I am now through the first third, Inferno, of Dante's epic poem Divine Comedy. This portion chronicles Dante's journey into and through each different layer of Hell, notably guided by Virgil. It's dense with both information and figurative language, and I'm sure I could write ten blog posts just analyzing the intricacies, with regard to the plot and symbolism, of Dante's work. However, throughout the first book, I was intrigued most of all by the relationship between Dante and his guide, Virgil. As I read, I was constantly questioning the significance and purpose of this relationship.
When Dante falls into Hell in the Canto I, Virgil is there to meet with him. Once Dante realizes who he's speaking with, his antecedent of upwards of 1000 years, he cries that "thou art my master...thou art alone the one from whom I took" (14). As becomes clear from that reverence, Dante believes himself to be following directly in Virgil’s footsteps while writing his works, and that Virgil is somewhat of a personal hero for him. This tie is drawn closer when, in the beginning of Canto II, Dante reminds his audience through an allusion that Aeneas, “that of Silvius the parent,” had gone to the Underworld and survived in The Aeneid, which happens to be Virgil’s most famous work (16). Dante rarely describes Virgil with his name, especially during the earlier portion of the book. Eventually, he shifts towards Virgilius, Virgil’s full name. However, during most of Inferno, Dante calls on him as “Master,” “the Poet,” “my sapient Guide,” and “my Conductor” (22, 27, 32, 54).
After meeting Dante before the entrance of Hell and encouraging him with the story of Beatrice and the angelic woman who instructed Virgil to guide Dante into and through Hell, to St. Peter, Virgil plays an important role throughout Inferno. As the “guide,” he acts as a kind of protector for Dante, who is somewhat naïve. When the pair entered the fourth circle of Hell, in Canto VII, Virgil commands Plutus, who is instilling fear in the heart of Dante, to “Be silent…consume within thyself with thine own rage,” instructing Plutus that their journey is “not causeless” (44). This is one of many instances in which Virgil acts as a protector to Dante, preventing him from getting harmed while in Hell. When a “devil,” runs towards Dante, Virgil is the one who warns him, “crying out: ‘Beware, beware!’” (112). There are countless instances (ok, not really, but you get the point) of Virgil acting as an almost fatherly figure to Dante, protecting him and explaining the layers of Hell as they go through.
I think it would be far too simplistic to write off Virgil as a plot tool, especially given that he is the second most important character in the book (so far). If we think of the whole story as an allegory, which I think we should (I’m planning a future blog post on that), what does Virgil represent? Well, if Dante’s journey through Hell is symbolic of him discovering and accepting sin, then Virgil is symbolizing the necessity of having a model to ground one’s search for meaning and religiosity. Dante depends on Virgil, his hero of sorts, whom he is trying to embody more than anybody else, for guidance on his search for understanding sin and God. Without Virgil, Dante wouldn’t have even embarked on his quest and he most definitely wouldn’t have been successful.
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