The Roles of Virgil and Beatrice in Inferno and Purgatorio - Book Report/Review Example

As stated by Kirkpatrick (p. 5-7) Virgil had been a Roman poet famous for his creation a legendary initiation of the Roman Empire through 'The Aeneid', his well-known epic. Dante takes him as his hero to support the value of 'Justice' and 'Reason' without any strict religious application and this is the main role of Virgil in the comedy. All through the epic, he demonstrates several characteristics that exemplify four eminent powers. He turns out to be a realistic replica of the rational directive with Aquinas (cf.

Purgatorio, iii 37 and Paradiso. xiii, 112-42)and confirmed his systematic understanding. In Inferno (I 88) it was actually Virgil who rescued Dante from the wolf of Avarice attack, rather than St. Francis and expanded the Boethian principle of variability in Inferno vii, thus assumed the role of a savior. He shows his ability of scientific arguments with Aristotle (Inferno. xi and Purgatorio xviii)Nevertheless, he seems to perform his main duty to embed the heroic ethical rationale. (Inferno.

xxiv 52-7) and exhibits a familiarity that off-putting activities are the actual reason of collective turbulence. (Inferno. xi 22-3 and Purgatorio, xvii 113) (Kirkpatrick, p. 5-7) Dante has expounded this feminine character of Beatrice in an exceptional manner. She appears as a female ideal that is the complete denote for "The Divine Comedy'. She serenely epitomizes blissful fondness in a calculated style and is so worried about Dante that attempts to look for Virgil to be a guide for Dante whilst he was wandering to the underworld.

It was Beatrice who inspired Dante to carry on his inferno trip. 'Loved to Call Me Here" (II, 73) explicates her drive clearly. According to Lansing (p. 1), it appears that Dante demonstrated her as his own savior whose celestial concern directed him to the egress from the 'Dark Woods of Errors' and took him to the exact transmit to the God. She holds an esteemed standing in paradise with a direct connection with Mary. She is not a human character but an inspiration towards eternal majesty. (Forman and Spring, p. 15-16)The sacred smile of Beatrice incarcerates the entire Paradise's approach for human beings.

All supernatural beings, the archangels, plus the holy deities are aware of their moral superiority and better knowledge than mankind so they sporadically attain amusement in its imprudence, however always in a delightful manner and affection.As stated by Kirkpatrick (p. 5-7) Beatrice has played the role of a teacher in the comedy as well and seems to be an everlasting teacher as compared with Virgil. Occasionally her flawless comprehension and lengthy sermons happen to be exasperating. Her constant critical remarks about propositions of Dante at times get on the reader's nerves.

However, her long speeches are worth learning for Dante and he does so in leaps and bounds. Her beauty and wisdom are overemphasized by Dante.