Comments by Noah Dyson Most recent public comments by Noah Dyson https://nowcomment.com/users/128046 I find the 4th circle of Hell to be particularly interesting https://nowcomment.com/documents/330016?scroll_to=2929050 https://nowcomment.com/documents/330016?scroll_to=2929050 While there are several circles of Hell that are shown to be sub-divided by each sin within a certain category of sins, the 4th circle of Hell is the only circle where the souls are actually punishing each other. All the souls found here suffered from avarice (excessive greed), but the different ways in which they expressed that greed (hoarding vs wasting) were opposed to each other so they oppose each other even into eternity Tue, 18 Oct 2022 06:47:53 +0200 Probably Circle #1 https://nowcomment.com/documents/330016?scroll_to=2929049 https://nowcomment.com/documents/330016?scroll_to=2929049 I mean, is it understandable to WANT to be in Circle #1? Souls who are stuck in Circle 1 are not eternally tortured like the spirits in the rest of Hell, so I would definitely choose the circle where I wouldn't be tortured. Tue, 18 Oct 2022 06:39:06 +0200 1) Dante's worldview at the beginning of the poem is lost, tired and hopeless and naive 2) Inferno is an epic in its own right, with Dante meeting many other characters while journeying who influence his outlook on life, but it's also a poem still https://nowcomment.com/documents/330016?scroll_to=2926969 https://nowcomment.com/documents/330016?scroll_to=2926969 Question #5: In the three-part-poetic-series "The Divine Comedy," Dante Alighieri becomes his own protagonist and main character as he writes about his journeys through the depths of hell all the way up to the heights of heaven. Over the course of Inferno, Dante's worldview seems to shift a little bit at a time as he becomes enlightened with knowledge of sin and its consequences, as well as the power of the divine over sin. We can see at the beginning of the poem, his worldview is shaped by what is immediately in front of him and how he feels emotionally; he is lost and desperately tired after blindly trudging through life. He is also naive in thinking that he can make it up to heaven by himself, and is quickly forced to retreat back into hopelessness when he is cut off by three monstrous animals: a leopard, a lion and a she-wolf. Dante even says of the She-Wolf in lines 52-54 "She brought such heaviness upon my spirit at sight of her savagery and desperation, I died from every hope of that high summit." ("Inferno", 2021, p. 931) The Leopard represents Malice and Fraud, the Lion is Violence and Ambition, and the She-Wolf is Incontinence (no self restraint). These three animals are the primary examples of symbolism that Dante uses, and are intended to emphasize how humans - Dante included - cannot hope to ascend to heaven on their own because their own guilt holds them back and make it feel hopeless. My question to everyone who's read this far is this: Why does Dante choose to incorporate and consolidate so many aspects of faith and the spiritual realm into one story when it is clearly meant to focus on the more Christian beliefs and faith? (i.e why is Dante mixing up Christian beliefs with Roman/Greek mythos, and does it contribute to, or take away from his main ideas about sin?) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While written during an entirely different time period under vastly different circumstances, the Greek epic "The Odyssey" shares a few similar elements with the Dante Alighieri's poem "Inferno." The big picture here is simply that Dante's inferno is also an epic in its own right. As is characteristic of many other pieces of literature that could be considered an "epic," Dante uses his writing to explore his understanding of the supernatural forces that influenced his personal and cultural beliefs; in his case, this was the metaphorical exploration of the depths of hell, whereas in the Odyssey it was Odysseus sailing all over the ocean defeating supernatural monsters with the aid of Athena. There is also a pattern in how both Dante and Odysseus seem to make a circuit of their journey; they start in one place, travel as far away as seems possible and then return back with an enlightened worldview. One third similarity can be seen in how both Dante and Odysseus frequently receive help or guidance from their companions or people they encounter on their travels. As already mentioned, for Odysseus this would primarily include Athena, but also characters such as Calypso, the various island kings he encounters, Circe, and ironically even some dead spirits from the underworld. For Dante, these characters would include his primary companion Virgil, but he also receives assistance or information from other characters he meets along the way such as Virgil's contemporary philosophers and poets, a whole slew of ghosts and spirits, and even a few demons. However, one of the biggest and most obvious differences between Inferno and the Odyssey is how Inferno is a lyrical poem and the Odyssey is most definitely not; they are both an epic with similar story elements, but Inferno clearly emphasizes several poetic elements that the Odyssey does not contain: consistent rhyme scheme, dramatic figurative language and strong metaphors. While this can be seen in every stanza of the poem from beginning to end, lines 37-39 of Canto V does a good job illustrating this when it says: "And this, I learned, was the never-ending flight of those who sinned in the flesh, the carnal and lusty who betrayed reason to their appetite." ("Inferno", 2021, p. 949) References: Alighieri, D. (2021). Inferno. In M. Puchner (Ed.), Norton Anthology of World Literature (shorter 4th ed., pp. 925-1084). https://ncia.wwnorton.com/169414/r/goto/cfi/578!/4 Sat, 15 Oct 2022 05:54:36 +0200 I would agree that Penelope is very different from Medea https://nowcomment.com/documents/328084?scroll_to=2920168 https://nowcomment.com/documents/328084?scroll_to=2920168 You hit the differences between Penelope and Medea right on the nose! Despite Medea getting more time on the page than Penelope in their respective stories, there is ample context for each of their characters to figure out that they have very little in common; Penelope is cool and level-headed even in the midst of an increasingly dangerous environment, and is very rational even when overwhelmed by such strong emotions as to render her speechless. Medea on the other hand is all butt-hurt because Jason moved out, and her emotions govern ALL of her actions as a result. Really, the only similarity that could reasonably be observed between them is how they are both rather crafty at getting what they want (which seems to be a reoccurring character trait in many Greek stories) Thu, 06 Oct 2022 04:03:46 +0200 I think I would rather be childless. https://nowcomment.com/documents/328084?scroll_to=2920125 https://nowcomment.com/documents/328084?scroll_to=2920125 Having children is both a blessing and a curse. It takes massive amounts of both time, effort and compassion. As of yet, I do not feel fully competent at taking care of myself yet, much less also caring for children. Yes, they are a joy to have around but only if you are equipped to help them grow up. So, at least for now, I would rather remain childless. Thu, 06 Oct 2022 02:54:28 +0200 TLDR: 1) The nurse explains Medea's backstory and foreshadows the death of Medea's sons and Jason's new wife. 2) Medea is extremely pleased with her actions because of how it caused Jason to grieve. 3) Medea is crafty and vengeful like Odysseus. https://nowcomment.com/documents/328084?scroll_to=2915781 https://nowcomment.com/documents/328084?scroll_to=2915781 A-F: Question #1 The Athenian drama "Medea" is a fascinating piece of literature that depicts an extreme example of what happens when a woman is spurned and a relationship turns sour. The plot of this play is not actually very complicated; Medea is so angry at her ex-husband Jason that she torches his new wife and father-in-law before murdering the children she had with Jason for the sole purpose of spiting him. It is not necessarily the events of the play that makes it interesting to the audience though, but rather how the details of the play are presented. Much of the context surrounding Medea's actions are revealed by the feelings and words of the people around her. For example, Medea’s hired nurse delivers a relatively short monologue at the very beginning of the play where she frets about the mental state of her mistress and the future prospects of their family; of Medea, the nurse says “She’s been weeping constantly since she heard that she has been cast off by her husband… She hates her sons, gets no joy from seeing them. I am afraid that she’s planning something…” (“Medea”, 2021, p. 442). The nurse also reveals several other contextual details that would otherwise remain unknown if not for her; she tells of many questionable actions Medea made in her past out of devotion to Jason; she talks about security of a healthy married relationship; she reveals her own compassion for Medea and her family despite their current circumstances; she admits to fearing for the wellbeing of Medea’s sons because of the possibility of Medea blaming her sons for their father’s actions; last but not least, she shares a little tidbit of wisdom with the audience when she says “I’d rather grow old in safety and not lead a life of grandeur…” (“Medea”, 2021, p. 444) because she doesn’t want to burden the responsibility of being someone in power, or the consequences of angering someone else in power. According to the nurse, it is easier and safer to never ask for too much, or the gods will be angry. A-F: Question #7 Part of what makes Medea a unique character is how, rather than displaying any inkling of regret about her evil actions and murderous plots, she is supremely pleased and satisfied with them. To be fair, she does experience some internal conflict about murdering her children at first, but these doubts are quickly squashed. Not only is she satisfied with the general outcome of her actions but she is doubly pleased by the pain and anger she causes for Jason. She even says to Jason close to the end of the play “The pain is worth it if it kills your laughter.” (“Medea”, 2021, p. 471). There is but one question that deserves to be answered, given this information: WHO is the protagonist and antagonist of the play - Medea or Jason? - and why? Keep in mind that Google’s definition of a protagonist is simply “the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama”. Shared Question After years of collecting, recording, and recirculating hundreds of pieces of centuries-old literature for a modern audience, it is not surprising to find that many early literary characters shared a few traits in common, and Medea - from the notable Athenian drama named after her - is just one example of this. Medea’s character can be summed up as crafty, vengeful and slightly entitled… Now who else does that sound like? Odysseus of course! Again, this shouldn’t be super surprising given that both were written in Greece by ancient Greeks during the heyday of Ancient Greece (I know that is redundant but it was fun to write). In the Odyssey, Odysseus the protagonist is motivated entirely by wanting to return to his home and exact vengeance on all the suitors who occupy it. He is also extremely crafty and able to talk his way out of many troublesome situations, or even talk his way into getting many things that he doesn’t necessarily deserve. Medea does this as well when she pleas with King Creon to let her remain in his city one last day before being exiled, even as she plots for a way to kill him; she grasps his knee and says “I am in no position to go on the offensive against a king. How have you wronged me? You gave your daughter to the man you wanted to. The one I hate is my husband. You were acting sensibly…” “Just let me stay here for one more day so I can work out my plans for exile and make some arrangements for my sons, since their father is not inclined to help. Show them some pity.” (“Medea”, 2021, p. 448) Obviously Medea isn’t exactly the same character as Odysseus though; the most distinguishing feature between them is simply the fact that Odysseus is a man and Medea is most certainly a woman. Besides that, Odysseus possesses several noble qualities such as honor, discretion, wisdom (which is different than craftiness) and self-control, which are all qualities that Medea seems to possesses in much smaller amounts. References: Euripides. (2021). Medea. In M. Puchner (Ed.), Norton anthology of world literature (shorter 4th ed., pp. 441-472). https://ncia.wwnorton.com/169414/r/goto/cfi/222!/4 Tue, 04 Oct 2022 22:05:25 +0200