Paul Lydio Anthony S.

Ariola Medieval Literature

12-1262 Phillip Peckson

Dante’s Inferno

“Abandon all hope ye who enter”

The sign “Abandon all hope ye who enter” that was posted at the gate of hell is a
requirement. In order to enter the inferno, one must leave behind all hesitation and every
cowardice must meet its death for a damned soul who enters this realm will remain
eternity (Inf. 5. 14 – 15). Below are the damned sinners namely Count Ugolino and
Francesca da Rimini who abandoned hope and will show the sinners what led them to their
place in inferno. This will be compared and contrasted to Manfred’s story on how and why
he was sent to purgatorio than hell.

The Abandoned hope of Count Ugolino

The Betrayal of Archbishop Ruggieri to Count Ugolino was the plan to start killing
him but the way of killing Ugolino was the cruelest of all the cases of murder. Archbishop
Ruggieri locked Count Ugolino away in a tower called the Eagle’s tower with only a window
on top together with his four sons. Count Ugolino later found out that he, together with his
four sons, will die because of hunger. However, the betrayal of Count Ugolino in
abandoning the three of Pisa’s fortresses to hostile neighboring cities was not the reason
why he was sent to the inferno. Instead, he told Dante a very sad yet gruesome story that
also explains why Count Ugolino was eating Archbishop Ruggieri’s back head.

When Count Ugolino and his four sons were locked in the eagle’s tower, they heard a
noise of someone nailing the door of the tower, looked at his sons and “turned into stone”
in which he did not speak, move nor weep (Inf. 33. 46-49). This situation gives the readers
an interpretation of Ugolino already abandoning hope. Moreover, when Ugolino turned into
stone, he never talked to his children. One of his sons approached him weeping and begging
him for help but not a single move was done (Inf. 33. 50-53). Ugolino’s sons were even
asking him to eat them since “for you clothed us in this sad flesh – it is for you to strip it off”
(Inf. 33. 62-63). Figuratively, they want their father to eat them since he was the one who
gave birth and took care of them. However, this was a subtle accusation that it is their
father’s fault they were in this terrible situation. Nevertheless, he still refused to speak nor
move (Inf. 33. 60-63). Instead, he bit his hands out of grief because he could not take the
pain of seeing his children suffer (Inf. 33. 54-58). The reason why Count Ugolino turned
into “stone” was because he knows what Ruggieri plans to do with him specifically by
having him watch his own sons suffer and slowly dying of hunger. Count Ugolino then will
do whatever it takes not to put his ego down and does not want to satisfy Ruggieri in
accomplishing his plan. This was an act of selfishness since he chose to pull up his pride
rather than setting aside for the sake of his children. Moreover, he failed to perform the
duties and responsibilities as a Father such as caring and protecting his aona. As seen in
these statements above, Count Ugolino was placed in the second deepest depth of the
inferno because he chose hate over love as he focused more on hating Archbishop Ruggieri
than loving and comforting his children specially during the time they need their father the
most. Choosing to comfort and love his children could have been the only way towards
salvation, despite the awful things he did in betraying other people. He, instead, chose to
abandon his children and focused more on hating the enemy than loving his loved ones.

The Abandoned hope of Francesca

As Dante and Virgil enter the second circle of hell, they saw damned souls in a
hellish hurricane that never rests which is the punishment of their sin called “Lust.” Dante
compared them to birds in three different types through the crowded formation as they
were being driven by the hurricane. As they looked at this crowd, two souls approached
Dante and Virgil like a dove (Inf. 5.82). A woman named Francesca da Rimini approached
Dante and talked to him.

As Francesca approached Dante, she gave an impression that she blames God for
putting her in her current place (Inf. 5. 88-93) in which she mentioned that “if he who rules
the universe were a friend to us, then we should pray to Him to give you peace.” In other
words, she refers “Him” who created the universe to God the Father who is not her friend.
Moreover, since God is love, she also blames love since it led them to their death ( Inf. 5.
106). In addition, not only love led them to their death but it was also attraction that
started to drove her to “love” the person since “love can quickly seize the gentle heart” (Inf.
5.100). Through these statement above, she could not control her emotions so therefore
she gave in – meaning cheating her husband by sleeping with his husbands’ brother. The
husband therefore killed them both in their sleep. After Francesca finishes her complaints,
Dante find this prejudiced since it was not their fault and still they remain in this circle to
suffer. However, Dante asked her a very important question which was “How are you sure
that the two of you are in love with each other? (Inf.5 115-120). Francesca answered that it
started when she and Paolo read a book about Lancelot having an affair with Arthur’s wife.
After reading, they looked at each other with trembling bodies then Paolo kissed Francesca
and then they “read no more” (Inf. 5. 121-138). She then blames the book since it was one
of the factors that led them to sin. Moreover, they also did the exact situation in which
Arthur’s wife cheated him with Lancelot.

Obviously, in these statements above, Francesca abandoned hope when she blamed
everything that lead her to sin except only herself. She never saw the fact that the choices of
the human beings will lead them to their perfective end, either good or bad. Like the
struggle of any human being, the kiss of Paolo was to powerful enough to stop herself from
sleeping with him. Circumstances like when two person are attracted to each other, one
kissed the other and one thing led to another is too hard for that person to stop unless he
or she had the guts to do so.

Dante’s Purgatorio

The New hope of Manfred

While Dante was communicating with the souls of purgatory, a handsome man told
him “Whoever you may be, as you move forward, turn and see: consider if beyond you’ve
ever seen me” (Purg. 3. 103 – 105) and pointed at his own wound. This action wanted to
know if Dante recognizes him unfortunately he did not. Apparently, this wound was a
representation on how he died. This man introduced himself as Manfred, the grandson of
the Empress Constance, and told his story behind his wounds (Purg. 3. 112). He died during
a battle and luckily, according to him, he was able to repent his sins founded hope as he
gave himself fully to the Almighty Father, God (Purg. 3. 118 -123). This is the reason why he
was sent to purgatory due to the latter. Moreover, he believed that he was excommunicated
after his death by his enemy Pope Clement IV. Also, they buried Manfred’s body outside the
papal territory (Purg. 3. 124 – 132). However, despite the pope sayings about confession
before death will lead all human beings to purgatory, Manfred believes that God forgives
everyone who sets down his or her pride, gain faith, have the courage to admit mistakes
and repent (Purg. 3. 133 – 145). In the end, Manfred asks a favor to tell his daughter that
luckily he was sent to purgatory rather than in the depths of inferno.

Hope

In Ugolino’s case, abandoned hope when he knew he was going to die and chose to hate
his enemies than to love his children who needed his comfort, protection and love at the
most desperate time. Moreover, he failed to be the father to his children. As for Francesca’s
case, she abandoned hope when she was driven by the kiss of Paolo and at the same time
her emotions that led her to sin. She blamed about everything that led her to sin except
herself since she still believes that it was not her fault. Despite her explanations, she still
abandoned her post as a wife to a husband, breaking the vow they undertook that led to
her death. As for Manfred, he was able to save himself by having faith with the Almighty
Father God despite the fact that he was killed in action and he was excommunicated by the
pope himself after his death. Yet, he was saved by his repentance. According to him, the
Lord is forgiving to those who repents their sins and chose to have faith in God.

Count Ugolino Francesca da Rimini Manfred

Count Ugolino abandoned Francesca da Ramini
hope when he left his post abandoned hope when she
as the father to his children. blamed everything,
Moreover, he chose to hate especially the emotions,
his enemy that to love and that devoured her and led
Manfred was able to save
himself because even
during his death, he was
able to repent and gave
himself fully to God. In this
 comfort his four sons.
Salvation: He could have
saved himself from the
inferno if he had hope and
comforted his children.
her to sin. scenario, he never failed to
Salvation: She could have have hope.
admitted her mistakes that
she herself chose to give
herself up to Paolo due to
the factors that attracted
her to him despite the
emotions

Evaluation: Hope in “The Walking Dead”

Through these three cantos, this can be related in a situation of a TV series entitled
“The Walking Dead.” when Rick Grimes, the protagonist of this story, tried to abandoned
hope as he was surrounded by “walkers” (also known as zombies). Rick grimes was
desperately trying to find his wife and son due to the reported outbreak of virus that makes
the dead come back to life. As he was looking for them, he was startled by a herd of walkers
and chased him until he found the only place to hide which was under a tank.
Unfortunately, the walkers saw him went under and tried to crawl inside to eat Rick alive.
Rick then thought of abandoning hope by killing himself with his .45 magnum revolver gun
pointed at his head saying “I’m sorry Lori and Carl” (his wife and son). This was a way of
abandoning hope but with repentance as he was apologizing to his wife and son due to a
low inevitability of surviving the situation under the tank. Fortunately, Rick realized that he
has to perform the duties and responsibilities as a husband to his wife and as father to his
child. He knew that his wife and son is counting on him for their survival thus he tried his
best to think of ways to get out of this kind of situation alive. Luckily, he found and went
through a small hole under the tank which is also a way inside of the tank and at last, he
was saved.

In relation to the latter, Count Ugolino and Francesca da Rimini could have never
lost hope in desperate times because there will always be a way towards salvation if one
tries his or her best to find a way and never lose hope similar with what Manfred did as he
was slowly dying and Rick grimes did to survive the desperate situation.
References

Shmoop. (n.d.). Purgatorio Canto III (Ante-Purgatory: the Late-Repentant; the base of the
mountain: the Excommunicates). Retrieved from
http://www.shmoop.com/purgatorio/canto-iii-summary.html

Shmoop. (n.d.). Inferno Canto V (The Second Circle: the Lustful). Retrieved from
http://www.shmoop.com/inferno/canto-v-second-circle-summary.html

Shmoop. (n.d.). Inferno Canto XXXIII (the Ninth Circle, Second Ring Antenora: Traitors to
the Homeland or Party, Third Ring Ptolomea: Traitors against their Guests). Retrieved from
http://www.shmoop.com/inferno/canto-xxxiii-summary.html

The Walking Dead. Dir. Ernest R. Dickerson. American Movie Classics, 2010. TV Series