Canto 18 of The Inferno by Dante Alighieri Essay -- Dante Alighieri Th

Canto 18 of The Inferno by Dante Alighieri It was once said by Marcel Proust that We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one(a) else can make for us, which no one can spare us. This journey through the wild to discover wisdom is exactly what transpires in The Inferno by Dante Alighieri. The Inferno is an epic poetry that is the first section of a three-part poem called The Divine Comedy. The Inferno is about the narrator, Dante, traveling through the layers of nut house and learning about the men and women in Hell, and in the long run why God is punishing them there. One of the most representative parts of The Inferno as a whole is Canto 18. Canto 18 is the eighth circle of Hell called the Malebolge, which translated means Evil-Pouches. This is where ordinary fraud is punished. The Canto begins with a very detailed description of the Malebolge. Dante then visits the first of ten sackfules l ocated in the eighth circle. The first pouch holds panders and seducers who are being beaten by horned demons. While watching the sinners in this pouch, Dante recognizes two men. Virgil, the famous poet and Dantes guide through Hell, then leads Dante into the southward pouch where Flatterers are immersed in excrement. Here, in the second pouch Dante again recognizes two of the sinners, a man and woman, who are spending eternity covered in feces. Once Dante has seen the second pouch, Virgil leads him out because he has seen enough. Initially, after reading Canto 18 for the first time, I was very much shocked at how Dante illustrates the entire scene. First, as I read about why the people Dante k brand-new were in Hell, it really makes me think about ... ...e last insight Fowlie provides me with is more background information to the figures he uses in examples of the sins. Fowlie says that Dantes inclusion of Caccianemico is an extreme case of pandering (120). Fow lie believes the main purpose Dante uses Caccianemico is because Caccianemico is from Bologna, and he is lashing out against the city. Fowlie says Dante knows that Bologna is full of the practice of pimping thus, Dante feels that Bologna is the thoroughgoing(a) place for the sinner of pandering to originate from. I find this interesting because it is as if Dante has a grudge against Bologna and is attempting to ruin the citys name. Overall, Fowlies parole on Canto 18 reveals many new ideas and thoughts that improve my knowledge and understanding of the entire poem. The material stated in Fowlies discussion ultimately sheds new light on my Canto 18.