Dante Thoughts

Adam Stephanides · 18 Apr 2001, 19:25 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: Adam Stephanides <adamsteph at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: (whorl) Dante Thoughts
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 19:25:56
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0639 at digest.urth.net>
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I think it might be more productive, instead of seeking a blow-by-blow
correspondence with the Divine Comedy a la ULYSSES, to look for
correspondences between specific episodes, not necessarily in order.  Thus,
Krait's rescue of Horn from the pit resembles the beginning of the Inferno,
where Virgil leads Dante out of the dark wood.  But it also resembles Dante
and Virgil's climbing up Satan's body out of the lowest circle of Hell: Horn
in the pit is at a low point, both physically and psychologically; the
lowest circle of Hell was for traitors, and Horn becomes a traitor to his
family, whatever the pressure he was under; and being lifted out of a pit by
an inhumu is similar to climbing out of a pit using Satan as a ladder.

Similarly, in Cantos XXI-XXIII Dante and Virgil have to cross a series of
ditches, and find that the bridge across one of them is shattered.  A demon
falsely tells theml there is another bridge further on, and convinces them
to accept as guides to it a group of demons, who later turn on them.  This
is reminiscent of Horn and Sinew's boarding the lander which they think will
take them to Whorl, but which is controlled by inhumi and aimed at Green.

--Adam

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