Canto 8 of Dante’s Inferno Essay -- Dantes Inferno Essays

In recent discussions of Canto 8 of Dantes Inferno, many scholars have argued ab push through Dante the pilgrims polemic abuse of one of the wrathful sinners of the fifth circle, Filippo Argenti. The altercation among the two is viewed in numerous lights. From one perspective it is seen as unjustified (ira mala) because Dante is seen as guilt-ridden of the sin being punished for in this circle, but also because his response was wrongly motivated. Others state that Dantes anger was righteous (ira bona) because there was proper cogitate behind it. Kleinhenz, one particular scholar, argues that Dantes outburst at Filippo Argenti is a result of the praise Dante received after initially criticizing the sinner. In his book, Inferno 8 The Passage Across the Styx, he maintains that Virgils praise is perhaps wrongly motivated and consequently, that Dantes reaction to Fillipo Argenti in this canto is equally erroneous. Kleinhenz alludes to this point in his interpretation of Luke 1127, where a woman who is praising Jesus is correct in her exaltation of the Mother and Son, but her praise is inappropriate to the situation. By analyzing the parallels between Virgils praise and the biblical verse, Kleinhenz argues that both Virgil and Dantes actions are inappropriate and therefore ira mala. John A. Scott, however, views Dantes outburst as being justified. In his book,Understanding Dante, Scott argues that Florence was very much a part of Dantes life and that Filippo Argenti was an ostentatious man whose arrogance and insolent display of wealth as well as corrupt nature is viewed synonymously with Florences decline. Therefore Scott argues that Dantes rage was appropriate because it was inspired by the new decadence of Fl... ...is anger can be viewed as ira bona and ira mala simultaneously. Wishing further pain upon Argenti in order to receive further praise from his mentor is an unreasonable excuse, but nerve-racking to become a better pupil and person by doing as h is mentor says is reasonable. Becoming furious as a human instinct is rational, whereas doling out punishments while you are only a human is not. Dante did not react to the sinner in the way that he did for only one reason, instead he had many reasons to respond as he did.Works CitedAlghieri, Dante. Inferno. New York Oxford UP, 1996. Print.John A. Scotts Understanding Dante, Univ. of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, Indiana, 2004 (210-11) Kleinhenz, Christopher. Inferno 8 The Passage Across the Styx. Lectura Dantis. dark-brown University. No. 3 Fall 1988 21 pars 21 Sept. 2009 .