For anyone who wishes to suggest changes etc.

In Dante's rendering of the pains of Hell, as both Smith and Kenneth Gross
illuminate, what Dante presents his reader is not a place of externally imposed
suffering. Indeed, Gross reminds us that while Bertan in Canto XXVIII of the
Inferno describes his pain as a contrapasso for his sin, the reader knows by
now that "even the most eloquent of the damned have major blind spots" in their
understanding. Rather, the damned suffer the vileness of their sin ? a sin

which they remained committed to up to their time of death. Indeed, they go
"are eager to cross the river [Acheron], for divine justice so spurs them that
fear turns to desire" (Inf. Canto 3, ll 121-126).

Even after death the damned pursue their vice. And it is, the pain inherent to

this commitment, that the damn feel. For example, in the circle of the

wrathful who endure the pain of being submerged in black mud, the damned see a
likeness between their present and their earthly state. The wrathful wail "we
were sullen in the sweet air that is gladdened by the sun, bearing in our
hearts a sluggish smoke, now we are sullen in the black mire" (Inf. Canto VII,
ll 115-126). The lustful are whirled by tempests, the violent immersed in hot
blood, and hypocrites wear robes gilded on the outside but crushing within. In
each case the correspondence between the damned's suffering and his sin refers
not to a punishment that is imposed upon him by an angry god, but rather is an

aspect of the sin itself. Dante's imagery vividly renders the medieval
Catholic teaching that sin diseases the soul twisting, corrupting, and
tormenting it by its very presence.

The pain the soul suffers in Hell for sin is in some way a "continuation of
the condition of sinfulness on earth" the only difference being that the
intellectual powers were strengthened after death and thus, in accord with the
teachings of medieval theology, the damned souls suffer no more than they did
on earth but rather their experience of sin is no longer veiled by misleading
appearance and thus in Hell they know sin for what it is.

There is another sort of pain in Hell. By committing themselves to vice, the
punished are divided within themselves for they thwart the soul's natural

desire for the good. The damned's grief springs from their loss of "the good

of the intellect" (Inf. Canto 3, ll. 17-18). As Virgil explains to his charge,
"each [man, woman and child] confusedly apprehends a Good in which his spirit
may be quieted, and desires it, and therefore each strives to reach it" (purg.
Canto 17, ll 127-129). Yet though born "to form the angelic butterfly" able to
fly to justice unimpeded, the sinner instead "bend[s]" his "sight on emptiness"
thereby becoming "like defective vermin" (Purg. Canto X, ll. 127-130, Par.
Canto IX, ll 10-12) By their choice to remain committed to their sin, the
primordial desire of the damned to return home to their creator is thwarted.
This thwarting is, Hell's primary pain.

Rosena

For anyone who wishes to suggest changes etc.

In Dante's rendering of the pains of Hell, as both Smith and Kenneth Gross
illuminate, what Dante presents his reader is not a place of externally

suffering. Indeed, Gross reminds us that while Bertan in Canto XXVIII of

Inferno describes his pain as a contrapasso for his sin, the reader knows

now that "even the most eloquent of the damned have major blind spots" in

understanding. Rather, the damned suffer the vileness of their sin - a

which they remained committed to up to their time of death. Indeed, they

"are eager to cross the river [Acheron], for divine justice so spurs them

fear turns to desire" (Inf. Canto 3, ll 121-126).

Even after death the damned pursue their vice. And it is, the pain

this commitment, that the damn feel. For example, in the circle of the
wrathful who endure the pain of being submerged in black mud, the damned

likeness between their present and their earthly state. The wrathful wail

were sullen in the sweet air that is gladdened by the sun, bearing in our
hearts a sluggish smoke, now we are sullen in the black mire" (Inf. Canto

ll 115-126). The lustful are whirled by tempests, the violent immersed in

blood, and hypocrites wear robes gilded on the outside but crushing

each case the correspondence between the damned's suffering and his sin

not to a punishment that is imposed upon him by an angry god, but rather

aspect of the sin itself. Dante's imagery vividly renders the medieval
Catholic teaching that sin diseases the soul twisting, corrupting, and
tormenting it by its very presence.

The pain the soul suffers in Hell for sin is in some way a "continuation

the condition of sinfulness on earth" the only difference being that the
intellectual powers were strengthened after death and thus, in accord with

teachings of medieval theology, the damned souls suffer no more than they

on earth but rather their experience of sin is no longer veiled by

appearance and thus in Hell they know sin for what it is.

There is another sort of pain in Hell. By committing themselves to vice,

punished are divided within themselves for they thwart the soul's natural
desire for the good. The damned's grief springs from their loss of "the

of the intellect" (Inf. Canto 3, ll. 17-18). As Virgil explains to his

"each [man, woman and child] confusedly apprehends a Good in which his

may be quieted, and desires it, and therefore each strives to reach it"

Canto 17, ll 127-129). Yet though born "to form the angelic butterfly"

fly to justice unimpeded, the sinner instead "bend[s]" his "sight on

thereby becoming "like defective vermin" (Purg. Canto X, ll. 127-130, Par.
Canto IX, ll 10-12) By their choice to remain committed to their sin, the
primordial desire of the damned to return home to their creator is

This thwarting is, Hell's primary pain.

Rosena