Oh, yeah! The Divine Comedy is one of the best stories ever conceived! I love Dante's work. The Inferno is one of the best writings that I've ever read. I absolutely love the idea of learning what Hell is when it is such a mysterious and vaguely-explained concept in the Bible and in mythology. Dante's writing just makes it that much better. His explanation for all of these unexplainable things that the majority of people (especially there in Roman Catholic Italy) believed is just sheer creativity and fantastic writing.
My personal favorite bit is the section revolved around Limbo. Now, this is a theory that I do not share, theologically, but it is an intriguing concept and definitely warrants reading and maybe some more time and attention than some other sections. I particularly love how it explains what happened to the characters in the Bible before Christ was around to bring salvation. As a kid growing up, that was always one of my biggest questions regarding Christianity. In the story, he goes into Limbo and frees all people who deserved to go to Heaven that lived before Jesus.
Getting into the second half brings out some of the best parts. I absolutely love the mix of Greek and Roman myth and Christian theology. I think the collaboration is really great and works out so well in Dante's work. Now, don't get me wrong, I prefer to keep them separated (like The Offspring would want), but it's a new twist, you know? Something fresh (despite its age).
My absolute favorite part of the story is the description of Satan. Weird, right? I just think it is so cool to try and describe something that has been a descriptive mystery for thousands of years. Plus, I oddly love how Satan is trapped in ice caused by the deepness of his circle and the wind produced by his wings. I also really love how his existence is punishment for Judas, Cassius and Brutus - those who have betrayed those they were meant to protect and love. Great stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment