Daily Archives: February 26, 2019

Bleeding trees and the dehumanization of those who commit suicide.

Gustave Doré, The Inferno, Canto 13 from Wikimedia Commons

One terzina that struck a chord with me is from Dante’s Inferno Canto 13 lines 37-39. Dante and his guide, Vergil, have reached the second subcircle of the seventh circle of hell which is reserved for those who commit violence against themselves. Dante the pilgrim is confused by the dark woods that surround him which seem to bleed and cry. Dante assumes that there are people hiding in the bleeding trees and that the voices he hears are coming from the people hiding. Vergil urges Dante to break a twig off of one of the plants since doing so will allow the tree to answer Dante’s question of where the voices are coming from. The pain that Dante causes to the tree leads to one of my favorite moments this far in the Inferno when the tree questions why Dante would cause him such pain. The tree tells Dante and Vergil that:

We were men, and now we have become plants:

truly your hand should be more merciful had we

been the souls of serpents.” (Canto 13 lines 37-39)

 

I’ve been meditating on these lines for a few days trying to look through the layers Dante the writer placed on this verse. Our commentary mentions that to Dante there are three separate levels of living creatures. The lowest are plants which are living creatures with only vegetative abilities. Above plants are animals which have both vegetative abilities and what the notes call animal the animal abilities which include movement and senses. The highest form of living creature is humanity. Humans have all the abilities of animals but also have intelligence and the possibility of rational thought.

In the tree lines quoted above, Dante the poet has the tree take the soul of a suicide victim through the three levels of living creatures. First we are reminded that these trees were once men, the highest of all living creatures. In the same line it is reinforced that they have become trees, the lowest of all living creatures. In the next two lines, Dante the writer through the voice of the tree, reminds the reader that there is a middle level of living creature which is the animal.

In mentioning all three levels of living creatures within three lines, Dante the writer is making a point that the souls of those who commit violence against themselves become the lowest of all living creatures. The point is made crystal clear by Dante mentioning the middle level of living creature, the animal, showing that the souls of suicide victims don’t just go down one level but are placed at the lowest level. This is a clear indictment by Dante the writer of those who commit violence against themselves.

 

 

Canto 15: A Unexpected Encounter between a Teacher and Student

In Canto 15 Dante and Virgil continue their journey through the Third Ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell where the “literary sodomites” and others violent against nature are punished. As we read in Canto 11, sodomy is considered a sin of violence. Dante, the poet, views sodomy as a crime against God because it goes against nature. In Inferno, sodomy contradicts the natural will of life, therefore harming God. In the third ring, a fiery rain falls on the sinners, which represents an unnatural phenomenon, like sodomy. Whereas regular rain replenishes the Earth, a fiery rain does the opposite since sodomizers also do not replenish Earth with new life.

As Dante and Virgil walk passed a “band of souls” (Inferno 15, 16), Dante, the poet, writes “each was gazing at us as in the evening people gaze at one another (16-17).  I interpreted this as alluding to the way men may look at each other in a sexual manner. Dante says, “I was recognized by one, who seized me by the hem” (22). Dante has some difficulty recognizing the soul because of his “baked appearance” (26) from being burnt from the fire. Dante finally realizes who it is and with surprise asks, “Are you here, ser Brunetto?” Dante asks this with a great shock and sorrow that Brunetto could end up where he is. Dante holds respect for Brunetto, an old mentor and teacher, who he feels indebted to. Dante keeps a “kind paternal image” of Brunetto (83). It’s compelling that both Dante the poet and pilgrim have much admiration for Brunetto. But evidently, Dante, the poet, places Brunetto where he does in such a painful place in Hell based on his sin and regardless of how much praise and affection he has for him. This displays that one can commit sins and be punished but still be seen with great influence, like how both Dante’s view Brunetto.

Brunetto explains to Dante his future. Dante hears the same prophecy again. I found this compelling because it’s possibly the third time that Dante heard his prophecy and again the number 3 could be used by Dante, the writer. It’s also unusual that there was not much interaction between Dante and Virgil in Canto 15. Dante spends most of the Canto talking to Brunetto. Dante informs Brunetto that he is prepared for what Fortune has in store for him. Virgil is pleased with his student’s courage and approves of his careful listening saying, “He listens well who takes note” (98). I think this displays a strong trust and confidence Virgil has grown to have in his student and pilgrim, Dante.

the absence of violence in sodomy

Sodomites dancing around Virgil and Dante as they leave the second zone.

Canto XV is where Dante and Virgil enter the second zone of the third ring into the path to hell.  Virgil and Dante are acquainted with the Sodomites. Sodomites are those who have been violent towards nature. Weather its murder of others or of oneself, they have gone against love towards nature and now must walk under the “rain of fire.” As they approach, Dante describes seeing “so many flocks of naked souls, all weeping miserably, and it seemed that they were ruled by different decrees.” (Canto 14, 19-21) They were each there for different reasons. “Some lay upon the ground, flat on their backs; some huddled in a crouch, and there they sat; and others moved about incessantly.” (Canto 14, 22-24) The Sodomites are those who have engaged in Sodomy. Virgil tells Dante that violent sins  and crimes are separated into three parts; effect on the victim (weather its yourself or somebody else), the people who hurt others, and the people who hurt themselves. Dante, being Christian, believes that suicide is a sin amongst all other violent sins because it is considered a personal disgrace. In Canto 16, Dante treats the Sodomites with surprising respect and understanding. Barolini suggests that lust and sodomy are desexualized in Inferno when he says  “Dante’s treatment of sodomy is “progressive”—in the sense of not focused on sexualized torture. (Didgital Dante)” He urges that it is very unlikely that Dante in the Comedy does not imagine sexualized tortures at all.

Today, we are flooded with stories of rape, torture, and sexual assault throughout every aspect of our lives. We see it re-enacted in the movies and the shows we watch. We read about peoples “coming out” stories on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We see awful stories in the news about how someone has been hurt. Our view on sodomy and especially same sex participation has changed for the more inclusive. It was difficult to read Dante’s traditional take on the Sodomies, yet it is important to understand that approaching the Commedia with an open mind and understanding of the characters views when taking in the epic of Dante and Virgils journey into hell.