Journeying Through Circle 6

When observing Dante in the inferno, one should be able to understand how he is
on a very interesting journey through Hell. Meaning that he has to undergo two
separate journeys, during approximately the same period of time. Dante embarks
on a journey of moral redemption that physically takes him through Hell. In Circle 6,
Dante holds discourse with a pair of Florentines in one of the tombs: Farinata degli
Uberti, a Ghibelline; and Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti, a Guelph. When The Poets reach
the inner edge of the sixth circle, they find a great jumble of rocks that had once
been a cliff. These rocks have fallen into rubble as the result of the great earthquake
that shook Hell when Christ died. Within this circle, Dante finds several different
items, one of those items being an inscription on the lid of the tomb labeling it as
the place in Hell of Pope Anastasius. In this circle, Dante does more than describe
the circle; he explains how and why the “heretics” are there, and why the sixth
circle is where they shall stay.

When looking at the whole Inferno, Dante is just beginning on his journey. The
following is a brief example of Dante’s mindset, and his physical and moral steps
towards redemption:

First: Dante and Virgil first become aware of the day and time; stating that it is
“about two hours before Sunrise of Holy Saturday”

Second: Dante and Virgil find ghastlier gangs within broken boulders of the circle

Third: Malice, the sin most hated by God is described to Dante. The people who
commit the sin of Malice, all lie in the first round (wall) of circle 6.

Fourth: Dante is reaching the end of Circle 6, when he states what offends God the
least and earns blame from Justice and Charity. Incontinence and bestiality are the
sins that least offend God

Last: As Dante begins to leave and enter Circle 7 Round 1, he thoroughly explains
the road as dark and shallow. Also, that the Wain lies over the Caurus the Fish are
quivering low on the horizon.

It is relevant to see that Dante is in the same state of mind that he was in prior to
entering Hell. What is easiest to comprehend is that many people of the society,
including Dante himself, are now not only suffering in Circle 6, but in Hell as a
whole.

By comparing Dante’s journey through Hell, Paradiso, and Purgatory, it can seem
like a difficult and daunting task to accomplish. The Inferno itself and its realm of
punishment can challenge even the smartest person’s mind. Dante starts off his
journey in dark woods; he is having thoughts of suicide and feeling rejected by
almost everyone. A comparison could be between Dante and Hannah, who was a 16
year old girl. She committed suicide because of the influence of thirteen others, who
she felt did nothing but torment her. Dante was also feeling as though he was being
tormented by others, almost as if the world was against him. The author of the book
“Thirteen Reasons Why” is Jay Asher, although he may have had different
adventures for different people in his related books, he does an amazing job of
developing the character, Hannah. When Hannah dies, people that briefly knew her
wondered why she decided to commit suicide. Little did they know that they would
soon find out, Hannah sent out a series of cassette tapes individually to each person
who contributed to her committing suicide. The author, Jay Asher, did an awesome
job of explaining the fact that suicide is good for no one! In fact one of the people
who contributed to Hannah’s death was someone who had previously had a crush
on her. This just goes to show that thoughts of death, and suicide itself is nonsense,
and overall unethical. Dante’s realization by the end the Inferno is that he needs to
change both mentally and physically; but he could not change by himself. This
explains why Virgil and Beatrice guided him through Hell and Heaven, so they could
make the change for him. Dante’s journey may seem unimaginable to complete, but
if you take the time and dig deep enough, you too may need to find a journey
towards moral redemption.