The Odyssey, The Aeneid and The Divine Comedy
While Homer's The Odyssey, Virgil's The Aeneid, and Dante's "The DivineComedy" share the characteristic of being epic poems, they each offerdifferent accounts and opinions of what lies in Hell. While Homer'saccount of Hell is largely filled with encounters of differentpersonalities, the experience serves as another aspect of his adventure.In The Aeneid, we encounter a more vivid description of Hell that alsocontains the souls of those who are being punished for their sins on earth. In "The Divine Comedy," Dante presents us with a frightening account ofHell that is divided into sections, each one reserved for a particular typeof sin. While each author may describe Hell differently, each descriptionreiterates the message that earthly sins on earth do not go unnoticed. In Homer's classic, The Odyssey, we are met with one man's adventurethat leads him into the underworld. Following what he has been told byCirce, Odysseus travels into hell, where we are given descriptions of thedead. In the underworld, Odysseus meets Persephone and Demeter. Inaddition, he also encounters his mother, who informs him that the "commonjudgment upon all mortals when they die" (Homer 117) consists of an intense
When they have successfully forgottenall of their former memories, they will be reincarnated back on earth. These imagesare disturbing as much as they are inventive. In addition, while searching for Anchises, Aeneas again seesmany well-known individuals from history such as Silvius, King Numa,Brutus, and Augutus Caesar. These epics are distinct in their details, buttheir descriptions and messages regarding Hell are familiar to modern-dayreaders. As Aeneas meets and speaks with theseindividuals, it is clear that they are being punished for their sins onearth. These spirits all recounttheir tales to him and from their accounts, we can see how Odysseus mustlearn from them. For example, in the Fifth Circle, he witnesses the wrathful souls thatare attacking one another. Aeneas also recognizes Dido in the section of Hell that isreserved for those who commit suicide. The Aeneid and "The Divine Comedy" describe a slightly different journeyinto Hell. Odysseus also sees Tyro, Antiope,and Epicaste, who were all guilty of committing either suicide or murder. In "The Divine Comedy," Dante describes a most vivid and disturbingaccount of Hell. Odysseus also sees the spirit of Agamemnon. The Sixth Circle provides us with images ofheretics. The Seventh Circle houses those whocommitted suicide, whose souls are "encased in thorny trees whose leavesare eaten by odious Harpies" (1195).
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Acceptance Essays
