The Garden of Eden

Dante is in awe when viewing the Earthly Paradise which is a garden, also dark “which never lets sun or moon shine through” with fresh May branches and streams. He meets a solitary lady who he also calls beautiful (beautiful donna) and she is singing to herself by the riverbank while picking flower from flower and Dante tries to listen. The lady is known as Matelda. According to the notes in the book Purgatorio page 484 it says, “Embodying the innocent happiness of Eden, Matelda is a kind of nymph of the wood or protective spirit of the place.” She sees that Dante and Virgil are new dwellers and Matelda explains the nature and history of the Earthly Paradise. Metelda tells Virgil and Dante that the garden is known as the Garden of Eden, once intended for the eternal peace of humankind but was then abandoned because of sin. Matelda says, “he highest Good, who alone pleases himself, made man good and for the good, and this place he gave as a token to him of eternal peace” (canto 29 lines 91-93). Its trees and plants are created by God, and the weather is pleasurably everlasting. Two rivers, Lethe and Eunoe, cross the Earthly Paradise. Matelda states, “On this side it descends with the power to take away all memory of sin; on the other it gives back the memory of every good deed. Here it is called Lethe, as on the other side Eunoe” (canto 29 lines 127-131). Therefore, if one drinks from the water of Lethe, their sins would be forgotten, but if a soul drinks from the water of Eunoe, the soul will have remembrance of their virtuous deeds. In Greek and Roman mythology Lethe, according to the  notes in the book Purgatorio page 490, is a river that flows through Hell. Those who drink from it, forget both their past deeds as well as their entire life on earth. Dante, however, creates his own version of the river of Lethe by encouraging the sinner to be forgetful of theirs sin but still allows the drinker to still remember everything else, including their earthly lives. The river, Eunoe, doesn’t exist in classical mythology, but is created by Dante. Both Lethe and Eunoe rivers come from a single source and flow through the Garden of Eden which is how it is represented in the Bible. This canto also has important ties with the forest of Inferno1 and Inferno13. The dark wood of the beginning of Inferno is set at the foot of the “delightful” mountain and the pilgrim wants to climb it but is dangerous. Therefore, the first dark wood mentioned in Inferno1 represents the moral struggle while the forest in canto 13 represents how the souls refused the divine plenitude of integration of body and soul. While the wood of suicides is filed with thorns, poison and filth, garden of Eden has flowers, singing and liveliness.

 

In relation to the Met paintings from last week, this canto (canto 29) reminds me of the painting called “Expulsion from Paradise.” God created man to be deathless and to share his own happiness (cf. Par. 13. 57-60), “good and for the good”; but Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden into hardship and mortality because they disobeyed God and ate the apple from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In the painting the garden’s radiance is surrounded by flowers, plants, and trees which symbolizes the purity and sinless behavior of mankind before the Fall. In the painting Adam and Eve are being discharged from the garden by a graceful angel. Because this angel whose nudity is seen to have human-like characteristics’: thin, fragile, petite, then this angel has a deep understanding and sympathizes mankind after the fall from grace although mankind (Adam and Eve) made unethical decisions.

In regards to my final paper I have thought about two options: one is to discuss the violence in Inferno and as the reader progressively moves downward in the Inferno the sins become worse becoming more violent than the previous circle.

OR

I wanted to write about Paolo and Francesca and how they are still in love so their sin is still on-going + this idea of the will vs the intellect.

 

 

 

Final Paper timeline

Only 3 students have contacted me re: the final paper.

Please review my guidelines and timeline here.

You might review all the assignments to see if you are missing anything. Many of you have completed the blogging activity (except for the reflective paper 2), which is due on April 29. As a reminder, you can use that post to “make up” for missing assignment but you have to tell me what you are planning on doing. I think some of you didn’t go to the MET. That would be an opportunity.

See you in class!

Hint Background Subject School Learning Backdrop

Pastoral setting in Canto 28

Dante and Virgil enter the earthly paradise, the garden of Eden at canto 28. The entire setting of the Earthly Paradise is related to the concept of the Golden Age, which is coined by Hesiod in the poem of Work and Days. The Golden Age is a period of prosperity and harmony when men only rely on the abundance of the earth to feed themselves (Wikipedia). There is a notion of the pastoral and idyllic environment throughout the canto. The garden is presented as a deep forest that is “thick and alive”, and Dante then makes a reflected comment: “tempered the new days to my eyes” to show that the density of the forest creates a shaded environment in which light seeps in. Alighieri uses the veil motif to highlight the natural innocence that men have in their unfiltered and unrefined habitat. The beauty of the garden is emphasized in verses 7-9 and 13-15:

“A sweet breeze, unchanging in itself, struck my brow with no greater force than a gentle wind,” (Purg. 28. 7-9)

“but not parted so much from their straightness that the little birds in the treetops left off exerting their every art” (Purg. 28. 13-5)

The spring-like scenes in both verses render a tranquil and harmonic quality that defines the Earthly Paradise. And the word “straightness” alludes to the natural justice that is inherited in men, but natural justice can be tampered whenever there is an opposite sex involved. For example, when the pilgrim sees Matelda, the guide in Earthly Paradise, he said

“Ah, beautiful lady who warm yourself in the rays of love, if am to believe your expression, which usually bears witness to the heart… You put me in mind of where and what Proserpina was” (Purg. 28. 43-50)

Martinez commentary suggests that there is a sexual overtone in these particular passages because it expresses a style that is similar to the poetic tradition of pastourelle. In pastourelle lyric form sexual relations often happens between the narrator and shepherdess, either consensual or rape. But according to the story of Proserpina, she was abducted and raped by Hades (Martinez 485).The juxtaposition presented in these particular passages is a bit out of place since the Earthly Paradise is described to be a perfect setting. More or less the concept of the Earthly Paradise or the Golden Age is merely an appearance derived from the fascination we have about the idyllic past. Though taking place in the pastoral setting the story of Adam and Eve is perhaps an anti-pastoral story. And that the structure of a pastoral narrative can be broken down as anti-pastoral because of its innate feature of innocence and “straightness”.

Biblical Meets Classical

In canto 28 Dante integrates the biblical world and the mythological world as he has done previously in Inferno. Dante enters earthly paradise in this canto and is astounded by the glorious things he sees such as the, “… divine forest, thick and alive” (Purgatorio 28, 2-3). He is met by a beautiful woman who goes by the name Matelda. Matelda explains to Dante that where they are is the Garden of Eden where humanity would have lived in eternal peace till the end of time had Eve not succumbed to sin. Matelda explains this by saying, “The highest Good, who alone pleases himself, made man good and for the good, and this place he gave as a token to him of eternal peace” (Inferno 28, 91-93). The Garden of Eden is no doubt one of the most famous biblical references. Without the creation of original sin by Eve, there would have been no journey for Dante the pilgrim. There are also two important streams mentioned in this canto and that is the Lethe and the Eunoe. Matelda explains the purpose of these streams by saying, “On this side it descends with the power to take away all memory of sin; on the other it gives back the memory of every good deed” (Purgatorio 28, 127-129). Lethe appears in Greek and roman mythology and is known as the “river of oblivion.” Dante takes the classical meaning of Lethe and molds it to fit the earthly paradise he seeks to recount. Along with the biblical and classical imagery used by Dante, he also adds his own contribution by the creation of Eunoe. The notes of Purgatorio state, “The name is a coinage of Dante’s, from Greek eu [well] and noesis [knowledge], meaning “knowledge of good”(Durling).

Virgil & Beatrice

Throughout the Inferno, Dante is scolded by his guide Virgil. Similarly, in Purgatorio, Dante is scolded like a mother to a child by his lover, Beatrice. Dante is scolded by two of the most important people to him. In canto 30 of the Inferno, Dante is watching Sinon and Master agrue and go back and forth. Virgil comes and hits Dante in the back of his head and tells him to stop watching this shameful argument. In lines 130-136:

I was all intent to listen to them, when my master

said to me: “Now keep looking, for I am not far from

quarreling with you!”

When I heard him speak to me angrily, I turned

toward him with such shamethat it dizzies me in

memory.

Dante hangs his head in shame and Virgil after seeing this takes him under his arm and forgives him. Just as a mother scolds her child and the child is ashamed; the mother feels bad and shows affection to her child. In canto 30 of the Purgatorio, the moment everyone has been waiting for: the appearance of Dante’s beloved Beatrice. When she first appears, Dante is taken back by her beauty and like a scared child turns to Virgil for answers. Virgil was gone. Dante starts panicking wondering where Virgil could’ve gone and as he is about to cry Beatrice scolds him. Beatrice foreshadows that Dante will encounter another terrible wound so he should save his tears. Without mercy, she scolds him for crying in the earthly paradise; the place where men are supposed to be happy. Dante hangs his head in shame and then sees his shameful reflection in the stream. Beatrice is compared to scolding Dante as her child. As shown in lines 73-81:

“Look at us well! Truly I am, truly am

Beatrice. How have you designed to approach thee

mountain? Did you not know that here mankind is

happy?”

My eyes fell down to the clear spring, but,

seeing myself there, I turned them to the grass,

such shameweighed down my brow:

so as a mother seems severe to her son as she

seemed to me, for bitter is the flavor of

compassion still unripe.

 

Dante is cleansed of his sins

In Canto 31 of Purgatorio, Dante is cleansed in the river Lethe.  This painting represents that scene; however it is represented slightly differently than it is in the canto.  In the image, Dante is dipped in the river feet first past his waist.  In the canto, Dante the narrator describes the incident: “she plunged me, up to my throat, in the river” and then for the second time: “she clasped my head, and then she thrust me under to the point where I had to swallow water” (canto 31, lines 94 & 101-102).  In Dante’s words, his bath in the river Lethe is the opposite of this image; he is submerged head first both times.

At this point in his journey, Dante is about to leave purgatory for heaven.  Just as he grew along his route through hell before making it to purgatory, learning not to pity sinners in hell because their punishment is ordained by God; Dante has to learn and grow from his journey through purgatory before he can reach heaven.  Beatrice comes to him here to get him to confess his sins.  In order to enter heaven, he must be free of sin, but he can not be cleansed of his sins without confessing them first.  In opposition to the non-living souls in purgatory, Dante confesses to his sins after he has made his way through all of purgatory.  If he had been dead, he would not have been allowed into purgatory without having repented.  It is interesting that although Dante has by this point seen all types of sinners, including many whom he related to strongly, the Pilgrim has not shown remorse for his own sins or repented for them until Beatrice tells him to.  She defines herself as the force which had directed him on the right path when she was alive.  Here she reprimands him for losing the path and gets him back on the proper path by having him confess his sins.  It is surprising that the Pilgrim was not required to repent his sins before entering purgatory since the souls who reside there would have been in hell had they not repented in life.  However, having Dante repent his sins and be cleansed of them at the end of purgatory shows how much he has grown over the course of his journey.

Post 8

Beatrice chastizes Dante for crying over disappearance of Virgil by: Flaxman, John

Source: The World of Dante

Beatrice has finally arrived, in the most grandiose manner, appearing from “within a cloud of flowers that from the hands of angels” (Canto 30, 28-29). Dante trembles with emotions of love as he finally gets to see her after his long journey. As Dante turns to Virgil for comfort, he finds that his guide has disappeared. Overcome with sadness, Dante begins to cry. Seeing this, Beatrice tells our traveler to stop crying, because here is where mankind is happy. Although I can see where Beatrice is coming from, I do not see any wrong in Dante expressing very natural emotions of losing a well trusted friend who had guided him through literal hell. In the image depicted above, we can see Dante on his knees, with one hand on his face wiping his tears as Beatrice stands above him. We see figures in the background, who all seem to be frolicking and having the time of their lives. They seem very happy, like Beatrice tells Dante to be too. Their emotions are drastically different from how Dante feels due to the disappearance of Virgil. Beatrice’s posture is very straight poised, depicting her as “regal and haughty” (Canto 30, line 70) like described in the canto. She does not bend over to comfort Dante. Instead, she stands looking at him from above. Her treatment towards Dante was slightly surprising because in Inferno she seemed very gentle and empathetic, leaving heaven to find a guide just for him. She later tells angels that Dante has strayed from his path in life after her death, and in Canto 31, we learn that he had been lustful and tempted by others. Beatrice is disappointed in Dante, and her attitude towards him is understandable.

Post 8 (due April 15)

I am hoping you are working on your post. The deadline is tomorrow, April 15. Your post will be about the canto we are reading for this week (Purgatorio 28,29, 30, 31). If you wrote a post about the readings last week, your post will be about your visit at the Met Museum.

Please add a short note with an idea for your final paper. See you in class.

The Harrowing of Hell

Collectio Musicorum & The American Theatre of Actors 

present 

THE HARROWING of HELL  

A Play from the 13th Century 

Translated into Modern English and 

Directed by Jeff Dailey

Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm 

April 10 – April 21 2019   

The American Theatre of Actors 

314 West 54th Street in NYC 

 

http://www.theharrowingofhell.com/

 

New York, NY (March 29,  2019 ) Sometime in the 13th century, an anonymous author wrote a short play detailing the events of the Harrowing of Hell, when, after dying, Jesus went to Hell to rescue all the prophets imprisoned there.  This play, one of the first ever written in English, was so popular it survives in multiple sources, but has never been performed in the United States.  Newly translated into modern English, you may see this play in April at the American Theatre of Actors.  In it, Jesus, vanquishes Satan, and then goes on to release Adam, Eve, and others from their hellish imprisonment.

Also on the program is another medieval play, “The Fall of the Angels,” dating from the 14th century, which shows how Satan came to be cast into Hell in the first place, along with a performance of “The Soliloquy of Satan,” by the 20th century American poet Elliott Blaine Henderson.  The actors will also perform music from the Middle Ages.

 

Appropriate for the Easter season, these short plays show how their authors attempted to deal with the presence of evil in a comical way. This production will take you back centuries and enable you to see drama never before performed in New York.

The text of “The Harrowing of Hell” has been translated and adapted by Dr. Jeff S. Dailey, who is also the stage director.

 

Performances will be held Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2pm. April 10th through April 21st, 2019. Tickets are $20 and may be reserved by calling 212 581 3044 or may be purchased at tdf.org [tdf.org].

 

The production is directed by Jeff S. Dailey, noted as a specialist in the works of Sir Walter Scott and as a stage director specializing in verse drama.  His recent productions include dramatic versions of Anglo-Saxon poems and the works of the pre-Shakespearean playwright John Bale.  The cast features  Benjamin Beruh, Jeremy Carter, Connor Chaney, Ben Hayslett, Justin Little, Monty Renfrow, Logan Roberts, Sabrina Fara Tosti and Christopher Yoo.

 

 

The Vice of Pride

Vices are the main focus of purgatory rather than sin. Pride specifically is the first vice theme in purgatory. Nature is also a common theme that we see throughout the comedy. We see that nature plays a major role in purgatory since nature can be described as a reflection of God and His beauty. Thus, purgatory includes imagery of Mary, skies, stars and other majestic scenery/symbolism. This relates to pride as well because in purgatory, one must cleanse themselves of this vice by showing humility and meekness, the antonym of vice.

Compared to the Inferno, where pride also known as ego, is what caused Lucifer, one of the most high angels to fall to the lowest position, is significant. In purgatory however, the greater the pride in life the greater the weight of stone to be carried. This is a burden that is caused from their own vice to be lifted when the opposite occurs. When one thinks less of themselves than more which is an interesting contrast.