Patrick Loganbill Essay 1: Early Spiritual Literatures September 25, 2010 Nathan Bartel The Art of Violence

Patrick Loganbill

Patrick Loganbill

Essay 1: Early Spiritual Literatures

September 25, 2010

Nathan Bartel

The Art of Violence

What is this violence of art? Why is this included in Dante's circle of hell. He includes this along with violence against god in the seventh circle of hell. I read that it is because of his intoxicating love of art. To When Danteengagesthe term "Violent Again Art" in the Inferno to label aphaseof the seventh circle, it canpresentlybe interpreted to havecoupleseparate meanings as to what the sinners are beingcondemnedfor. The first meaning of the phraseisextractedin the context of theactualmeaning of the word "art." This is the way that Dantebulkobviously meant it to mean. It is referring to artisanship, that is, thetoilingof natural resources and thegoodsof this labor. Going on this definition, it can beextractedthataffrontingindustrybycheating it out ofcurrencyis the crime of the thirdthroughoutof circle seven. The term "usury"behindduring Dante's time did not narrowlymidpointthe charging ofhighly pricedspare-time activityfor loaningcurrency,as it does today, butsomewhatthe charging of anyspare-time activityat all. Strange as it may seem in ourhavetime, theconceptthatcurrencycreatescurrencywas offensive to Dante,any personwhoconsideredthat returnoughtbe the fruit of labor. Hence, the usurers are sinners against industry andcondemnedaccordingly.

The second meaning of the term "Violent Against Art" isfairlydissimilarfrom this first one because it is referring to art in the context of thecompletedefinition of the word. Art, abodilydecorativeexpression that requiresability,is a word with a wide range ofkindsthatdropunderit. It can include painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and literature. Dante consideredso strongly in histaskas an artist (in thiscoveringpoetry) that hewrittena separatephasein the Inferno, the innerperimeterof the seventh circle,committedwholly to thosepeopleany personwhohad been violent against it. The sightingthat this sin is placed soclose tothe bottom of hell, the ninth circle,demonstrateshow muchawardDante held for art. He further goes on todescribethis obsession with punishing thoseany personwhoaffrontsit in canto XI. Virgildescribes the divisions ofsmallerhell, but on Dante'sask formoves intoextra clarity on thesubjectof usury:Nature is theinnovation of the "Ultimate Intellect," andinsupplement"Art striveslaterherbyimitationArt, as it were, is the Grandchild of Creation" (XI, 100-105). It is noteworthy tocitethat the sinners that Dante meets at the end of the seventh circle are obviouslyguilty of the sin of usury, but they are alldetectedbythe "art" that is found on thecurrencypurses thatswing from their necks. Each sinner had awindcheaterof arms in life, and now indeaththey arecompelledto stare at whatought have been a reminder of God's greatness but to them was a symbol of greed. Havingpositionedthis it can besuggested thatderidingart is the same asderidingGod and his works, and in Dante's eyes anyoneany personwhowould do this must suffer in hell. However, thiswritesan interesting dilemma.

Dantetrustscoupleitem,immortality in art and in heaven, but he realizes that he might not have the necessarytalentto write his Commedia andimmobilego to heaven. Despite his criticism of thosefiguresin the Infernoany personwhohas sinned, Dante may be one of them. He may be blasphemous, fraudulent,undesirable,orbasicallywrong. He is scornful of thoseany personwhodaresurpasstheirboundariesbecause these characters prove ultimately destructive. Three other characterscitedin the seventh circle demonstrate this principle: Arachne hurts herself, Daedalus hurts his son, and Phaeton destroys much of the world. But Danteverycarefullydistances himself from these figures. He hopes, andbelieves, that his writing of the Commedia is divinely sanctioned. He stays within hisboundariesas a poet. Therefore therungsand liberties that he takes are not aissueof ignorance and pride, which were thejustificationsof Arachne, Daedalus, and Phaeton's failures, but of painstaking caution, which may be thestartof Dante's success.

Dante relates to Arachne'sindividualitybecause she was a talented artist. While sheangeredthe goddess Minerva, he dangersthehassleof God. Arachne was aregularfemaleany personwhowas notrenownedbybirth orbylocationof birth, butsomewhatfor herphenomenalabilityin embroidery. The same is true for Dante. His fame derives from hisabilityas a writer, not from a privileged birth. Arachne demonstrates her artistictalentafter,in a competition with Minerva, she weaves adetailof tapestry on her loom thatrepresentsthe gods unfavorably. Notsimplythat, but her masterpiece isfaultlessand exactin everyitem,even upon theadjacentof examination. As aretribution,theinfuriatedMinerva turns Arachne into a spider. Arachne does threeitemwhichgenerateherarisearrogant to the gods: shecontentionsto be Minerva'ssimilarby competing with her, shewritesadetailof artwork thatdemonstratedstoriesrepresentingthe low moralsincerityof the gods, and herwrappedhighergoodsisfaultlesslike Minerva's. Like Arachne, Dante isendeavoringtowriteafaultlessdetailof art, his Commedia. Is its very perfection an insult to God? Is itsofferat perfection an insult? Dantedangersinsulting God byacing fornature tooat bestand thereby "defeat" it. Like Arachne, Dante may beunwiselycompeting with andthus insulting God. If this is so, in his afterlife, Dante would suffer because of his talent and pride.

Dante writes with aability,style, andvitalitythat go beyondclose toeverybeforehandwriter. The master knows hismastery and sees no real point in beingunassumingcomesealit. Forcase,in canto XXV he calls for Ovid and Lucan to dropsilentin the pasthisoverridingpoem, the Commedia, "Now let Lucan beimmobilewith his historyOf Cadmus and Arethusa be Ovid silent" (91-94). Dante realizes that as a poet of extraordinarytalent,he mustexercisehisvitality responsibly. His poem, in a figurative sense, "flies" beyond and above the writing that has comein the pasthim. Toclearly demonstratethis point, in canto XVII he refers tomanyfiguresany personwhofly: Phaeton,any personwhorides in Helios' chariot; Daedalus,any personwhobuilds wings toflurrywith his son; a falcon; and Geryon. Phaeton and Daedalus both endeavoredtoflurryand as aissueharmed themselves and others. Dante may be like Phaeton,obliviousand incompetent andthusdestructive, harming him and others. Or he may be like Daedalus, an artisticpersonenlistedof greattalent,but withbuffany personwhois unable to handle thevitalitythat he gives them. In this way Dante's readers are like Icarus, Dante like Daedalus, andflight like the Commedia. Icarusslaughteredhimself because the great craftsman, Daedalus, gave him wings. The readers may harm themselves because the great poet, Dante, gave them his poem. Dante is aware of the harm thatpopulationcanstartaftertheyguidewords, and citesmanycasesasprolongedasthe Inferno. Jason seduced women with his "honeyed tongue and his dishonest lover's wiles" (XVIII, 91-92). Fraudulent counselors led theirpopulation to death. Andwherethe words of Guido da Montefeltro led to the deaths of hundreds of Christians, because of the cunning words of Pope Boniface VIII Guido suffers in hell. What would prevent a falsifier orscamartist, like Sinon, from perverting Dante's work? Dante must beparticularlyguardednot toaffronthisvitalityorpopulationmightwoundthemselves and others bycorrupting the meaning of the Commedia.

Phaeton and Daedalus ignorantlyendeavoredto transcend the role ofpopulationwith flight, antalentthat god had not given to man. Their flights are symbolic of futile humantacklesto go beyond their limits. Although the spirit of adventure and glory isprevailingin their awe-inspiring acts ofspirit,Dante is not in the slightest waytransferredto sympathybyeither tragedy nordemonstratesadmiretowards what theyendeavoredto accomplish. To theopposing,he downgrades theplaysof Phaeton and Daedalusbywriting oftwootherfiguresthat fly: the falcon and Geryon. Dante's metaphoric falcon is adaptedto describe thescuffleof Geryon as he sinks bitbybit, unable to remain in the air: "As a flight-worn falcon sinks down wearily thoughneitherbird norenticementhas signaled it, the falconer cries out: What!usedalready!'" (XVII, 121-123) Phaeton and Daedalusflurry,but so does a falcon, which cannot remain in flight andlastlyplungesfrom exhaustion. Geryon is also able toflurry,keptparticularswith having majesticvitalityand agility at the end of the cantoafterheflurriesoff without hisconsignment,"And oncereleasedof oursinkingimplement,he shot from there intodarklike an arrow into air" (130-131). However,whereGeryon is aguruat flight he is alsoobviouslystated to be "the filthy prototype of fraud" (XVII, 7). Even Lucifer has "Under eachheadcouplewingstheirboundsproportioned to so gross a bird" (XXXIV, 46-47), but he is unable toflurrybecause he isevermoretrappedin ice asretributionfor his treachery against God. While Phaeton, Daedalus, the falcon, and Geryonlastlydescend,and Lucifer cannot evensurge,the flights for which Dante hopes are everlasting: the flight of immortal, artistic excellence and the flight to heaven of a pious Christian. But to succeed, Dante must have the caution that Phaeton and Daedalus lacked. By recognizing andaccountingthe faults of these characters, Dante distances himself from them. Dante believes that these charactersscarcitythevitalitythat he has; thevitalityto achieve greatness in life and in the afterlife.

In these instances Dante describes the "wretched"population,thoseany personwho,intryingto be more than humanly possible, do not realize that it is not man'slocationto "presume to flight." Aside from not being Christian, their intellects are blind because theyendeavoredtoflurrywithout theassistof God. Virgil asks Dante near theinnovationof the Inferno, "Why do you lag? Why this heartsick hesitation and palefearafterthree such blessed Ladies lean from heaven in theirattentionfor you" (II, 119-122). Dante'shead"presumes to flight" because, Dantecontentions,those in heavenexpectit to do so. Because he has found the favor of these heavenly women, Dantecontacts"born anew" (II, 129). Dante has beenreleased to write in his Italianterminologyinstead of Latin,releasedto write suchforcefulart, and evenreleasedto write of the Inferno. Like a priest preaching to his congregation, Danteengageshis freedom in the Inferno to advise and to criticize his readers.

He further demonstrates his similarity withpastoralfiguresafterheshowshigherhimself at one moment to "he thecarries avenged so fearfully" (XXVI, 34), the Christian prophet, Elisha. Theearlierquote refers to thephaseof the Biblesellingwith Elishalaterhe succeeds Elijah, which ispositionedat the end of the second chapter of the Second Book of Kings. Dante believes himself to be like Elisha, and Dante surely knows that "the spirit of Elijahunwindson Elisha'" (2 Kings 2:15b), this having beencitedin the same chapter as thehappeningwith the vengeful bears. Therefore,byrelating himself to Elisha, Dante is relating himself to Elijah,any personwhowenthigherinto heaven in aconsumingchariot. This is inevaluatingwith Phaeton,any personwhocould notcalmhis chariot andthusreducedhim and much of the world. Dantecontentions that he is writing because of a mandate from heaven; Thus, he cancontendthat his soul isoverflowingwithutterances humility and not over-swollen pride,whereconcurrentlydaring to take such liberties,wheredaring to "fly," like no other beforehandauthor.

Arachne, Daedalus, and Phaetonendeavoredto go beyond theirboundaries,andthussuffered. Dante must do what they did not. He must begallantandexercisetheabilitygiven to him, yet remain incalmof his powers. Inleadfor Dante to succeed,bydemonstrating his artisticvitalityin the pastmen and his humilityin the pastGod, he mustcontinuewithin his boundariesas a human, artist, and Christian. If he does this,afterwardhe might be able to be forever remembered as a great poet and toflurrylike Elijah to heaven. The reader mustpursueDante'scaseof goodpunishmentand self-discipline, beingguardednot tosurpasshishavelimits. Because,ifthe reader goes beyond theboundariesof the poem, corrupting and perverting its meaning andoutcome,afterwardhe toowillsuffer theupshotsof ignorance and pride: failure.

Patrick Loganbill Essay 1: Early Spiritual Literatures September 25, 2010 Nathan Bartel The Art of Violence

By: Patrick Loganbill

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