Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Getting a bit carried away
When I was in class today I started writing my Inferno Proposal and I can see how fun it was for Dante to come up with these punishments. I am writing my paper on bad table manners because that is one of my biggest pet peeves. As I was writing I was getting annoyed by just thinking of the habits some people have. The more annoyed I became the easier it was to make up punishments for people with bad habits. When we first started reading Dante I was confused how he came up with these harsh punishments but as I was writing my proposal it was therapeutic thinking about what the punishments will be if someone chews with his or her mouth open. I also finally understand why Dante feels pity for only some people in Hell. I know Abbey is writing her paper on some people's poor fashion choices. I have no idea what her punishments are or anything but if I was the pilgrim strutting through hell and I saw poor KWinkler in Hell because he wears Cargo shorts I'm going to feel bad, but the second I see the people in my circle of Hell there will be no pity because they should have known better. I just thought it was interesting being in Dante's shoes for a bit.
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I agree, I think it all depends on what your personal morals and standards are when it comes to feeling either pity or satisfaction when reading about people in hell. I think that it is easiest to pity those that we can relate to in some way, whether it be knowing them personally or relating to some character trait they have. I have begun writing punishments for people who do not have proper behavior on airplanes (airplane etiquette), because some of the things people do are just plain rude. But what I find rude, others may not according to their own personal standards. I think it all really depends on personal opinion. I would also like to add that thinking of creative punishments really is fun, but at the same time a bit tricky. I respect Dante for all of the creative effort he put into his unique punishments.
It definitely is interesting being in Dante's shoes! I know I'm going to have a lot of fun writing this mock Inferno paper. @Madison, I think you're right when you say it all depends on our personal opinions. What might annoy me might not necessarily annoy you and vice versa so I'm excited to hear everyone's original circle of Hell. I, too, respect Dante for his creativity! I certainly understand why Dante the Pilgrim pities some of the people he encounters in Hell; but, unlike what Ashley and Madison and even myself think, he pities those he doesn't personally know and his pity is completely gone when he encounters someone he knows. Perhaps it should be the other way around since it is easier to pity those we can relate to (like Madison said). However, the people he knows that are in Hell are those Florentines he dislikes most--he puts them in Hell for specific reasons so of course he is not going to weep over them as they endure their punishments, which he himself (the Poet) wrote. On the other hand, I find it somewhat ironic that Dante the Poet would write that it is not good to have pity on the sinners in Hell (because it would doubt God's justice) but then he makes Dante the Pilgrim feel this same pity and become overcome with emotions in certain situations. I don't know, but I didn't really understand that (however, I should've known better because this is not at all the first time Dante doesn't make much sense in his poem).
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