To this point in The Inferno, we have learned about sins and symbolic retribution through Circle 7. Which contrapasso do you feel is the mostsymbolic and befitting to the sin? Explain. Which contrapasso do you feel is the least symbolic and unbefitting to the sin. Explain. You must respond with at least 100 words, but you need only respond to me.
11 Comments
Alexis Young
11/16/2014 07:45:18 am
I've enjoyed reading this book. The contrapassos are very interesting. I believe the most symbolic and befitting contrapasso is that of Caiaphas in Circle 8 of the Inferno. Caiaphas was the leader of the Pharisees; the group of people who truly wanted Jesus crucified. The fact that Caiaphas was sent to hell, and has the punishment of being nailed to the ground as the other souls trample all over him, is very symbolic.
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Sierra Gant
11/16/2014 09:50:49 am
In Circle 7, the contrapasso of violence against self is that they are thorny trees in Hell. Although harsh, this is the most symbolic because by discarding their earthly bodies they are denied bodies for eternity. To make it more depressing, eventually their earthly bodies are hung from their tree bodies so they will see what they gave up for all eternity. In the Vestibule, the contrapasso is that the opportunists will chase an unreachable banner and be stung by wasps and hornets. It’s not fitting because they were for just themselves which in my book leans more toward the evil side than neutral. They probably should be in Hell in my opinion. The banner chasing just isn’t symbolic enough either.
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Madison Hoffman
11/16/2014 10:52:09 am
I've really enjoyed seeing the different contrapasso and the symbolic meaning behind them. I think one of the most symbolic contrapassos is in Circle 6. The souls denied immortality and taught that the soul dies with the body so they are in an eternal grave. I think that fits well for the sin they committed. Another contrapasso that fits the sin is in Circle 3. They are guilty of gluttony so their punishment is to lie in garbage. I don't think Circle 2's contrapasso is fitting. I don't think the souls should be in endless flight because it doesn't match the sin they committed.
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Laura Peck
11/16/2014 11:16:12 am
I would say that circle one is very straight forward. These people were good humans, full of virtue and honorable things, however, without God, they were virtually nothing. Because of this, in Hell they have no hope at all. Just like they indirectly aimed for on earth. The contrapasso that is the most blase would probably be in circle two. It is interesting that sexual sins are referred to as the “lightest” sins, as if it were practically impossible to not indulge in them, whereas these days in the middle of Kansas, that is a pretty taboo topic. I understand that their being sent around in dirty air endlessly is a representation of their passion, but to me it almost seems random and out of place.
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Riley Bahre
11/16/2014 11:22:36 am
Though I find the majority of the contrapassos accurate to the crimes comitted, the one that peaked my interest lies at the bottom of malebolge: "The Giants. Though the damming of entire (fictional) species seems absolutely ludicrous, its location and the nature of its inhabitants justify the prison so very well. Giants, symbolically, are children of the Earth and all her desires; they are primal, violent, and (most importantly) faithless. Their very existence taints the meaning of what god wants humanity to be, and so their prison lies between defacing nature and betraying God's image as a whole. Unfortunately, the vestibule didn't spark the same ironic consequence in my eyes: doomed to chase a banner throughout eternity, hunted by wasps and feeding the maggots with your bodily liquids... doesn't really shout "Self-Interest" or "Opportunism" to me.
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Elijah Brockway
11/16/2014 01:03:55 pm
For me, the position of "most symbolic/ironic/befitting contrapasso" would have to be split between that of the heretics/epicureans (being placed in a burning tomb for eternity) and that of the hoarders and wasters (pushing the great weights and losing all semblance of self). Each is well connected to its sin - you deny eternal life and god, and you are placed in a burning tomb for eternity. That one is very straight forward. As for that of Circle 4, Greed, those who set such greater store in money than in God, losing themselves to it, now lose all identity in Hell, simply being there each to torment the other.
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Mallory Harger
11/16/2014 01:22:38 pm
I have enjoyed reading and learning about the different punishments for the sins. So far, I think the most befitting of the contrapassos is in circle 1. These people weren't terrible people who committed awful crimes, and the punishment reflects that. I like the fact that they are always craving something because they know they are missing out on something. They circle that I personally found least befitting is circle 2. I don't understand the connection between the strong winds and the sexual desires of lust. I mean, with the strong winds the people in the circle never find rest like those that suffer with lust. I just don't see it as being so significant.
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Dakota Cavanauagh
11/16/2014 01:42:15 pm
Overall, the concept of assigning a unique contrapasso to each sin is a very thought provoking thing to ponder about. Each soul has been cast into hell for eternal damnation for the sins they committed on earth. The vast majority of the circles along with their respective contrapassos have a very distinct connection. One of the strongest would be the 1st circle of hell. The souls in this circle of hell have not committed any outstanding offenses against humanity or God, except for the fact that they did not accept or know God as a heavenly figure in their lives. And so, they are left to constantly crave something they do not have, which is symbolic for their insatiable crave for earthly desires, and denial towards Godly things. On the flip side, circle 2 has a somewhat random contrapasso. Those who committed the sin of lust in their lifetimes are trapped in a never ending vortex of dirty wind. I suppose in a sort of far-fetched way the constant, unpredictable action of being blown about uncontrollably is symbolic of their ambitions and goals in life being blown about by their sinful passion. However, making that connection is subjected to the reader, and is not nearly as direct of a comparison as in the other circles of the inferno.
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Stephanie Farney
11/16/2014 01:53:22 pm
In Circle seven, I thought that the punishment for those who committed violence against themselves was most befitting. Since they took their earthly bodies for granted, they are then denied bodies for eternity and are reincarnated into thorny trees. Because they are denied their body, they suddenly appreciate it, and thus have to wallow in regret for all of time. Their bodies are also hung from their limbs, forever serving as a reminder of what they once had and chose to discard. This symbolism, however, did not carry over in the Vestibule. Chasing a banner for all eternity while being stung by wasps does not really seem symbolic of neutrality.
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Gallagher Martin
11/16/2014 11:41:47 pm
Circle one for me is the most symbolic. These people were neither good nor evil. They just lived their lives without the aspect of God or religion. Therefore, they are just there in circle one. Not in Heaven, not in Hell. Just existing. Just like they were without God on Earth. They never committed any awful sin, they aren't punished as severely. But without ever hearing of God, they are doomed to an eternal afterlife of nothing. They are given no hope of ever getting out of this limbo, or getting into Heaven.
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Hannah Marshall
11/18/2014 10:41:49 am
Circle 7, violence against self, was the most symbolic for me. It was interesting to visualize how the suicide victims were portrayed in Hell. They denied themselves on Earth, so they were to remain trees for eternity while the birds would pluck their leaves until the bled out, thus starting the cycle over again. It was also interesting that after all the leaves had been plucked and they were in pain, that was the only time they could actually speak. The Vestibule was the least symbolic for me. For a person to be chasing a banner and being stung by hornets didn't seem like a fitting contrapasso. They were just being themselves, but they didn't see the wrong they were doing so that is why they ended up in Hell. I don't think that the sin was as bad as the punishment they were given.
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