Introduction
Dante’s Inferno, in essence, gives a vivid account of hell from the poet’s perspective. There are a wide range of lessons that could be learnt from this particular divine comedy. In this discussion, I concern myself with the greed circle. This fourth circle hosts those souls undergoing punishment for greed. Here, Dante and Virgil meet souls who are condemned to drag heavy loads from one place to another. The all important question I shall be seeking to answer is: is greed satiable? A bottomless pit, greed fatigues an individual and keeps one focused on an eternal pursuit of needs that will never be fully satisfied.
Discussion
In Dante’s inferno, greed, as has been pointed out in the introductory section, is identified as the fourth circle of hell (Fowlie 141). This is where the souls of persons undergoing punishment for their materialism, possessiveness, and greed undergo punishment. It is important to note that in this case, these suffering souls are divided into two distinct categories – i.e. those who spent their possessions lavishly (spenders), and those who sought to hold onto their possessions (hoarders) (Fowlie 141). As per Dante’s account, this circle of hell has a significant number of popes, cardinals as well as clerics from the Catholic Church (Fowlie 142). Souls in this circle are condemned to move enormous loads from one place to another. As Dante further points out, there appears to be a constant brawl between persons from either side – i.e. hoarders against...
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