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Burn In Hell...But I love you//Haylee Lynd

 


    In Canto XI Dante places three Florentines in Hell who he admires. He speaks well of them in this Canto as well as in Canto VI. These Florentines are Jacopo Rusticucci, Guido Guerra, and Tegghiaio Aldobrandi. These are not the only individuals who Dante places in Hell that he also speaks highly of with in his Inferno. My question is why place those you greatly admire in Hell, and quite low in Hell as well. The specific individuals are in the seventh circle of Hell. Their sin is violence against nature and art. However, Virgil says, "...these are souls to whom respect is due" (XI, 15). They were famous on earth. Guido Guerra, in his life, "won great fame in  counsel and in war" (XI, 39). Yet, they suffer for sin. I think it is fascinating that Dante lists so many of those whom he admires as Sodomites burning in Hell within his Inferno. I also think it is a great testament to how little earthly fame and reputation matters. It all passes with death. We take none of our earthly possessions with us, and our deeds amount to nothing without the Lord. 


P.S. I commented on Ian's and Emmett's posts.

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