The Canto 5 of Dante’s “Inferno/Hell” is all about punishing sinners in Hell circles. Minos is the inferno judge; therefore, once a person dies, they appear before Minos, confess their sins and face judgment. Minos’s appearance is of a beast that growls; as scary as he is, he deserves the position of punishing the sinners. Amid the groans and cries of sinners, Dante manages to explain the theme of love.
Love is supposed to be a good feeling, which everyone needs to experience, but in this case, it appears as a sin. Dante considers the idea of depravity by admitting, it is the relationship, which brought them to death. In the story, Francesca and Paolo decide to be a couple, sealed by affection (“Dante Alighieri”). The brother discovers their affair, and proceeds to condemn the two to eternal life. It is unfortunate that Dante’s “Inferno/Hell” contradicts the affection’s current deliberation.
Dante’s idea is significantly different from the contemporary’s perception of love. Today, this phenomenon is characterized as a deep affectionate feeling occurring between two people. This emotion can be tensely ardent and lead to sexual engagement, care towards each other, and striving to see the best in the partner. Unlike in Dante’s work, the world considers love as a standard, and everyone appreciates its existence. Plato believes love is a philia sensation, which occurs out of eros, and it is useful as it is a part of immortal affecting all human beings (Burton 1). The same applies to Courtly, who refers to a married woman contextually (Burton 1). According to Courtly, a woman becomes an object of night devotion, inaccessible, and offers self-sacrifice (Burton 1). Courtly and Plato consider love acceptable as the world sees it today, unlike in Dante’s time when it was viewed as a sin.
In conclusion, love in contemporary society is appreciable by everyone. Plato, Courtly, and the general perception of affection today, represent it as a valuable sensation, which everyone should admire to have. It is unfortunate that in Dante’s vision, love is considered a sin, which leads one to Hell.
Works Cited
Burton, Neel. “Plato on True Love.”Psychology Today. 2012, Web.
“Dante Alighieri (1265–1321).”Bartleby, 1909, Web.