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The Inferno (1314)

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Author Info:

Dante Alighieri
1265-1321
(Translation 1994 by Robert Pinsky 1940-)

    Midway on our life's journey, I found myself
        In dark woods, the right road lost.
           -Canto I, 1-2

    Therefore I judge it best that you should choose
        To follow me, and I will be your guide
        Away from here and through an eternal place

    To hear the cries of despair, and to behold
        Ancient tormented spirits as they lament
        In chorus the second death they must abide.
           -Canto I, 88-93 (Virgil to Dante)

    THROUGH ME YOU ENTER INTO THE CITY OF WOES,
        THROUGH ME YOU ENTER INTO ETERNAL PAIN,
        THROUGH ME YOU ENTER THE POPULATION OF LOSS

    JUSTICE MOVED MY HIGH MAKER, IN POWER DIVINE,
        WISDOM SUPREME, LOVE PRIMAL. NO THINGS WERE
        BEFORE ME NOT ETERNAL; ETERNAL I REMAIN

ABANDON HOPE, YOU WHO ENTER HERE.
-Canto III, 1-7 (written above the Gates of Hell)

...we came forth, and once more saw the stars.
-Canto XXXIV, 140 (final line)

There is a certain, rather delicate, aspect of the modern liberal sensibility that rebels against Dante's Inferno. In his account of returning to Columbia to restudy Western Civilization, David Denby is surprised not to like Dante much :

    I could not rid myself of the notion that Dante had entered into complicity with torture. In some
    way, he believed in torture; he justified it. . . . My reading of Dante was a failure, and of the most
    direct sort: I didn't enjoy it

And in his introduction to this translation by Robert Pinsky, John Freccero says that :

    In spite of Dante's reputation as the greatest of Christian poets, there is no sign of Christian
    forgiveness in the Inferno. The dominant theme is not mercy but justice, dispensed with the
    severity of the ancient law of retribution.

...

    Justice in Hell is meant to be objective, measured out by a bureaucratic monster in proportion to the
    specific gravity of the sin. Such a mechanical administration of punishment leaves no room for
    judicial error or caprice.

Few of Dante's readers have derived much satisfaction from the triumph of this somewhat
anonymous justice.

These sentiments, with which I could not disagree more strongly, reflect the curious point we've reached in Western history. On the one hand, the intelligentsia find torture, capital punishment, virtually any civil rights imposition, to be unacceptable when it comes to actual evil doers, but blithely advocates abortion, euthanasia, and the like, for genuine innocents. Human beings in this world view are judged by their physical condition, rather than by their moral standing. And yet, it is Dante who is adjudged to be brutal.

Personally, I find something comforting in the idea that, in a world where so much evil exists, those who are evil might face eternal perdition. Particularly satisfying is the presence of the great romantic lovers in Hell--Tristan and Iseult, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, etc.. I've always found disturbing the literature which celebrates love which must perforce be so shallow as these great affairs--it's nice to think of them getting their comeuppance.

As a rule though, it seems likely that readers' reactions to the rather severe treatment of the souls in Hell will track their own political leanings. If you are someone who wishes that justice were objective, you're unlikely to be offended. If you tend to wring your hands in agony at the prospect of someone being held accountable for their actions, you won't feel comfortable with the fate Dante forecasts. In either case, the poem itself is truly great and in Robert Pinsky's translation, it's reasonably easy to follow. You will want to refer to the notes frequently and a study guide of some kind can't hurt. I also recommend the recorded version : hearing it read aloud adds to the experience greatly.

(Reviewed:09-May-01)

Grade: (A+)

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There's a sequel? Cool!

- oj

- Aug-21-2004, 10:12

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For someone who appears to have such good press, a heavy weight lifter of literary reviews, why such a light weight attempt to cover one of the principal works of western literature, Dante Alighirei's "The Divine Comedy". "With a small gleam in me eye"(which classical movie am I referring to here?) I might call this a wussy review of a great work. I don't have anyone making claims for my reputation, and I came here humbly, looking for inspiration, and for all the smoke in your references and self-pronouncements,...a pitiful stab at 1/3 of the poem is hardly something to be proud of... At the moment I am in Purgatorio, reading a paper copy of Dante, Doubleday & Co. Inc. 1947, with no translator named! too bad the ethical value of those days failed to reach someone like yourself who, I don't doubt, believes himself to be the spiritual son of Cato the Younger's value system, yes? You, will no doubt, say "No, I don't doubt the valuable contributions of Greek philosophy, even at an early age." But such clever attempts to deflect allusions to your literary fig leaf, a review of the Inferno, and a pitiful one at that. the least I expected from brothersjudd.com would be a thoughtful comparison of The Purgatorio, From the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri Translated by S. Fowler Wright, which I found on the web, and an older translation, similar to one I am reading in paper copy. I would expect a thoughtful discussion of the poetic skill that I am impressed by in Mr. Wright' work and the unnamed, (and thus unfulfilled?) translator of an older version of Dante. I would expect some comment on the Italian original and the translation you have referred to here. ..at least a fig leaf's worth. I would expect something more from you, the spiritual son of the Sons of Liberty, from your pronouncements I wouldn't be surprised if you trace your physical blood ken to Thomas Paine's unmentioned mentor...and even further back to Addison, the British playwright. Yes, the issues of FREEDOM and SECURITY, these themes exist in Dante's work! why? because as you rightly point out, from your massive reading, these are two recurrent themes of the human condition. And they don't only appear in western literature, because they are part of the HUMAN CONDITION they exist in other world literature works....like Murasaki's Tale of Genji, which I read last summer, in translation of course! Take a break from all that nonsense you crowd your brain with and at least cover the foundations of Western human Experience.....Yes, my next letter to you will be my reaction to your review of Paradise Lost. But not until I finish Dante.

- thomas Asada-Grant

- Aug-21-2004, 09:57

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i highly recommend robert pinsky's translation, if you have not already procured a copy.

- May-14-2003, 05:49

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The Inferno (1314)

Amazon.com Top 100 Books of the Millenium

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