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A 3 page essay that discusses the role of cities as settings in Dante's Inferno. In the notes that accompany the Hollander and Hollander translation of Dante's Inferno, these translators comment that the medieval city provides the "centering image of political life" for Dante's vision of Hell (Hollander and Hollander 56). As this indicates, Dante pictures Hell in terms that are synonymous with those of an earthly city, such as his native Florence. As this indicates, an examination of Dante's references to cities in the Inferno demonstrates how this setting aided Dante in accomplishing his literary goals. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khholinf.rtf
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life" for Dantes vision of Hell (Hollander and Hollander 56). As this indicates, Dante pictures Hell in terms that are synonymous with those of an earthly city, such as his
native Florence. As this indicates, an examination of Dantes references to cities in the Inferno demonstrates how this setting aided Dante in accomplishing his literary goals. In Canto III,
for example, the inscription over the Gate of Hell reads: "Through me the way to the city of woe" (line 1)(Alighieri 47). By picturing Hell in terms of an earthly
city, Dante provides his readers with a ready template with which they were familiar, as the medieval city had begun to play an integral role in medieval life during Dantes
era. Large Italian cities, such as Dantes native Florence, were particularly powerful. As a member of medieval fourteenth century society, it would be logical that any large congregation of human
souls would naturally constitute a city. In Canto VIII, Virgil and Dante approach the "the city known as Dis,/with its vast army and its burdened citizens" (line 68-69) (Alighieri 153).
The translators comment that "Dis" is a Roman name for Pluto, the god of the underworld, which means that, for Dante, it is "another name for Lucifer or Satan" (Hollander
and Hollander 161). Dante comments to Virgil that the mosques inside the city can clearly be seen. The translators also comment that the presence of mosques inside the hellish city
is due to the fact that Dante and his era saw Islam as the most "hostile" of religions and were, likewise, hostile to the military force presented by Moslems (Hollander
and Hollander 161). The City of Dis is surrounded by iron walls, which are symbolic of the fact that from this point forward, the sins that are represented are due
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