When asked to name the most influential authors in the history of literature, a person would most likely refer to authors whose acclaim is so great, one only has to say a single part of his or her name. Poets and playwrights, these authors composed works that transcend time and place and carry messages and lessons about morality, justice, and what it means to be human. Poets like Homer, Milton, and Virgil, or playwrights like Shakespeare have been given a seat in the highest echelons of the writing pantheon. When discussing one-name authors, another name is a must: Dante.
Dante, author of The Divine Comedy, is one of the single most read, analyzed, reviewed, and criticized literary works of all time. The most widely read, often as school curriculum, is The Inferno. Dante's masterpiece, The Inferno, is a remarkable literary work about the personal journey for salvation;
[...] The subsequent Guelph rise to power in Florence was a major factor in the history of the city and events occurring later in Dante's life. While most of the important facts of Dante's early life are well documented surprisingly little is known about Dante's education (Van 394). While his writing style, usage of vernacular, and philosophical reasoning indicate some higher form of education, nothing can be proven. Dante's writings were influenced by the ideas of the Florentine philosopher Brunetto Latini who is featured in The Divine Comedy. [...]
[...] Virgil was something of a hero to Dante who admired Virgil's work and strove to be a poet of similar stature. Dante casts Virgil as the voice of human reason, symbolizing the triumph of human reason over sin. While the characters like Virgil are allegorical representations, Dante's various punishments of sinners are equally symbolic. The Inferno symbolizes poetic justice in its truest and most literal form. The punishment for every sinner is befitting of his or her crime. For example the hypocrites are required to wear leaden robes gilded with gold. [...]
[...] This battle proved to be a decisive step in the Guelphs bid for power in Florence and elsewhere. Around 1300, the Guelphs split into two factions, White and Black (Zophy 419). Usually individuals were in one group or another according to family ties rather than political beliefs. Dante was a member of the White party (Hollander 97). The Blacks believed the Pope could be an ally against imperial power. The Whites felt they should remain separate from either power. The rivalry became fierce enough that leaders of both factions were removed from Florence in order to ensure peace. [...]
[...] Dante became a believer of the Ghebelline ideals and began to embrace the idea of an Emperor-unified Europe (Hollander 98). Dante wrote many influential leaders in Italy urging them to accept the rule of Henry the VII, the king of Germany and heir to the Holy Roman Empire. Dante's renewed hope more or less died with Henry in 1313 and Dante's political fervor began to wane ("Dante" CD-ROM). Dante's involvement in Italian politics reflected in his writings. In many places in The Inferno, corrupt leaders of both the Guelphs and Ghebellines are seen at various levels of Hell, and Dante was not above putting people he disliked or rivaled in places of shame. [...]
[...] The Blacks' rise to power is largely thanks to the help of Pope Boniface VIII whom Dante criticizes heavily and throughout The Inferno ("Dante" CD-ROM). The feud between the Guelphs and Ghebellines was certainly one of the main concerns of medieval Italy, but was certainly not the only one. The Catholic Church in Dante's era held tremendous sway over the lives of nearly every person in Western Europe. From the lowliest peasant to the mightiest king, all regarded the Church as the supreme authority on everyday life. [...]
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