As we witness Dante being embarked on a journey through hell, we also see his trusted sidekick by his side; Virgil. Even though it is evident that Virgil serves as a literal tour guide as Dante is lost on his journey, it is also implied that his purpose dwells deeper than just a human compass. Virgil seems to be portrayed as a guardian angel to Dante. He provides a powerful presence that provides protection and guidance to Dante. It could be compared to that of a conscience or intuition. On a number of occasions Dante is spared from the dangers of hell with the help of Virgil. The fact that Dante was going though an ordeal such as traveling through the depths of hell suggests that Dante had lost his way, not only physically, but mentally as well. Virgil is then seen as a voice of reason who will not only guide him through hell but also guide him though the soulful journey he is facing within himself.
2 thoughts on “Consider the relationship between Dante and Virgil”
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I agree that Virgil is a guide to the soul and spirits of the Dante. For example, Virgil blames Dante for pitying those dammed souls who deserve the punishment from the god.However, Dante tries to remind him not be sympathetic and tells him he should harden his heart. Finally, with the help of Virgil, Dante succeeds climbing on lucifer’s leg. In this case, Virgil is not only a guidance to the Dante to overcome some tough situations in the hell, but the guidance on his minds which strengthens his heart.
This reminds me of the movie we watched in class “What Dreams May Come”, as the stories are very similar. In the movie, Albert was the mentor, and Christopher was the one who was being guided by him, going through his own stages of Hell. Their relationship was pretty strong in the movie, Albert helped the main Christopher grow as a person, just like Virgil did with Dante. I found it interesting that in the movie, Albert, who was the mentor, turned out to be Christopher’s son but in Dante’s Commedia, it felt like Virgil (the mentor in Dante’s Commedia) was more of the father figure and Dante looked up to him.