was Dante’s sin?

At first sight, it may be surprising to find that Dante considers

fraud

to be the gravest type of sin.

Leah Jackson
Author
Leah Jackson
Leah is a relationship coach with over 10 years of experience working with couples and individuals to improve their relationships. She holds a degree in psychology and has trained with leading relationship experts such as John Gottman and Esther Perel. Leah is passionate about helping people build strong, healthy relationships and providing practical advice to overcome common relationship challenges.